Nuclear Techniques Research Articles

Photocrosslinking Property of Certain Synthesized Bis(arylidene)cycloalkanone based Random Copolyesters with Computational Support and their Anticancer Study

The synthesis of random copolyesters involves polycondensation of arylidene diol with curcumin and glutaryl chloride in 1:1:2 ratio. For this monomers, 2,6-bis-(4-hydroxy benzylidene) cyclohexanone, 2,6-bis-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)cyclohexanone, 2,5-bis-(4-hydroxybenzylidene)cyclopentanone and 2,5-bis-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy benzylidene)cyclopentanone were synthesized using acid catalyzed Claisen-Schmidt reaction. Qualitative solubility tests reveal that prepared copolyesters dissolve well in polar solvents. The successful formation of copolyesters was confirmed by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic techniques. Glass transition temperature of prepared polymers was calculated using differential scanning calorimetric analysis. Further, the prepared copolyesters were utilized as in vitro anticancer agents against breast cancer MCF7 cells. The experimental results of phototcrosslinking property of the copolyesters was compared with that of computational method by DFT calculations which shows coincidence of both.

Rare Earth Element Deposits: Sources, and Exploration Strategies

Abstract Rare earth elements (REE) include the lanthanide series (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu) plus Sc and Y. All these metals occur together in different types of REE deposits such as carbonatites, alkali syenites and monazite-rich placers, and are found in more than 250 minerals in the Earth’s crust. The future of the world’s green technologies depends upon their availability and supply. At present, China is responsible for 80% of global REE production. However, countries such as USA, Australia, India, and Kazakhstan also extract and refine significant quantities of REE. These metals occur in primary deposits associated with igneous and hydrothermal processes, and secondary deposits concentrated by sedimentary processes and weathering. However, other types of resources such as ocean bottom sediments, waste rocks in closed mines, river sediments, industrial wastes like red mud, coal, and fly ash have proved to be containing significant amounts of these elements. Besides the beach sand deposits, the Amba Dongar carbonatite complex, and carbonatite plugs hosting REE deposits at Kamthai have been recognized as a potential REE resource in India. Significant concentrations of REE were identified in the deep-sea sediments of Afanasy Niktin Seamount in the Indian Ocean. Integrated exploration methods are playing a key role in the search for new REE mineral deposits. During geochemical exploration studies, portable analytical instruments such as pXRF, pLIBS, portable Raman spectrometer, and a couple of nuclear techniques have enabled successful results in recent times both on and off the land at lower costs, and allowing rapid decision-making on exploration strategies directly in the field.

99mTc-labeled keratin gold-nanoparticles in a nephron-like microfluidic chip for photo-thermal therapy applications

Biocompatible gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are particularly interesting for photo-thermal therapy (PTT) of cancer treatment because of their ability to convert light into heating efficiently. Nevertheless, the random accumulation of AuNPs in tissues, mainly determined by their retention time in the bloodstream, is one of the main limiting factors for their use in PTT applications. For this reason, efficient targeting and monitoring of AuNPs in the selected tissues is of paramount importance. This manuscript reports on a new generation of 99mTc-labeled AuNPs coated with keratin (Ker-AuNPs) and their spatial localization investigated by nuclear imaging techniques on an animal-free model. The effective radiolabeling of Ker-AuNPs with 99mTc is achieved using the chelating agent diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), resulting in the 99mTc-DTPA-Ker-AuNPs nanoconjugate. The 99mTc-DTPA-Ker-AuNPs display a radiochemical purity of 90.7% and excellent photo-thermal properties. In addition, the biocompatibility of the 99mTc-DTPA-Ker-AuNPs with healthy human embryonic kidney (HEK293T) cells is shown. A Lab-On-a-Chip (LoC) approach is used to localize and study the stability of 99mTc-DTPA-Ker-AuNPs under dynamic conditions. To this end, the nanoconjugates are injected into a polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic chip mimicking the renal filtering unit, the nephron, and monitored via radio-imaging and thermo-optical experiments. These detailed studies establish that DTPA-assisted 99mTc-labeled Ker-AuNPs are excellent candidates as biocompatible and non-invasive radiolabeled nanotherapeutic for PTT-based applications.

