HIV-related neutropaenia exacerbated by efavirenz.
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Alkynes↗
Biomedical subjects
B J Healy
Publications and source records attributed to B J Healy.
Investigation of the PAGAT polymer gel dosimeter using magnetic resonance imaging.
Investigation of the normoxic PAGAT polymer gel dosimeter has been undertaken. The concentrations of the chemical components of the gel were varied and its response to ionizing radiation evaluated. Using MRI, the formulation to give the maximum change in the transverse relaxation rate R2 was determined to be 4.5% N, N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide (bis), 4.5% acrylamide (AA), 5% gelatine, 5 mM tetrakis (hydroxymethyl) phosphonium chloride (THPC), 0.01 mM hydroquinone (HQ) and 86% H2O. The optimal post-manufacture irradiation and post-irradiation imaging times were both determined to be 12 h. The R2-dose response was linear up to 7 Gy with R2-dose sensitivities of (0.183 +/- 0.005) s(-1) Gy(-1), (0.182 +/- 0.005) s(-1) Gy(-1) and (0.192 +/- 0.005) s(-1) Gy(-1) when imaged at 12 h, 7 days and 24 days post-irradiation, respectively. The R2-dose sensitivities were within the range of previously published values for the hypoxic PAG formulations. For the imaging parameters used in this study the optimum dose resolution was achieved for low doses. The normalized R2 edge response showed a high degree of spatial stability over a 24 day period. This study has shown that the normoxic PAGAT polymer gel has the properties of a dosimetric tool, which can be used in clinical radiotherapy. The PAGAT polymer gel has been shown to have similar qualities to the PAG polymer gel, while offering the significant advantage of simplification of the manufacturing procedure.
Acrylamide↗
Output factor measurements for a kilovoltage X-ray therapy unit.
Output factors at the surface for treatment cones and lead cut-outs have been measured for a Pantak Therapax SXT 150 superficial therapy unit with x-ray beam qualities from 1 to 13 mm A1 HVL. A variety of phantom materials and two ionisation chambers were tested for their suitability in output factor and percentage depth dose measurement. Solid water proved a useful water-equivalent phantom material with discrepancies between measurements in water and solid water less than 2.3% for percentage depth dose and less than 0.6% for output factors. Larger measurement discrepancies were found for Plastic Water and Perspex. A PTW Markus chamber was found to compare well with a NE 2532/3 low energy chamber in percentage depth dose measurement, but discrepancies arose between the chambers in output factor measurements, up to 5% for small field sizes. Measurements indicated that the Markus chamber had an energy dependent response in the kilovoltage range, which could account for the discrepancy in output factor measurement.
Australia↗
Tin foil as bolus material for therapeutic electron beams from the Varian Clinac 2100C/D.
Tin foils of sub-millimetre thickness have been investigated as bolus material for therapeutic electron beams from the Varian Clinac 2100C/D linear accelerator. Measurements with ionisation chamber and radiographic film in Plastic Water or water were performed under tin foil bolus to determine surface dose, therapeutic ranges, output factor correction, penumbra and dose outside the field edge. Appropriate thicknesses of tin foil for 90% dose at the surface were found to be approximately 0.3 mm for 6 MeV, and 0.4 mm for 9 MeV and 12 MeV. Enhanced therapeutic interval with tin foil bolus over water-equivalent bolus has previously been reported, but was found not to be evident for 12 MeV and for a small (4 x 4 cm2) 9 MeV field. The penumbra width of fields with tin foil and water-equivalent bolus were found to be within 2 mm, while the doses at 1 cm outside the field edge were within 1.5% of peak dose. Output factor corrections for fields with tin foil were measured as within 2% of unity. Air gaps between the tin foil and phantom surface up to 5 mm were observed to have minimal effect on output correction factor, relative surface dose, and therapeutic range.
Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation↗
Effect of saccharide additives on response of ferrous-agarose-xylenol orange radiotherapy gel dosimeters.
Glucose, sucrose, starch, and locust bean gum have been used as additives to the ferrous-agarose-xylenol orange (FAX) gel dosimeter. The saccharide enhanced dosimeters were found to have a higher dose sensitivity over a standard FAX gel as measured by both optical density change and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). With optical density measurement, OD-dose sensitivity increases were up to 55% for glucose, 122% for sucrose and 43% for starch, while locust bean gum did not give a consistent response. With MRI, R1-dose sensitivity increases were up to 178% with sucrose addition. The FAX gel with sucrose was studied in greatest detail. The OD-dose sensitivity dependence on cooling rate was reduced for the sucrose FAX gel over the standard FAX gel, which has significant implications for uniform dose sensitivity in large gel phantoms. The thermal oxidation rate in the sucrose FAX gel was up to 2.3 times higher than in the standard gel. The OD-dose sensitivity of oxygenated sucrose FAX gels was 4.3 times greater than standard FAX gels, while continued enhancement in OD-dose sensitivity with increased sucrose concentrations beyond 2.0 g/l was found only for the oxygenated sucrose FAX gels. Both the molar absorption coefficient of the ferric ion-xylenol orange complex at 543 nm and gel pH were not affected by the presence of sucrose, with the implication that the higher OD-dose sensitivity of gels with saccharides is due to increased chain reaction production of ferric ions.
