Evaluation of production cross-sections for theranostic 67Cu radionuclide via proton-induced nuclear reaction on 68Zn target

Copper–67 (T1/2 = 61.83 h, ) is a promising radionuclide for theranostic applications especially in radio immunotherapy. However, one of the main drawbacks for its application is related to its limited availability. Various nuclear reaction routes investigated in the last years can result in 67Cu production, although the use of proton beams is the method of choice taken into account in this work. The goal of this work is a revision of the cross-sections aimed at 67Cu yield, which were evaluated for the 68Zn(p,2p)67Cu reaction route up to 80 MeV proton energy. A well-defined statistical procedure, i.e., the Simultaneous Evaluation on KALMAN (SOK), combined with the least-squares concept, was used to obtain the evaluated data together with the covariance matrix. The obtained evaluated data were also compared to predictions provided by the nuclear reaction model codes TALYS and EMPIRE, and a partial agreement among them has been found. These data may be useful for both existing and potential applications in nuclear medicine, to achieve an improvement and validation of the various nuclear reaction models, and may also find applications in other fields (e.g., activation analysis and thin layer activation)

Magnetoresistance and magneto-plasmonic sensors for the detection of cancer biomarkers : A bibliometric analysis and recent advances

The conventional approaches to diagnosing cancer are expensive, often involve exposure to radiation, and struggle to identify early-stage lung cancer. As a result, the five-year survival rate is significantly reduced. Fortunately, promising alternatives using magnetoresistance (MR) and magneto-plasmonic sensors have emerged for swiftly, accurately, and inexpensively detecting cancer in its initial phases. These sensor technologies offer numerous advantages over their counterparts, such as minimal background noise, immunity to environmental influences, compatibility with nanofabrication methods, ability to detect multiple substances simultaneously, straightforward integration, high specificity, distinctive identifying capabilities, real-time monitoring, stability, label-free detection, and remarkable sensitivity for detecting individual molecules. Nevertheless, since the use of these techniques for cancer biomarker detection is relatively new, it is essential to conduct a bibliometric analysis and review recent literature to offer guidance to both early-career and established researchers in this domain. Consequently, this study performs a scientometric evaluation of the literature related to cancer biomarker detection using MR and magneto-plasmonic methods. The objective is to pinpoint current preferred techniques and challenges by examining statistics such as publication numbers, authors, countries, journals, and research interests. Furthermore, the paper also presents the latest advancements in MR and magneto-plasmonic sensors for cancer biomarker detection, with a focus on the last decade. In addition, an overview of the ongoing research in the field of MR and magneto-plasmonic sensors for detecting cancer biomarkers is highlighted. Finally, a summary on the level of current research including the significant accomplishments, challenges, and outlooks of MR and magneto-plasmonic sensors for the detection of cancer biomarkers are highlighted

ISSN 2347-954X (Print) Survey of Patients Radiation Doses in Computed Tomography Chest Imaging: Proposal of Diagnostic Reference Level

Abstract: Advances in CT system technology have improved the diagnosis of many clinical conditions and consequence new investigation methods emerged. However, CT procedures expose the patients to high an avoidable radiation doses which may increase the individuals lifetime radiation risk of developing cancer. This study was intended to evaluate patient doses during chest CT procedures in a certain radiological hospitals in order to establish a local diagnostic reference level (DRL). A total of 78 CT chest procedures were performed during one year. The range of patient dose per CT procedure was 126.0 mGy.cm to 1104.0 mGy.cm per chest procedure. The CTDIvol ranged between 3.0 mGy to 20 mGy per procedure. Patient dose variation attributed to CT modality and image acquisition protocol. Patients exposed to a higher radiation doses in 64 slices compared to other two modalities due to the use of sequential technique at the later one. Diagnostic reference level was proposed for chest CT procedures

Radionuclides Transfer from Soil to Tea Leaves and Estimation of Committed Effective Dose to the Bangladesh Populace

Considering the probable health risks due to radioactivity input via drinking tea, the concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th,40K and 137Cs radionuclides in the soil and the corresponding tea leaves of a large tea plantation were measured using high purity germanium (HPGe) γ-ray spectrometry. Different layers of soil and fresh tea leaf samples were collected from the Udalia Tea Estate (UTE) in the Fatickchari area of Chittagong, Bangladesh. The mean concentrations (in Bq/kg) of radionuclides in the studied soil samples were found to be 34 ± 9 to 45 ± 3 for 226Ra, 50 ± 13 to 63 ± 5 for 232Th, 245 ± 30 to 635 ± 35 for 40K and 3 ± 1 to 10 ± 1 for 137Cs, while the respective values in the corresponding tea leaf samples were 3.6 ± 0.7 to 5.7 ± 1.0, 2.4 ± 0.5 to 5.8 ± 0.9, 132 ± 25 to 258 ± 29 and <0.4. The mean transfer factors for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K from soil to tea leaves were calculated to be 0.12, 0.08 and 0.46, respectively, the complete range being 1.1 × 10−2 to 1.0, in accordance with IAEA values. Additionally, the most popularly consumed tea brands available in the Bangladeshi market were also analyzed and, with the exception of 40K, were found to have similar concentrations to the fresh tea leaves collected from the UTE. The committed effective dose via the consumption of tea was estimated to be low in comparison with the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) reference ingestion dose limit of 290 μSv/y. Current indicative tea consumption of 4 g/day/person shows an insignificant radiological risk to public health, while cumulative dietary exposures may not be entirely negligible, because the UNSCEAR reference dose limit is derived from total dietary exposures. This study suggests a periodic monitoring of radiation levels in tea leaves in seeking to ensure the safety of human health