Diagnostic Challenges in Osteoradionecrosis of the Jaw

Osteoradionecrosis of the jaws (ORNJ) is a severe radiotherapy (RT) complication that occurs in 2% to 22% of individuals with head and neck cancers (HNC) who are treated with RT or concurrent chemo-RT. The accurate diagnosis of ORNJ is crucial for appropriate and prompt management. On the other hand, various ORNJ stages can resemble osteomyelitis, medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ), and tumor recurrences. This challenging situation is primarily due to the clinical and radiologic similarities between ORNJ and these non-RT-related conditions. Image analysis techniques such as panoramic imaging (PI), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), bone scintigraphy, positron emission tomography (PET), and single photon emission CT (SPECT) might help to avoid diagnostic obstacles. Despite the fact that the general characteristics of ORNJ have been reported in the literature, there is no clear consensus on its definitive diagnosis. Therefore, the current review aims to address ORNJ and its clinical and radiological aspects, as well as provide evidence to inform on the approaches to be used in removing the complexity in diagnosis, with a specific focus on radiological and nuclear medicine techniques.

Nerve regeneration in transplanted organs and tracer imaging studies: A review

The technique of organ transplantation is well established and after transplantation the patient might be faced with the problem of nerve regeneration of the transplanted organ. Transplanted organs are innervated by the sympathetic, parasympathetic, and visceral sensory plexuses, but there is a lack of clarity regarding the neural influences on the heart, liver and kidneys and the mechanisms of their innervation. Although there has been considerable recent work exploring the potential mechanisms of nerve regeneration in organ transplantation, there remains much that is unknown about the heterogeneity and individual variability in the reinnervation of organ transplantation. The widespread availability of radioactive nerve tracers has also made a significant contribution to organ transplantation and has helped to investigate nerve recovery after transplantation, as well as providing a direction for future organ transplantation research. In this review we focused on neural tracer imaging techniques in humans and provide some conceptual insights into theories that can effectively support our choice of radionuclide tracers. This also facilitates the development of nuclear medicine techniques and promotes the development of modern medical technologies and computer tools. We described the knowledge of neural regeneration after heart transplantation, liver transplantation and kidney transplantation and apply them to various imaging techniques to quantify the uptake of radionuclide tracers to assess the prognosis of organ transplantation. We noted that the aim of this review is both to provide clinicians and nuclear medicine researchers with theories and insights into nerve regeneration in organ transplantation and to advance imaging techniques and radiotracers as a major step forward in clinical research. Moreover, we aimed to further promote the clinical and research applications of imaging techniques and provide clinicians and research technology developers with the theory and knowledge of the nerve.

