Is prostate specific antigen density an important prognostic indicator for patients with prostate cancer treated with external beam therapy?

The purpose of this study was to determine if prostate specific antigen density (PSAD) is a predictor of outcome following external beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer, and to compare it with other prognostic factors. Between January 1990 and December 1993, 205 patients with T1-T3 adenocarcinoma of the prostate received a radical course of external beam irradiation, with no prior or adjuvant hormonal therapy. All patients had pre- and post-treatment serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) evaluation. They were followed up for at least 24 months. PSAD was defined as the ratio of pre-treatment serum PSA to the prostate volume, as determined from CT treatment planning scans. Prostate volumes were calculated using the prostate ellipse formula. Median PSA density was 0.37, with a range 0.01-6.7. Biochemical failure was defined as three consecutive rises in serum PSA, regardless of the magnitude of elevation. 4-year biochemical disease-free survival (BDFS) for patients with PSAD < or = 0.3 was 60%, compared with 22% for patients with PSAD > 0.3 (p = < 0.001). In a multivariate analysis, pre-treatment PSA (p = < 0.001), Gleason score (p = 0.002), and stage (p = 0.03) were independent predictors of BDFS, while PSAD was not an important prognosticator (p = 0.62). Pre-treatment serum PSA is the most important prognosticator of BDFS, following external beam radiotherapy, for patients with prostate cancer. PSA density did not predict treatment outcome.     

Dosimetric evaluation of a widely used kilovoltage x-ray unit for endocavitary radiotherapy

In this paper we present the dosimetric data of a Therapax DTX300 kilovoltage x-ray unit for endocavitary rectal irradiation. The unit if operated at tube voltage of 40-60 kVp (30 mA) with an added filtration of 0.2-0.4 mm Al generates acceptable beam qualities comparable to those of the original Papillon technique. Relative dosimetric measurements were performed at the cone end (37.2 cm SSD) of a 3 cm diameter rectal cone using various detectors to ensure the accuracy. A Monte Carlo method was used to calculate correction factors for the diode used in the percentage depth-dose (PDD) measurement, and to study the effect of the detector size on the beam profile. The PDD data were determined using the diode measurement corrected for its energy and angular response. It was found that the PTW N23342 and Markus parallel-plate chamber can be used directly to measure the PDD for this beam quality with 2% uncertainty. Measurement and Monte Carlo results have shown that the detector size has a significant effect on the penumbral profile. Film and diode detectors have a better spatial resolution compared to ionization chambers, but they may give an incorrect profile tail due to either nonlinear response at low energy or angular dependence. This can be corrected using the ionization-chamber measurement, based on the Monte Carlo analysis. The isodose distributions for this x-ray unit are presented.     

Screening of whey protein isolate hydrolysates for their dual functionality: Influence of heat pre-treatment and enzyme specificity

Heat pre-treated and non heat pre-treated whey protein isolate (WPI) were hydrolysed using α-chymotrypsin (chymotrypsin), pepsin and trypsin. The in vitro antioxidant activity, ACE-inhibition activity and surface hydrophobicities of the hydrolysates were measured in order to determine if peptides with dual functionalities were present. Dual functional peptides have both biological (e.g. antioxidant, ACE-inhibition, opioid activities) and technological (e.g. nanoemulsification abilities) functions in food systems. Heat pre-treatment marginally enhanced the hydrolysis of WPI by pepsin and trypsin but had no effect on WPI hydrolysis with chymotrypsin. With the exception of the hydrolysis by trypsin, heat pre-treatment did not affect the peptide profile of the hydrolysates as analysed using size exclusion chromatography, or the antioxidant activity (P > 0.05). Heat pre-treatment significantly affected the ACE-inhibition activities and the surface hydrophobicities of the hydrolysates (P < 0.05), which was a function of the specificity of the hydrolysing enzyme. Extended hydrolysis (up to 24 h) had no significant effect on the DH and the molecular weight profiles (P > 0.05) but in some instances caused a reduction in the antioxidant activity of WPI hydrolysates. The chymotrypsin hydrolysate showed a broad MW size range, and was followed by pepsin and then trypsin. The bioactivities of the hydrolysates generally decreased in the order; chymotrypsin > trypsin > pepsin. This study showed that by manipulating protein conformation with pre-hydrolysis heat treatment, combined with careful enzyme selection, peptides with dual functionalities can be produced from WPI for use as functional ingredients in the manufacture of functional foods.     

Characterisation of phenolic components present in raw and roasted wattle (Acacia victoriae Bentham) seeds

The effect of roasting on the phenolic components of Australian wattle (Acacia victoriae Bentham) seed was investigated. Wattle seeds were roasted at 200 °C for 5–30 min and ground to flour, which were then extracted with 70% acetone. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the extracts were determined, and the phenolic components were analysed by reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) coupled with an on-line post-column reaction system to determine the active antioxidant peaks. The major peaks were then purified by preparative HPLC and identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis. Roasting of wattle seeds resulted in significant increases in its soluble phenolic content. The concentration of total phenolics and flavonoids in the seeds roasted for 30 min was more than nine and four times higher, respectively, than that in the raw seeds. The major phenolic acids present in wattle seeds were found to be succinic and gallic acids, the concentration of which increased by up to 10-fold as a result of roasting.     

