Advancement in Analytical and Bioanalytical Techniques as a Boon to Medical Sciences

The most important objectives frequently found in analytical and bioanalytical chemistry involve advancement of analytical techniques and its application to relevant medical/clinical problems. Keeping in view to these aspects, the present chapter is primarily focused on the development of advanced analytical techniques applied in the medical field. For example, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) enzyme is a specific biomarker of acute kidney injury. A biomarker is an entity that is purposely measured and estimated as an indicator of normal biological process, pathogenic process, or pharmacological responses to a therapeutic intervention. Hence, successive measurements of urinary NAG may enhance its clinical use as an indicator of ongoing tubular injury. Hence, in order to obtain information for selective monitoring of biomarker, the development of a practical and valid analytical method is important. Experimentation is driven by the need to know more about the medical effects and safety features of the biologically active analyte. It is therefore more important to evaluate the information that is already available for that particular analyte and to quantify the level of uncertainty for the proposed technique

A comparative study on patient specific absolute dosimetry using slab phantom, acrylic body phantom and goat head phantom

Purpose: To compare the results of patient specific absolute dosimetry using slab phantom, acrylic body phantom and goat head phantom. Methods: Fifteen intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plans already planned on treatment planning system (TPS) for head-and-neck cancer patients were exported on all three kinds of phantoms viz. slab phantom, acrylic body phantom and goat head phantom, and dose was calculated using anisotropic analytic algorithm (AAA). All the gantry angles were set to zero in case of slab phantom while set to as it is in actual plan in case of other two phantoms. All the plans were delivered by linear accelerator (LA) and dose for each plan was measured by 0.13 cc ion chamber. The percentage (%) variations between planned and measured doses were calculated and analyzed. Results: The mean % variations between planned and measured doses of all IMRT quality assurance (QA) plans were as 0.65 (Standard deviation (SD): 0.38) with confidence limit (CL) 1.39, 1.16 (SD: 0.61) with CL 2.36 and 2.40 (SD: 0.86) with CL 4.09 for slab phantom, acrylic head phantom and goat head phantom respectively. Conclusion: Higher dose variations found in case of real tissue phantom compare to results in case of slab and acrylic body phantoms. The algorithm AAA does not calculate doses in heterogeneous medium as accurate as it calculates in homogeneous medium. Therefore the patient specific absolute dosimetry should be done using heterogeneous phantom mimicking density wise as well as design wise to the actual human body.  </p

A comparative study on patient specific absolute dosimetry using slab phantom, acrylic body phantom and goat head phantom

Purpose: To compare the results of patient specific absolute dosimetry using slab phantom, acrylic body phantom and goat head phantom. Methods: Fifteen intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plans already planned on treatment planning system (TPS) for head-and-neck cancer patients were exported on all three kinds of phantoms viz. slab phantom, acrylic body phantom and goat head phantom, and dose was calculated using anisotropic analytic algorithm (AAA). All the gantry angles were set to zero in case of slab phantom while set to as it is in actual plan in case of other two phantoms. All the plans were delivered by linear accelerator (LA) and dose for each plan was measured by 0.13 cc ion chamber. The percentage (%) variations between planned and measured doses were calculated and analyzed. Results: The mean % variations between planned and measured doses of all IMRT quality assurance (QA) plans were as 0.65 (Standard deviation (SD): 0.38) with confidence limit (CL) 1.39, 1.16 (SD: 0.61) with CL 2.36 and 2.40 (SD: 0.86) with CL 4.09 for slab phantom, acrylic head phantom and goat head phantom respectively. Conclusion: Higher dose variations found in case of real tissue phantom compare to results in case of slab and acrylic body phantoms. The algorithm AAA does not calculate doses in heterogeneous medium as accurate as it calculates in homogeneous medium. Therefore the patient specific absolute dosimetry should be done using heterogeneous phantom mimicking density wise as well as design wise to the actual human body.

Variations in Line Quality of Handwritten Strokes Due to the Photocopying Process- A Preliminary Study

An examination of the line quality of handwritten strokes plays an important role in the detection of forgery. This paper deals with the study of morphological variations in line quality of multi-generation photocopied handwriting (up-to the fifth generation of reproduction) produced by thirty-four different writing instruments. The purpose of the study is to find out the extent to which such line quality features are dependent on the nature of the writing instrument used to prepare the original, as well as the possibility of their survival (or distortion) and, consequently, their detection in the multi-generation photocopies. The overall effect of writing instrument on morphology is seen and felt in varying degrees in photocopier reproductions of all the five generations. Pen characteristics, such as striations, ink gooping, pen skips, ink bleeding/ feathering, nib marks and lead particle deposition have caused a significant difference in the morphology of stroke’s line in photocopy. The effect is much more pronounced in some of the features in photocopies beyond the second generation. There are other features, such as ink feathering and pen skips which could not be reproduced with sufficient clarity in any photocopy generation

Minocycline, levodopa and MnTMPyP induced changes in the mitochondrial proteome profile of MPTP and maneb and paraquat mice models of Parkinson's disease