Nuclear techniques in forensic toxicology

Illegal trades carried out by criminal organisations are a major threat to health and security worldwide. Criminal organisations are trading both drugs of abuse and illegal pharmaceutical products and supplements. The aim of our research is to show how nuclear techniques can support the protection of public health and the fight against illegal trades of interest for forensic toxicology, providing key analytical information. Specimens of Cannabis sativa L. were analysed by instrumental neutron activation analysis for Al, As, Br, Ca, Cd, Co, Cs, Fe, K, La, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Sr, V, and Zn. Illegal pharmaceutical products containing sildenafil and preparations containing oxandrolone (a doping agent) were analysed by accelerator-based nuclear analytical techniques, such as Ion Beam Analysis (IBA), for elemental analysis, and by Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (LC-HRMS) and Gas Chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for organic analysis. IBA analysis by PIXE (Particle-Induced X-ray Emission), PIGE (Particle-Induced Gamma-ray Emission) and EBS (Elastic Backscattering Spectrometry) were carried out using an accelerated proton beam extracted in air with no sample preparation. Statistical evaluation was carried out by hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis. Several elements (F, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br and Sr) were identified in the illegal products containing sildenafil (6 specimens) or oxandrolone (6 specimens) by PIXE, allowing their quantitative elemental characterisation. Secondary ion mass spectrometry using primary ions with energies in the range of several MeV (MeV-SIMS) provided analysis of organic active compounds and organic impurities. The traditional approach based on chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry provided complementary organic analysis. Authentic Viagra was also analysed. Cluster analysis of the results from 63 specimens was able to group the Cannabis specimens into their known or reported growing regions with a high degree of accuracy. Principal component analysis was also able to elucidate some of the underlying geochemical factors that could explain the clustering. The IBA results showed that a simple criterion suggested in a previous work to identify authentic Viagra is valid also for the analysis carried out in different laboratories (LABEC accelerator of the INFN Division of Florence and IIL in Brazil). Nuclear techniques showed to be effective to support the protection of public health and the fight against illegal trades of interest for forensic toxicology, providing key analytical information inaccessible with traditional analysis by LC-HRMS and GC-MS). Timely analytical results are needed to provide early warning for public health. Nuclear techniques should be further studied to allow a global inter-laboratory classification system of drugs of abuse, doping products and illegal pharmaceutical products. The elemental characterisations provided is complementary to the organic information obtained by the traditional analytical approach based on chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Global databases could allow inferring about common characteristics of illegal products such as provenience of bulk materials, site of production etc., providing key forensic information to support the fight against illegal trades.

Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma during childhood and adolescence

Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma belong to the group of rare catecholamine-producing tumours during childhood and adolescence. They occur most frequently in patients with tumour predisposition syndromes. Imaging is essential to assess tumour stage and to plan therapy initiation. The aim of this review is asummary of the most important characteristics of the aforementioned tumour entities with aspecial focus on imaging. In particular, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as nuclear medicine techniques are presented. Diagnostic methods in patients with pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma are presented based on the literature and own case reports. The radiologic modality of choice for the staging of catecholamine-producing tumours during childhood and adolescence is MRI, due to the lack of ionizing radiation and high soft tissue contrast. In addition, 123-I-meta-iodo-benzyl-guanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy and positron emission tomography/computer tomography (PET/CT) are performed. Whole-body MRI is particularly important as ascreening tool in patients with atumour predisposition syndrome. Radiologic imaging and nuclear medicine techniques are important for the assessment of disease stage and therapy planning in patients with catecholamine-producing tumours. Detection of metastatic disease is essential, as there are no known histopathologic markers, which can predict the metastatic potential of the tumours.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Imaging Tracers for Serotonin Receptors.

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and 5-HT receptors (5-HTRs) have crucial roles in various neuropsychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, making them attractive diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a noninvasive nuclear molecular imaging technique and is an essential tool in clinical diagnosis and drug discovery. In this context, numerous PET ligands have been developed for "visualizing" 5-HTRs in the brain and translated into human use to study disease mechanisms and/or support drug development. Herein, we present a comprehensive repertoire of 5-HTR PET ligands by focusing on their chemotypes and performance in PET imaging studies. Furthermore, this Perspective summarizes recent 5-HTR-focused drug discovery, including biased agonists and allosteric modulators, which would stimulate the development of more potent and subtype-selective 5-HTR PET ligands and thus further our understanding of 5-HTR biology.

Development of nanostructured green divalent manganese‐coordinated polyurea

AbstractThe work presented here reports the greener synthesis of polyurea (GPUa) via in‐situ solvent‐free precipitation polymerization of toluene diisocyanate (TDI) (used as monomer) and water. The divalent manganese [Mn(II)] ions were incorporated into GPUa to form Mn(II)‐GPUa to enhance its applicability. The structure of GPUa and Mn(II)‐GPUa was validated by Fourier‐transform infrared and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectral techniques. The morphology along with the elemental analysis of GPUa and Mn(II)‐GPUa was assessed by X‐ray diffraction analysis and field emission scanning electron microscopy along with energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. Thermal degradation behavior and stability of GPUa and Mn(II)‐GPUa were investigated by thermo‐gravimetric, differential thermal, differential scanning calorimetry, and integral procedure decomposition temperature analysis. Furthermore, the batch adsorption method was used to examine the adsorption behavior of Mn(II)‐GPUa. The study's results indicated that Mn(II)‐GPUa might be used as an eco‐friendly, thermally stable material and adsorbent, making it suitable as an effective dye adsorbent for wastewater treatment. The current work is aligned with Green chemistry principles (Principles 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 12).