Extraction and characterization of protein fractions from Australian canola meals

Canola proteins were sequentially extracted from four Australian canola meals of different species and two industrial meal samples, according to Osborne method (OSB), based on their solubilities in water, 5% NaCl, 0.1 M NaOH and 70% ethanol respectively. These extracts were then compared to the glutelin fraction obtained by direct alkaline extraction method (DIR) in terms of protein yield, recovery, electrophoretic profile, and residual antinutritional components. The OSB method was found to be more effective for protein extraction which resulted in higher cumulative protein yield and recovery of water-soluble protein fractions, although the DIR method produced a glutelin fraction of higher protein content. Phenolic compounds were observed in all the extracted protein fractions although sinapine, the major phenolic compound in canola, was present only in the albumin fractions. The glucosinolate content of all extracts was below the detection limit of the method employed (< 3 ??mol/g). While the electrophoretic profiles of all four OSB fractions were largely different, the DIR fraction was very similar to the glutelins obtained from the OSB method. Isoelectric focusing revealed that many of the proteins in the canola varieties ranged in pI between pH4.6 and 8.3.     

Copper substituted nickel ferrite nanoparticles anchored onto the graphene sheets as electrode materials for supercapacitors fabrication

Nickel ferrites with high theoretical capacitance value as compared to the other metal oxides have been applied as electrode material for energy storage devices i.e. batteries and supercapacitors. High tendency towards aggregation and less specific surface area make the metal oxides poor candidate for electrochemical applications. Therefore, the improvements in the electrochemical properties of nickel ferrites (NiFe₂O₄) are required. Here, we report the synthesis of graphene nano-sheets decorated with spherical copper substituted nickel ferrite nanoparticles for supercapacitors electrode fabrication. The copper substituted and unsubstituted NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles were prepared via wet chemical co-precipitation route. Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was prepared via well-known Hummer's method. After structural characterization of both ferrite (Ni_1-xCu_xFe₂O₄) nanoparticles and rGO, the ferrite particles were decorated onto the graphene sheets to obtain Ni_1-xCu_xFe₂O₄@rGO nanocomposites. The confirmation of preparation of these nanocomposites was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrochemical measurements of nanoparticles and their nanocomposites (Ni_0.9Cu_0.1Fe₂O₄@rGO) confirmed that the nanocomposites due to highly conductive nature and relatively high surface area showed better capacitive behavior as compared to bare nanoparticles. This enhanced electrochemical energy storage properties of nanocomposites were attributed to the graphene and also supported by electrical (I-V) measurements. The cyclic stability experiments results showed ~65% capacitance retention after 1000 cycles. However this retention was enhanced from 65% to 75% for the copper substituted nanoparticles (Ni_0.9Cu_0.1Fe₂O₄) and 65–85% for graphene based composites. All this data suggest that these nanoparticles and their composites can be utilized for supercapacitors electrodes fabrication.     

Fabrication of different conductive matrix supported binary metal oxides for supercapacitors applications

Here, we have fabricated the spinel binary-metal oxide (FeCo₂O₄) via a solvent-free and cost-effective approach. The nanocomposites of the as-fabricated binary-metal spinel oxide have been prepared with three different conductive-matrices, namely r-GO, CNTs, and PANI, via ultra-sonication approach. The spinel phase and surface functionalities of the fabricated FeCo₂O₄ sample have been confirmed via XRD and FT-IR analyses, respectively. The morphological-structure and elemental composition of the fabricated samples have been probed via FESEM and EDX results. The role of added conductive-matrices in the improvement of the electrical conductivities of the fabricated nanocomposites has been investigated via I–V experiments. The electrochemical experiments, conducted in half-cell configuration, showed that FeCo₂O₄/PANI nanocomposite exhibited the highest specific capacitance (658.9 Fg^-1) than that of the remaining two nanocomposites. Furthermore, FeCo₂O₄/PANI nanocomposite exhibited excellent cyclic stability as it lost just 8.3% of its initial specific capacitance even after 3000 cyclic tests. The superior capacitive-activity of the FeCo₂O₄/PANI nanocomposite is accredited to its high conductivity, large surface area, and synergy effects between the pseudocapacitance derived from the PANI and FeCo₂O₄ nanostructure. The electrochemical and electrical measurements suggested that FeCo₂O₄/PANI nanostructure is an emerging contender for energy storage applications.     

CuxNi1-xO nanostructures and their nanocomposites with reduced graphene oxide: Synthesis,characterization, and photocatalytic applications

NiO nanostructure was synthesized using a simple co-precipitation method and was embedded on reduced graphene oxide surface via ultrasonication. Structural investigations were made through X-ray diffraction (XRD) and functional groups were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). XRD analysis revealed the grain size reduction with doping. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the presence of metal-oxygen bond in pristine and doped NiO nanostructure as well as the presence of carbon containing groups. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that the particle size decreased when NiO nanostructure was doped with copper. BET surface area was found to increase almost up to 43 m²/g for Cu doped NiO nanostructure/rGO composite. Current-voltage measurements were performed using two probe method. UV–Visible spectroscopic profiles showed the blue and red shift for Cu doped NiO nanostructure and Cu doped NiO Nanostructure/rGO composite respectively. Rate constant for Cu doped NiO nanostructure/rGO composite found to increase 4.4 times than pristine NiO nanostructure.