AbstractMitochondrial dysfunction is the foremost perpetrator of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurodegeneration leading to Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the roles played by majority of the mitochondrial proteins in PD pathogenesis have not yet been deciphered. The present study investigated the effects of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and combined maneb and paraquat on the mitochondrial proteome of the nigrostriatal tissues in the presence or absence of minocycline, levodopa and manganese (III) tetrakis (1-methyl-4-pyridyl) porphyrin (MnTMPyP). The differentially expressed proteins were identified and proteome profiles were correlated with the pathological and biochemical anomalies induced by MPTP and maneb and paraquat. MPTP altered the expression of twelve while combined maneb and paraquat altered the expression of fourteen proteins. Minocycline, levodopa and MnTMPyP, respectively, restored the expression of three, seven and eight proteins in MPTP and seven, eight and eight proteins in maneb- and paraquat-treated groups. Although levodopa and MnTMPyP rescued from MPTP- and maneb- and paraquat-mediated increase in the microglial activation and decrease in manganese-superoxide dismutase expression and complex I activity, dopamine content and number of dopaminergic neurons, minocycline defended mainly against maneb- and paraquat-mediated alterations. The results demonstrate that MPTP and combined maneb and paraquat induce mitochondrial dysfunction and microglial activation and alter the expression of a bunch of mitochondrial proteins leading to the nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurodegeneration and minocycline, levodopa or MnTMPyP variably offset scores of such changes

Liposomski sustavi za isporuku lijekova Klinička primjena

Liposomes have been widely investigated since 1970 as drug carriers for improving the delivery of therapeutic agents to specific sites in the body. As a result, numerous improvements have been made, thus making this technology potentially useful for the treatment of certain diseases in the clinics. The success of liposomes as drug carriers has been reflected in a number of liposome-based formulations, which are commercially available or are currently undergoing clinical trials. The current pharmaceutical preparations of liposome-based therapeutic systems mainly result from our understanding of lipid-drug interactions and liposome disposition mechanisms. The insight gained from clinical use of liposome drug delivery systems can now be integrated to design liposomes that can be targeted on tissues, cells or intracellular compartments with or without expression of target recognition molecules on liposome membranes. This review is mainly focused on the diseases that have attracted most attention with respect to liposomal drug delivery and have therefore yielded most progress, namely cancer, antibacterial and antifungal disorders. In addition, increased gene transfer efficiencies could be obtained by appropriate selection of the gene transfer vector and mode of delivery.Od 1970. godine liposomi se intenzivno istražuju kao nosači ljekovitih tvari za isporuku u određene dijelova organizma. Unapređenje i razvoj liposoma omogućili su njihovu kliničku primjenu u terapiji određenih bolesti. Na tržištu je prisutan određen broj ljekovitih oblika na bazi liposoma, a dio je još u kliničkim pokusima. Svi su oni rezultat boljeg razumjevanja raspodjele liposoma i interakcija između lipida i ljekovite tvari. Moguće je pripremiti liposome koji se mogu usmjeriti u određena tkiva, stanice ili međustanične prostore, sa ili bez vezanih molekula za prepoznavanje na površini membrane. Ovaj revijalni članak uglavnom obuhvaća liposome za terapiju karcinoma, bakterijskih i gljivičnih infekcija jer je u tim područjima primjena liposoma najviše opravdana i stoga najviše istraživana. Osim toga, pravilnim izborom vektora za prijenos gena i načina isporuke može se povećati i učinkovitost prijenosa gena

Suitability Assessment of an Indigenous Heterogeneous Thoracic Phantom for Patient-Specific Quality Assurance in Radiotherapy

Introduction: Patient-specific quality assurance (PSQA) assumes a vital role in precise and accurate radiation delivery to cancer patients. Since the patient body comprises heterogeneous media, the present study aimed to fabricate a heterogeneous thoracic phantom for PSQA.Material and Methods: Heterogeneous thoracic (HT) phantom was fabricated using rib cage madeup of bone equivalent material, kailwood to mimic lungs and wax to mimic various body parts. Physical density of all these materials used in phantom fabrication was measured and compared with that of the corresponding part of actual human thorax. One beam was planned on the computed tomography (CT) images of phantom and actual patient thorax region. Dose distribution in both the plans was measured and analyzed.Results:The estimated densities of heart, lung, ribs, scapula, spine, and chest wall tissues were 0.804±0.007, 0.186±0.010, 1.796±0.061, 2.017±0.026, 2.106±0.029 and 0.739±0.028 respectively in case of HT phantom while 1.038±0.010, 0.199±0.031, 1.715±0.040, 2.006±0.019, 1.929±0.065 and 0.816±0.028 g/cc, respectively in case of actual human thorax region.The depths of isodose curves in HT phantom were also comparable to the isodose curve’s depths inreal patient. PSQA results were within ±3% for flat beam (FB) and flattening filtered free beam (FFFB) of 6 megavolts (MV) energy.Conclusion: Density and dose distribution pattern in HT phantom were similar to that in actual human thorax region. Thus, fabricated HT phantom can be utilized for radiation dosimetry in thoracic cancer patients. The materials used to develop HT phantom are easily available in market at an affordable price and easy to craft

The transient free convection magnetohydrodynamic motion of a nanofluid over a vertical surface under the influence of radiation and heat generation

889-897The main purpose of this article is to study the effect of MHD, internal heat generation, thermal radiation and nanoparticle volume mass on an unsteady free convection motion of a nanofluid over the infinite vertical sheet. Nanofluids involving nanoparticles of silver, aluminum oxide, copper and titanium oxide with a nanoparticle volume concentration range smaller than or equal to 0.04 were taken. The numerical solutions of governing boundary value problems were gained by the Laplace transform algorithm and symbolic computation software MATLAB. The effects of MHD, heat generation, radiation and nanoparticle volume concentration on the velocity, energy and mass descriptions are depicted graphically. The skin friction coefficient, Nusselt number and Sherwood number are also investigated