Lessons from recent accidents in radiation therapy in France

Many accidents in radiotherapy have been reported in France over the last years. This is due to the recent legal obligation to declare to the national safety authorities any significant incident relative to the use of ionising radiation including medical applications. The causes and consequences of the most serious events in radiotherapy are presented in this paper. Lessons can be learned from possible technical dysfunctions, from human errors or organisational weaknesses as to how such events can be prevented. The technical aspects are addressed here: in particular, dosimetric issues.     

X-ray absorption spectroscopy study of a copper-containing material after thermal treatment

Thermal immobilization of copper contaminant in a copper-containing solid material collected from local copper smelting and foundry area is investigated in the present work. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) are employed for copper speciation. XAS results indicate that cupric hydroxide is the major copper species in the solid material dried at 105 degrees C. After being subjected to a 500 degrees C thermal process, cupric hydroxide still remains as the main copper species, but some Cu(II) is chemically reduced to Cu(I). More cupric hydroxide is progressively converted to Cu(I) as the sample was heated at 1100 degrees C than that heated at 500 degrees C. The sample heated at 500 degrees C is in its original powder form. However, thermal treatment at 1100 degrees C transforms the powder into a hardened granule-like form that is much bigger in size and difficult to be ground into powders. The sample is sintered with the sparingly soluble cuprous oxide and elemental copper being encapsulated inside. Toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) results depict that amount of copper leached from the sample (containing 133,000 mg copper kg-1) heated at 1100 degrees C for 2 h is considerably minor, being 367 mg copper kg-1.     

Preparation and properties of composite particles made by nano zinc oxide coated with titanium dioxide

In this paper, composite particles of nano zinc oxide coated with titanium dioxide were prepared and characterized by TEM, XRD, XPS and FT-IR, and the properties of the composite particles for photo catalysis and light absorption were studied. Tetrabutyl titanate (TBT) was hydrolyzed in an alcoholic suspension of nano zinc oxide with diethanolamine (DEA) as an additive, resulting in a film with a thickness of 20–30 nm being coated on the surface of nano zinc oxide, and the composite particles contained ZnTiO₃ after drying and calcination. Photocatalysis capabilities of the composite particles for the degradation of phenol in an aqueous solution were greatly improved as compared with nano zinc oxide particles before coating, with pure nano ZnO and nano TiO₂ with similar average sizes, or with the mixture of nano ZnO and TiO₂ with the similar composition as the composite particles. The light absorption scope of the composite particles was enlarged when compared to nano titanium dioxide with same average size.     

Antilisterial activity and consumer acceptance of irradiated chicken breast meat vacuum-infused with grape seed and green tea extracts and tartaric acid

Contamination of poultry with pathogenic bacteria contributes to human foodborne disease, causes damage to industry brand names, and has a significant economic impact on the food industry in the form of both damage to industry brand names and losses associated with recalls. Irradiation is a safe and effective means of decontaminating poultry products, but the maximum dose strengths allowed negatively impact poultry sensory quality characteristics. The 1st objective of this study was to investigate the potential interactive inhibitory effects of natural antimicrobials as components of a vacuum-marination in addition to various dose levels of irradiation. Tartaric acid (TA) at 2 levels and grape seed (GS) and green tea (GT) extracts were combined, vacuum-infused into chicken breast fillets, and irradiated at 1, 2, and 3 kGy by electron beam irradiation. The 2nd objective was to use a consumer test group to evaluate TA and plant extract infusion into chicken breast fillets with and without irradiation at 2 kGy on overall impression, flavor, texture, appearance, and tenderness. The results showed that samples vacuum-infused with TA at 37.5 and 75.0 mM and irradiated at 1 kGy significantly reduced Listeria monocytogenes (L.m.) levels by 2 and 3 log CFU/g compared to the control after 12 d of refrigerated storage. Vacuum-infusion of TA at 37.5 and 75.0 mM at 2 and 3 kGy irradiation, reduced L.m. to near nondetectable levels. The addition of TA and GS and GT to chicken breast fillets with and without irradiation did not significantly impact consumer preference, tenderness, appearance, or flavor. The addition of tartaric acid and natural plant extracts to chicken marinades could contribute to the prevention of L.m. contamination.     

The whey fermentation product malleable protein matrix decreases triglyceride concentrations in subjects with hypercholesterolemia: a randomized placebo-controlled trial

Malleable protein matrix (MPM) is a unique whey-derived ingredient obtained through a fermentation process using proprietary lactic acid bacteria strains from the Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens species. Because evidence from animal models suggests that MPM decreases serum lipid concentrations, the purpose of the present trial was to assess the hypothesis that MPM exerts lipid-lowering effects in humans. A total of 161 subjects (50% male; age 54.5 ± 9.8 yr, body mass index 26.3 ± 3.6 kg/m²) with hypercholesterolemia with baseline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels of 181 ± 30 mg/dL and normal triglyceride (TG) levels (131 ± 55 mg/dL) were randomized to receive MPM (2 × 15 g/d) or matching placebo. A 6-wk run-in phase was followed by a double-blind 12-wk treatment phase after randomization. The data were analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis. The primary outcome measure was the percentage change of LDL-C. The secondary outcome measures were changes in TG and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations as well as changes in other cardiovascular risk factors. After 12 wk of treatment, the relative TG decrease from baseline reached 9.8%, whereas LDL-C was slightly decreased (by 1.5%) following MPM treatment compared with placebo in the intention-to-treat cohort. The treatment effect on TG reduction was much higher in the subset of subjects having TG levels at baseline of 150 mg/dL or above (n = 42), reaching 20.0% compared with placebo. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations, blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose remained unchanged, whereas a positive treatment effect was seen on hemoglobin A_1c. The MPM product was tolerated well without severe adverse events. In conclusion, MPM has significant TG-lowering properties in subjects with combined hypercholesterolemia and higher TG levels. Its effects on LDL-C concentrations and glucose metabolism deserve further investigation.     

