Blood transfusion (BT) is essential in treating sickle cell disease (SCD); however, it leads to iron overload (IO) and oxidative stress. We studied the relationship between oxidative stress, iron ...status parameters, hepcidin mRNA gene expression, and IO in SCD patients.
We classified all SCD patients (n = 90) into two groups: Group I, 45 children (s.ferritin ≥ 938 ng/mL) and Group II, 45 children (s.ferritin < 938 ng/mL). A total of 55 children, age and sex matched, participated as a control group. Malondialdehyde (MDA), nitrite, s.iron, s.total iron-binding capacity (sTIBC), transferrin saturation %, s.ferritin, s.hepcidin, and hepcidin mRNA gene expression were assessed.
Among SCD BT-dependent patients (>3 times/year), 63% were from Group I and 37% from Group II, p < .01. The two patient groups had significantly lower s.hepcidin and hepcidin gene expression than controls (p < .001). TIBC, s.iron, s.ferritin, transferrin saturation %, ferritin/hepcidin ratio, and MDA levels were higher among SCD patients than controls (p < .001). Group I had higher mean level of ferritin/hepcidin ratio and MDA than Group II (p < .01). The higher level of MDA and increased frequency of BT were the significant predicting risk factors for IO (p < .05). A receiver-operating characteristic curve indicates that MDA is the outstanding significant biomarker for high level of s.ferritin with subsequent IO progression.
MDA may serve as a biomarker of oxidative stress and IO in SCD patients. This result paid attention for urgent initiation of antioxidant and chelation therapy on detecting increased MDA level.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide and the second cause of cancer related mortality. Treatment options for patients with metastatic CRC (mCRC) expanded ...during the last two decades, with introduction of new chemotherapeutic and targeted agents. Egypt is a lower middle-income country; Egyptian health care system is fragmented with wide diversity in drug availability and reimbursement policies across different health care providing facilities. We report the results of consensus recommendations for treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer developed by Egyptian Foundation of Medical Sciences (EFMS), aiming to harmonize clinical practice through structured expert consensus-based recommendations consistent with the national status. EFMS recommendations could be utilized in other countries with similar economic status.
EFMS recommendations were developed using a modified Delphi process, with three rounds of voting till the final recommendations were approved. A non-systematic review of literature was conducted before generating the provisional statements. Content experts were asked to vote on some recommendations in two different resource groups (restricted resources and non-restricted resources). External review board of experts from a low income and lower-middle countries voted on the applicability of EFMS recommendations in their countries.
The current recommendations highlighted the discrepancy in health care between restricted and non-restricted resources with expected survival loss and quality of life deterioration. Access to targeted agents in first line is very limited in governmental institutions, and no access to agents approved for third line in patients who failed oxaliplatin and irinotecan containing regimens for patients treated in restricted resource settings.
Management of mCRC in developing countries is a challenge. The currently available resource-stratified guidelines developed by international cancer societies represent a valuable decision-making tool, adaptation to national status in each country based on healthcare system status is required.