Update on the Diagnosis and Management of Medullary Thyroid Cancer: What Has Changed in Recent Years?

Simple SummaryMedullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare neoplasm that is responsible for a fair proportion of thyroid carcinoma related deaths. The current diagnostic and therapeutic standards are not always effective and need to be upgraded. The role of biomarkers and immunohistochemistry in the diagnosis of MTC is highlighted. Opportunities for improved diagnostics have been seen with the development of nuclear medicine. Some studies have highlighted the possibility of reducing the number of complications during surgical treatment, which is the basic therapeutic method in patients with MTC. Current pharmacotherapy is imperfect, but there is ongoing research into the use of new, more selective drugs. The following paper discusses recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of MTC.Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a neoplasm originating from parafollicular C cells. MTC is a rare disease, but its prognosis is less favorable than that of well-differentiated thyroid cancers. To improve the prognosis of patients with MTC, early diagnosis and prompt therapeutic management are crucial. In the following paper, recent advances in laboratory and imaging diagnostics and also pharmacological and surgical therapies of MTC are discussed. Currently, a thriving direction of development for laboratory diagnostics is immunohistochemistry. The primary imaging modality in the diagnosis of MTC is the ultrasound, but opportunities for development are seen primarily in nuclear medicine techniques. Surgical management is the primary method of treating MTCs. There are numerous publications concerning the stratification of particular lymph node compartments for removal. With the introduction of more effective methods of intraoperative parathyroid identification, the complication rate of surgical treatment may be reduced. The currently used pharmacotherapy is characterized by high toxicity. Moreover, the main limitation of current pharmacotherapy is the development of drug resistance. Currently, there is ongoing research on the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), highly specific RET inhibitors, radiotherapy and immunotherapy. These new therapies may improve the prognosis of patients with MTCs.

Kinetically Consistent Data Assimilation for Plant PET Sparse Time Activity Curve Signals

Time activity curve (TAC) signal processing in plant positron emission tomography (PET) is a frontier nuclear science technique to bring out the quantitative fluid dynamic (FD) flow parameters of the plant vascular system and generate knowledge on crops and their sustainable management, facing the accelerating global climate change. The sparse space-time sampling of the TAC signal impairs the extraction of the FD variables, which can be determined only as averaged values with existing techniques. A data-driven approach based on a reliable FD model has never been formulated. A novel sparse data assimilation digital signal processing method is proposed, with the unique capability of a direct computation of the dynamic evolution of noise correlations between estimated and measured variables, by taking into explicit account the numerical diffusion due to the sparse sampling. The sequential time-stepping procedure estimates the spatial profile of the velocity, the diffusion coefficient and the compartmental exchange rates along the plant stem from the TAC signals. To illustrate the performance of the method, we report an example of the measurement of transport mechanisms in zucchini sprouts.

Source Identification of PM2.5 during a Smoke Haze Period in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Using Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopes

Open biomass burning (BB) has contributed severely to the ambient levels of particulate matter of less than 2.5 μm diameter (PM2.5) in upper northern Thailand over the last decade. Some methods have been reported to identify the sources of burning using chemical compositions, i.e., ions, metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, etc. However, recent advances in nuclear techniques have been limited in use due to their specific instrumentation. The aims of this study were to investigate the sources of ambient PM2.5 in Chiang Mai city using stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen isotopes (δ15N). The mean concentrations of total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN) in PM2.5 were 12.2 ± 5.42 and 1.91 ± 1.07 μg/m3, respectively, whereas δ13C and δ15N PM2.5 were −26.1 ± 0.77‰ and 10.3 ± 2.86‰, respectively. This isotopic analysis confirmed that biomass burning was the source of PM2.5 and that C3 and C4 plants contributed about 74% and 26%, respectively. These study results confirm that the stable isotope is an important tool in identifying the sources of aerosols.