Carbohydrates↗
A basic study of some normoxic polymer gel dosimeters.
Polymer gel dosimeters offer a wide range of potential applications in the three-dimensional verification of complex dose distribution such as in intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Until now, however, polymer gel dosimeters have not been widely used in the clinic. One of the reasons is that they are difficult to manufacture. As the polymerization in polymer gels is inhibited by oxygen, all free oxygen has to be removed from the gels. For several years this was achieved by bubbling nitrogen through the gel solutions and by filling the phantoms in a glove box that is perfused with nitrogen. Recently another gel formulation was proposed in which oxygen is bound in a metallo-organic complex thus removing the problem of oxygen inhibition. The proposed gel consists of methacrylic acid, gelatin, ascorbic acid, hydroquinone and copper(II)sulphate and is given the acronym MAGIC gel dosimeter. These gels are fabricated under normal atmospheric conditions and are therefore called 'normoxic' gel dosimeters. In this study, a chemical analysis on the MAGIC gel was performed. The composition of the gel was varied and its radiation response was evaluated. The role of different chemicals and the reaction kinetics are discussed. It was found that ascorbic acid alone was able to bind the oxygen and can thus be used as an anti-oxidant in a polymer gel dosimeter. It was also found that the anti-oxidants N-acetyl-cysteine and tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium were effective in scavenging the oxygen. However, the rate of oxygen scavenging is dependent on the anti-oxidant and its concentration with tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium being the most reactive anti-oxidants. Potentiometric oxygen measurements in solution provide an easy way to get a first impression on the rate of oxygen scavenging. It is shown that cupper(II)sulphate operates as a catalyst in the oxidation of ascorbic acid. We, therefore, propose some new normoxic gel formulations that have a less complicated chemical formulation than the MAGIC gel.
Acetylcysteine↗
Dose-response stability and integrity of the dose distribution of various polymer gel dosimeters.
In this study the stability of different polymer gel dosimeters is investigated. Further to a previous chemical stability study on a (6%T, 50%C) PAG gel, the change in slope and intercept of the linear part of the R2-dose plot is recorded with time for different gel formulations. In addition to this R2-dose-response stability study, the dose edge of a half-blocked field was recorded with time. Three different PAG type polymer gels, a hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) gel and two different normoxic polymer gels were investigated. In the PAG type polymer gels, the relative concentration of gelatin and comonomers was varied in order to study the influence of the different components, that constitute the dosimeter, on the stability. It is shown that the R2-dose-response stability is largely determined by the chemical composition of the gel dosimeters. All the PAG gel dosimeters and the normoxic gel dosimeters are found to preserve the integrity of the dose distribution up to 22 days after irradiation. The half-life of the change in dose sensitivity of a MAGIC gel is found to be 18 h compared to 5.7 h for a (6%T, 50%C) PAG gel. A maximum relative decrease in dose sensitivity of 21% was noted for the MAGIC gel compared to an increase of 50% for a (6%T, 50%C) PAG gel. A loss of integrity of the dose distribution was found in the HEA gel.
Acrylic Resins↗
Optimum particle size of corn and hard and soft sorghum for nursery pigs.
A total of 240 weanling pigs (22 d of age and 5.3 kg average BW) were used to determine the effects of particle size of corn and two sorghum hybrids on diet processing, growth performance, apparent digestibility of nutrients, and morphology of the stomach and intestines in weanling pigs. Treatments were corn, hard endosperm sorghum, and soft endosperm sorghum milled to particle sizes (geometric mean) of 900, 700, 500, and 300 microns, in a 3 x 4 factorial arrangement. All diets were pelleted and the pigs were allowed to consume feed and water on an ad libitum basis. As particle size was reduced, production rate (tons/hour) decreased and energy required to mill (kilowatt hours/ton) increased. Corn required more energy to mill and had a lower production rate than the sorghums. For d 0 to 14, ADG and gain/feed increased linearly (P < .009 and P < .002, respectively) as particle size was decreased to 300 microns. However, there was a grain source x particle size interaction; pigs fed corn responded to particle size reduction more than pigs fed the sorghums (P < .04). For d 0 to 35, pigs fed diets with corn grew 23% faster and were 6% more efficient (P < .001) than pigs fed diets with sorghum. Gain/feed responded quadratically to reduction of particle size (P < .01), with maximum gain/feed at 500 microns for all grains. Lowest cost of gain (including milling and ingredient costs) was achieved at 500 to 700 microns for corn and 500 microns for the hard and soft sorghums. These data suggest that response to reducing particle size is greatest during the first 2 wk postweaning and that optimal particle size for corn and sorghums increases with age of nursery pigs.
Amino Acids↗
Exploring ways to expand nursing responsibilities.
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Education, Nursing, Continuing↗