The origin of asterism in almandine-pyrope garnets from Idaho

We have shown that the asterism in garnets emanating from Emerald Creek, Latah County, Idaho, is due to the precipitation of acicular crystals in the garnet crystal host. These inclusions have been identified, using electron microscopy, as tetragonal rutile, the stable phase of TiO₂. One set of rutile (r) needles was found to have the following crystallographic relationship with its garnet (g) host: . From meticulous examinations of the asteriated garnets and the angular relationships between the rutile inclusions and the garnet matrix it was possible to determine the orientations of the other sets of needles for both four and six rayed star garnets. A six rayed star garnet exhibits needles aligned along the and directions of the garnet while a four rayed star garnet exhibits needles aligned along the directions only. These results are believed to be applicable to asteriated garnets emanating from all sources.     

Solid phase synthesis of a biased mini tetrapeptoid-library for the discovery of monodentate ITAM mimics as ZAP-70 inhibitors

BACKGROUND: Clinical evaluation of intraoperative endoscopy with electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL) in the management of 13 patients with pancreatobiliary lithiasis was undertaken. METHODS: Ten patients with chronic pancreatitis with intraductal lithiasis in the head and three with biliary lithiasis (one choledochal, one cystic, one right intrahepatic) underwent intraoperative endoscopy with EHL. Shock waves were applied by visual contact with a 3-Fr gauge EHL probe until all stones were fragmented and irrigated free. All pancreatitis patients had failed ERCP attempts to stent their pancreatic ducts secondary to ductal lithiasis. Patients with pancreatic stones underwent lateral pancreatojejunostomy. Biliary stone patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy with common duct exploration (two cases) and open cholecystectomy with choledochoduodenostomy (one case). RESULTS: Intraductal stone eradication was successful in all patients. Transampullary visualization of the duodenum was achieved in eight cases. Average EHL time was 65 min. There was no evidence of postoperative pancreatitis, cholangitis, or retained common duct stones. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative pancreatobiliary endoscopy with EHL is safe and effective in the eradication of pancreatic and bile duct stones. This novel technique represents a valuable adjunct in the management of chronic fibrocalcific pancreatitis with ductal lithiasis in the head region and in the open and laparoscopic management of intra- and extrahepatic bile duct stones.     

Sample metallization for performance improvement in desorption/ionization of kilodalton molecules: quantitative evaluation, imaging secondary ion MS, and laser ablation

The metallization procedure, proposed recently for signal improvement in organic secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) (Delcorte, A.; Médard, N.; Bertrand, P. Anal.Chem. 2002, 74, 4955)., has been thoroughly tested for a set of kilodalton molecules bearing various functional groups: Irganox 1010, polystyrene, polyalanine, and copper phthalocyanine. In addition to gold, we evaluate the effect of silver evaporation as a sample treatment prior to static SIMS analysis. Ion yields, damage cross sections, and emission efficiencies are compared for Ag- and Au-metallized molecular films, pristine coatings on silicon, and submonolayers of the same molecules adsorbed on silver and gold. The results are sample-dependent but as an example, the yield enhancement calculated for metallized Irganox films with respect to untreated coatings is larger than 2 orders of magnitude for the quasimolecular ion and a factor of 1-10 for characteristic fragments. Insights into the emission processes of quasimolecular ions from metallized surfaces are deduced from kinetic energy distribution measurements. The advantage of the method for imaging SIMS applications is illustrated by the study of a nonuniform coating of polystyrene oligomers on a 100-microm polypropylene film. The evaporated metal eliminates sample charging and allows us to obtain enhanced quality images of characteristic fragment ions as well as reasonably contrasted chemical mappings for cationized PS oligomers and large PP chain segments. Finally, we report on the benefit of using metal evaporation as a sample preparation procedure for laser ablation mass spectrometry. Our results show that the fingerprint spectra of Au-covered polystyrene, polypropylene, and Irganox films can be readily obtained under 337-nm irradiation, a wavelength for which the absorption of polyolefins is low. This is probably because the gold clusters embedded in the sample surface absorb and transfer the photon energy to the surrounding organic medium.     

Hydrogen fuel for space conditioning of buildings

The appearance of hydrogen-air flames differs from that of conventional natural gas, fuel oil or candle flames in that they are colorless and invisible to the naked eye. They are a little hotter and considerably faster than the above conventional fuel flames. These and other combustion properties of hydrogen relevant to steam boiler operation for building heating applications are discussed in the order that hydrogen flows through a boiler.     

Analyzing cranberry bioactive compounds

There is a growing public interest for the North American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) as a functional food because of the potential health benefits linked to phytochemical compounds present in the fruit--the anthocyanin pigments, responsible for its brilliant red color, and other secondary plant metabolites (flavonols, flavan-3-ols, proanthocyanidins, and phenolic acid derivatives). Isolation of these phenolic compounds and flavonoids from a sample matrix is a prerequisite to any comprehensive analysis scheme. By far the most widely employed analytical technique for the characterization of these compounds has been high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) coupled with ultraviolet-visible(UV/Vis) and mass spectrometer(MS) detection. This review covers the cranberry major bioactive compounds, the extraction and purification methods, and the analytical conditions for HPLC used to characterize them. Extraction, chromatographic separation and detection strategies, analyte determinations, and applications in HPLC are discussed and the information regarding methods of specific cranberry analyte analyses has been summarized in tabular form to provide a means of rapid access to information pertinent to the reader.