Efficient Radiolabeling of Block Copolymer Micelles through Radiometal Salt Precipitation for Theranostic Applications

AbstractA variety of polymer micelles are designed for the delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs to tumors. Although the promise of these nanocarriers is very high, in the clinic the effectivity is rather limited. Determining the in vivo fate of the micelles can greatly help to improve this treatment. Here, a simple and fast chelator‐free method for radiolabeling of polymer micelles composed of different block copolymers is presented, which can allow evaluating the behavior of the nanocarriers in vivo using noninvasive nuclear imaging techniques (e.g., single photon computed tomography, SPECT). The radiolabeling method consists of adding the radioisotope ions, i.e., 111In(III), resulting in a high radiolabeling efficiencies up to 90%. The results suggest that the radiolabeling efficiency depends on two important factors: the properties of the hydrophobic block in the block copolymer composing the micelle core, and the speciation of the radiometal salts. The formation of metal hydroxides and their precipitation in the core of the micelles appears to be a key factor for high stability. Moreover, the method can be applied to radiolabel the micelles in the presence of chemotherapeutic drugs. Finally, a SPECT study shows that the radiolabeled samples are stable in vivo without any evident loss of 111In(III).

Characterization of Neutron Reaction Rates in Different Irradiation Channels of the CNESTEN’s TRIGA Mark II Research Reactor

The National Center for Energy, Sciences and Nuclear Techniques (CNESTEN)’s Training Research and Isotope Production General Atomics (TRIGA) Mark II is a pool-type light water moderated and cooled research reactor operating at a maximum steady state thermal power of 2 MW. The reactor was designed to be used as a training facility for reactor operators, neutron activation analysis, isotopes production, and for implementing different reactor physics experiments. This article deals with the numerical and experimental characterization of reaction rates (RRs) in different irradiation channels inside the CNESTEN’s TRIGA Mark II research reactor, located in Rabat/Morocco. The main objective of this study is to validate the calculated neutron RRs against the measured ones and to prove that the new TRIPOLI-4 model of the reactor is capable to reproduce the measured quantities. Therefore, the measurements were carried out using the neutron activation technique and gamma spectrometry measurements. Preliminary simulations were performed with TRIPOLI-4 transport Monte Carlo code to establish the experimental design and set up for activation foils experiments. The selected set of foils with known characteristics were irradiated, at different power levels, inside the irradiation facilities of the TRIGA reactor. The resulting activities were evaluated via <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\gamma $ </tex-math></inline-formula> spectrometry measurements. Normalized calculated and measured RRs were compared, and a good agreement was shown for most nuclides, which indicates that the new detailed TRIPOLI-4 model of the TRIGA reactor can accurately predict the relative experimental RRs values. Further work is ongoing to analyze absolute RR values, as well as to carry measurements in other irradiation channels.

Radiation Damage in the Structure of the CR-39 Nuclear Detector Material as A Result of the Alpha's Energy Loss

In this work, the damage caused by the passage of alpha particles inside the CR-39 nuclear detector material on its chemical structure was studied. All samples at room temperature using a 241Am-Be neutron source with a flux of 5^10 neutrons.cm-2.s-1 were neutron-irradiated. In the CR-39 nuclear track detectors, chemical etching is a critical step in expanding latent tracks. At 70 °C, a NaOH in 6.25N etchant was found to be useful in expanding alpha traces in the CR-39 detector. The track depths of the Alpha particle as a function of etching time for the various energies were increased as etching time increases. The current study uses the nuclear track detector technique to estimate the range of alpha particles. Track etch rates are frequently determined using 2-dimensional photographs of track openings (diameter) or etching time data. The chemical structure along latent tracks and the track formation process were investigated in PADC(poly allyl diglycol carbonate). The findings showed that the measurement of bulk etch rate values by the weight method was 1.42 ± 0.02 μm/h. In addition, the results for the alpha particle range from 4.47 ± 0.05 and 5.8 ± 0.19 μm for alpha energy1.2 MeV and1.47MeV,respectively

