Study of a Laboratory-based Gamma Spectrometry for Food and Environmental Samples

A comprehensive study on a laboratory-based Gamma Spectrometry has been presented in this paper for food and environmental samples. The system comprises of HPGe detector with proper cooling for minimizing thermal generation of charge-carriers and appropriate shielding to reduce background emission; associated processing electronics and acquisition as well as analysis software. The choice of HPGe detector for laboratory-based Gamma Spectrometry, its radiation interaction mechanism and system optimization have been presented

Microcontroller based Constant Voltage Maximum Power Point Tracking for Solar inverter applications

Microcontroller based maximum power point tracking (MPPT) has been presented for single phase stand alone or grid connected solar inverter applications. The PV array consists of only 12V cell arrangement, thereafter, Discrete Comparator Circuit, The PIC microcontroller P16F676 controls the high power switching devices in the proposed MPPT scheme. The Constant Voltage (CV) algorithm continuously searches for the PV voltages in the rapidly changing weather conditions. The less pin and housing microcontroller does it all for the proposed Constant Voltage (CV) MPPT algorithm. The MPAB Simulation proves a very good agreement with the discrete comparator and switching devices for grid voltage, back-up battery charging and temporary load shedding operation. Therefore, until and unless MPPT voltages are in the operating region, the scheme allows grid voltage and back-up battery charging

Intravesical Treatments of Bladder Cancer: Review

For bladder cancer, intravesical chemo/immunotherapy is widely used as adjuvant therapies after surgical transurethal resection, while systemic therapy is typically reserved for higher stage, muscle-invading, or metastatic diseases. The goal of intravesical therapy is to eradicate existing or residual tumors through direct cytoablation or immunostimulation. The unique properties of the urinary bladder render it a fertile ground for evaluating additional novel experimental approaches to regional therapy, including iontophoresis/electrophoresis, local hyperthermia, co-administration of permeation enhancers, bioadhesive carriers, magnetic-targeted particles and gene therapy. Furthermore, due to its unique anatomical properties, the drug concentration-time profiles in various layers of bladder tissues during and after intravesical therapy can be described by mathematical models comprised of drug disposition and transport kinetic parameters. The drug delivery data, in turn, can be combined with the effective drug exposure to infer treatment efficacy and thereby assists the selection of optimal regimens. To our knowledge, intravesical therapy of bladder cancer represents the first example where computational pharmacological approach was used to design, and successfully predicted the outcome of, a randomized phase III trial (using mitomycin C). This review summarizes the pharmacological principles and the current status of intravesical therapy, and the application of computation to optimize the drug delivery to target sites and the treatment efficacy

Detection of R576 interleukin-4 receptor αn allele gene, serum interleukin-4, and eosinophilic cationic protein in atopic dermatitis patients

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic pruritic skin disease. It results from a complex interplay between strong genetic and environmental factors. The aim of this work was to study some biochemical markers of the dermatosis. This included detection of R576 interleukin-4 receptor alpha allele gene. Twenty five patients with AD and 25 controls participated in this study

Upgradation of nuclear medical equipment in the developing countries and its impact in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has thirteen Nuclear Medical Centres and one Institute of Nuclear Medicine in the country which are being run and maintained by the physicians scientists and engineers of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission. The peaceful application of atomic energy was initiated through all these Centres with the use of clinical isotopes for thyroid and kidney studies. The equipment used for these purposes were the thyroid uptake system, rectilinear scanner and the multiprobe renogram system. The first gamma camera was installed in the country in 1980 at the Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Dhaka. That was the turning point for the country in the field of nuclear medicine. Presently all the nuclear medical establishments are equipped least with a gamma camera, thyroid uptake system and a renogram system. In the last two decades there has been a tremendous development in the design of nuclear medical equipment. Most of the old equipments were slow and manually operated. In the beginning of nineties of the past century there was an uprising in the computer technology and most of the manually operated machines were brought under computerization. It was basically done with a custom built processor to perform only the specific job and spare the users from doing some extra manual work. But the performances of the recent models of the same computerized equipment are by far the best as compared with the past ones. This report describes the role of the IAEA in the upgradation of medical equipment, PC interfacing, upgrading of old gamma cameras and the technological and socio-economic impact in Banglades

DETECTION OF R576 INTERLEUKIN-4 RECEPTOR AN ALLELE GENE, SERUM INTERLEUKIN-4, AND EOSINOPHILIC CATIONIC PROTEIN IN ATOPIC DERMATITIS PATIENTS

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic pruritic skin disease. It results from a complex interplay between strong genetic and environmental factors. The aim of this work was to study some biochemical markers of the dermatosis. This included detection of R576 interleukin-4 receptor alpha allele gene. Twenty five patients with AD and 25 controls participated in this study

Accelerating Hepatitis C virus elimination in Egypt by 2030: A national survey of communication for behavioral development as a modelling study.

Aim of the workThis study aimed at assessing the dominance of risk practices associated with HCV endemicity in Egypt and detecting the behavioral development level concerning different aspects of HCV risk behaviors with respect to age and gender. The survey highlights the most cost-effective strategies that could accelerate HCV elimination in Egypt.Subjects and methodsA national household survey targeted 3780 individuals (age range: 10-85 years). The sample was a systematic probability proportionate to size from 6 governorates representing the six major subdivisions of Egypt. The indicators used for assessing the behavioral development level towards HCV included six domains: awareness (7 indicators), perceived risk (5 indicators), motivation with the intention to change (4 and 5 indicators for males and females respectively), trial, rejection or adoption (6 and 5 indicators for males and females respectively).ResultsThe study revealed that along the continuum of behavior development, the percentage of the participants who acquired half of the scores was as follows: 73.1% aware, 69.8% developed perceived risk, 80.6% motivated with only 28.9% adopting the recommended behaviors, 32% rejected them, 2.3% were in the trial stage versus 35.8% who did not try any. Adolescents had significantly lower levels of development for almost all domains when compared to adults. Statistical higher significance was detected in favor of adults, employees, married, Lower Egypt governorates, and university-educated participants (pConclusionEgypt would be closer to HCV elimination when cost-effective strategies are directed not towards creating awareness, perceived risk or motivation to change- (at an acceptable level)- but towards motivating adopting risk-reduction behaviors for HCV, tackling misconceptions and reinforcement of social support