Application of deep neural network and gamma-ray scattering in eccentric scale calculation regardless of the fluids volume fraction inside a pipeline

Scale formation is one of the major problems in the oil industry as it can accumulate on the surface of the pipelines, which could even fully block the fluids’ passage. It was developed a methodology to detect and quantify the maximum thickness of eccentric scale inside pipelines using nuclear techniques and an artificial neural network. The measurement procedure is based on gamma-ray scattering using NaI(Tl) detectors and a137Cs radiation source that emits gamma-rays of 662 keV. The simulations considered an annular flow regime composed of barium sulfate scale, oil, saltwater and gas, and three percentages of these fluids were used. In the present investigation, a study of detectors configuration was carried out to improve the measurement geometry and the simulations were made using the MCNP6 code, which is a mathematical code based on the Monte Carlo method. The counts registered in the detectors were used as input data to train a deep neural network (DNN) that uses rectifier activation functions instead of the usually sigmoid-based ones. In addition, a hyperparameters search was made using open software to develop the final DNN architecture. Results showed that the best detector configuration was able to predict 100% of the patterns with the maximum relative error of 5%. Moreover, the achieved mean absolute percentage error was 0.42% and the regression coefficient was 0.99996 for all data. The results are promising and encourage the use of DNN to calculate inorganic scale regardless of the fluids volume fraction inside pipelines.

The Role of PIXE and XRF in Heritage Science: The INFN-CHNet LABEC Experience

Analytical techniques play a fundamental role in heritage science. Among them, Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) techniques are widely used in many laboratories for elemental composition analysis. Although they are well-established, a strong effort is put on their upgrade, making them suitable for more and more applications. Over the years, at the INFN-LABEC (the laboratory of nuclear techniques for the environment and cultural heritage of the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics), the INFN-CHNet group, the network devoted to cultural heritage, has carried out many technological improvements to the PIXE and XRF set-ups for the analysis of works of art and archaeological finds. Among the many, we recall here the scanning external microbeam facility at the TANDEM accelerator and the MA-XRF scanner. The two instruments have shown complementary features: the former permits quantitative analysis of elements heavier than sodium, which is not possible with the latter in most of the case studies. On the contrary, the scanner has the undeniable advantage of portability, allowing it to work in situ. In this framework of technological developments in heritage science, INFN, CERN, and OPD are jointly carrying on the MACHINA (Movable Accelerator for Cultural Heritage In-situ Non-destructive Analysis) project for on-site Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) studies on cultural heritage.

Response of Ancillary Azide Ligand in Designing a 1D Copper(II) Polymeric Complex along with the Introduction of High DNA- and HAS-Binding Efficacy, Leading to Impressive Anticancer Activity: A Compact Experimental and Theoretical Approach.

A new versatile azide-bridged polymeric Cu(II) complex, namely, [Cu(L)(μ1,3-N3)]∞ (1), was synthesized utilizing an N,N,O-donor piperidine-based Schiff base ligand (E)-4-bromo-2-((2-(-1-yl)imino)methyl)phenol (HL), obtained via the condensation reaction of 1-(2-aminoethyl) piperidine and 5-bromo salicylaldehyde. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that complex 1 consists of an end-to-end azido-bridged polymeric network, which is further rationalized with the help of a density functional theory (DFT) study. After routine characterization with a range of physicochemical studies, complex 1 is exploited to evaluate its biomedical potential. Initially, theoretical inspection with the help of a molecular docking study indicated the ability of complex 1 to effectively bind with macromolecules such as DNA and the human serum albumin (HSA) protein. The theoretical aspect was further verified by adopting several spectroscopic techniques. The electronic absorption spectroscopic analysis indicates a remarkable binding efficiency of Complex 1 with both DNA and HSA. The notable fluorescence intensity reduction of the ethidium bromide (EtBr)–DNA adduct, 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI)–DNA adduct, and HSA after the gradual addition of complex 1 authenticates its promising binding potential with the macromolecules. The retention of the canonical B form of DNA and α form of HSA during the association of complex 1 was confirmed by implementing a circular dichroism spectral study. The association ability of complex 1 with macromolecules further inspired us to inspect its impact on different cell lines such as HeLa (cervical cancer cell), PA1 (ovarian cancer cell), and HEK (normal cell). The dose-dependent and time-dependent in vitro 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay suggests an effective antiproliferative property of complex 1 with low toxicity toward the normal cell line. Finally, the anticancer activity of complex 1 toward carcinoma cell lines was analyzed by nuclear and cellular staining techniques, unveiling the cell death mechanism.

Assessment of sediment profiles applying nuclear techniques: use of a nucleonic gauge in Panama Canal watershed

An industrial nuclear technique based on the use of an X-ray profiler was implemented to estimate the densities or concentrations of sediments present in an Atlantic maritime zone in the areas subjected to dredging under the governance of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP).The sediment profiles show in most areas there is a concentration of between 1.00-1.15 g/cm³ except for one area in particular, the density starts at 1.20 g/cm³ and even reaches values greater than 1.50 g/cm³; therefore, an already consolidated sediment is present, which, depending on the depth found. Values of 1.265 g/cm³, 1.297 g/cm³, 1.185 g/cm³ obtained by ACP previous studies are within the range of 1.20–1.30 g/cm³ measured with the nucleonic gauge. However, it should be noted that during the tests with the X ray profiler, sediment densities values greater than the aforementioned limit were also obtained that varying according at depths close to 12 m and 18 m with values reached up to 1.513 g/cm³ and 1.60 g/cm³, respectively. This demonstrates that sediment accumulation depends on depth. This nucleonic gauge is feasible technique for the study of the sedimentation phenomenon in channel basins and even in other projects nationwide.

Breast-specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) as a Complementary Imaging Tool for BI-RADS 0 and 4a Lesions on Mammography or Ultrasonography

Background: Mammography (MMG) and ultrasonography (US) have been used as standard imaging modalities for the diagnosis of breast cancer. However, several drawbacks have been attributed to these modalities. Breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI), as a nuclear medicine imaging technique, has been introduced as a supplementary tool for diagnosing breast cancer. Objectives: This study aimed to determine whether the addition of BSGI to MMG or US interpretations could improve the diagnostic accuracy and reduce the need for further examinations or unnecessary biopsies of breast lesions. Patients and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on 548 patients with 638 breast lesions from February 2013 to December 2018. The performance of BSGI, MMG, and US was examined for identifying breast cancer and high-risk lesions. Subgroups were classified by adding the results of BSGI for Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 0 and 4a lesions on MMG and BI-RADS 4a lesions on US. The diagnostic performance of each subgroup was then compared. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were also calculated. The diagnostic accuracy was determined by measuring the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Besides, factors associated with false-positive and false-negative results of BSGI were extracted. Results: The BSGI showed a sensitivity of 88.26% for breast cancer diagnosis, which was comparable to the sensitivity of MMG (87.95%) and lower than that of US (97.83%). The specificity and AUC of BSGI (81.62% and 0.85, respectively) were superior to those of MMG (66.83% and 0.77, respectively) and US (15.20% and 0.57, respectively). In the subgroup analysis of MMG, the sensitivity, positive predictive value, and AUC of MMG0+BSGI and MMG4a+BSGI increased significantly compared to MMG alone. In the MMG4a+BSGI group, the specificity also significantly increased. In the US subgroups, the specificity and AUC of US4a+BSGI increased significantly compared to US alone. Based on the results, a low Ki-67 index was associated with a false-negative result of BSGI. Conclusion: The addition of BSGI to MMG or US could improve the diagnostic performance, especially for BI-RADS 0 and 4a lesions. Additionally, the concomitant use of BSGI with MMG or US might reduce the need for an additional examination or unnecessary biopsy.