Nanocrystalline cobalt ferrite CoFe
2
O
4
powders have been successfully synthesized via modified co-precipitation at low temperature. Obviously, well crystalline CoFe
2
O
4
phase was obtained from ...the precipitated precursors at pH 10 using 5 M NaOH as a base thermally treated at 80°C for 1 h in aqueous medium in the absence and the presence of 1000 ppm cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as well as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as cationic and anionic surfactants, respectively. Meanwhile, the spinel ferrite was observed with the similar conditions using ethylene glycol as an organic solvent. The microstructures of the formed powders exhibited nanospheres like structure with narrow size distribution from 6 to 10 nm. The magnetic properties of the formed cobalt ferrite powders strongly depend on the synthesis conditions. For instance, the highest saturation magnetization (M
s
= 36.2 emu/g) was achieved in the aqueous medium, whereas the lowest saturation magnetization (M
s
= 16.2 emu/g) was accomplished in the ethylene glycol medium. Indeed, heating properties of the CoFe
2
O
4
samples in an alternating magnetic field (AMF) at 160 kHz were estimated. Of note, it is clear that the specific heat rate SAR values were in the range from 104.5 to 302.0 W/g at different synthesis conditions, making co-ferrite appropriate for hyperthermia treatment of cancer.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
PURPOSEThis study aims to quantify the variation in dose-volume histogram (DVH) and normal tissue complication probability(NTCP) metrics for head-and-neck (HN) cancer patients when alternative ...organ-at-risk(OAR) delineations are used for treatment planning and for treatment plan evaluation. We particularly focus on the effects of daily patient positioning/setup variations(SV) in relation to treatment technique and delineation variability.MATERIALS AND METHODSWe generated two-arc VMAT, 5-beam IMRT, and 9-beam IMRT treatment plans for a cohort of 209 HN patients. These plans incorporated five different OAR delineation sets, including manual and four automated algorithms. Each treatment plan was assessed under various simulated per-fraction patient setup uncertainties, evaluating the potential clinical impacts through DVH and NTCP metrics.RESULTSThe study demonstrates that increasing SV generally reduces differences in DVH metrics between alternative delineations. However, in contrast, differences in NTCP metrics tend to increase with higher setup variability. This pattern is observed consistently across different treatment plans and delineator combinations, illustrating the intricate relationship between SV and delineation accuracy. Additionally, the need for delineation accuracy in treatment planning is shown to be case-specific and dependent on factors beyond geometric variations.CONCLUSIONSThe findings highlight the necessity for comprehensive Quality Assurance programs in radiotherapy, incorporating both dosimetric impact analysis and geometric variation assessment to ensure optimal delineation quality. The study emphasizes the complex dynamics of treatment planning in radiotherapy, advocating for personalized, case-specific strategies in clinical practice to enhance patient care quality and efficacy in the face of varying SV and delineation accuracies.
We report measurements of the exclusive neutral pion electroproduction cross section off protons at large values of xB (0.36, 0.48, and 0.60) and Q2 (3.1 to 8.4 GeV2) obtained from Jefferson Lab ...Hall A experiment E12-06-014. The corresponding structure functions dσT/ d t + ε dσL/ d t , dσTT / d t , d σ L T / d t , and d σ L T ′ / d t are extracted as a function of the proton momentum transfer t−tmin. The results suggest the amplitude for transversely polarized virtual photons continues to dominate the cross section throughout this kinematic range. The data are well described by calculations based on transversity generalized parton distributions coupled to a helicity flip distribution amplitude of the pion, thus providing a unique way to probe the structure of the nucleon.
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CMK, CTK, FMFMET, IJS, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
The three-dimensional structure of nucleons (protons and neutrons) is embedded in so-called generalized parton distributions, which are accessible from deeply virtual Compton scattering. In this ...process, a high energy electron is scattered off a nucleon by exchanging a virtual photon. Then, a highly-energetic real photon is emitted from one of the quarks inside the nucleon, which carries information on the quark's transverse position and longitudinal momentum. By measuring the cross-section of deeply virtual Compton scattering, Compton form factors related to the generalized parton distributions can be extracted. Here, we report the observation of unpolarized deeply virtual Compton scattering off a deuterium target. From the measured photon-electroproduction cross-sections, we have extracted the cross-section of a quasi-free neutron and a coherent deuteron. Due to the approximate isospin symmetry of quantum chromodynamics, we can determine the contributions from the different quark flavours to the helicity-conserved Compton form factors by combining our measurements with previous ones probing the proton's internal structure. These results advance our understanding of the description of the nucleon structure, which is important to solve the proton spin puzzle.
ZnO/TiO2 core/shell heterojunction arrays were fabricated via the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of various ultrathin TiO2 layers on hydrothermally-synthesized hexagonal ZnO micro/nanorods. Current- ...voltage (1-V) characteristics of the photoanodes made using 10-75 cycles of TiO2 showed significant suppression in the dark current. Specifically, the sample made of 50 AW cycles of TiO2 exhibited a 45% decrease in the dark current compared to the bare ZnO electrodes. Further increase in number of deposition cycles resulted in stability deterioration. The decay time constant measurements revealed electron lifetimes in the core/shell electrodes that are longer than those in pristine ZnO electrodes. Finally, Mott-Schottky analysis and the positron annihilation measurements confirmed the decrease in the donor density and surface defects for the core/shell electrodes. The results attained in this study represent a step towards a facile method to stabilize ZnO photoanodes from photodeterioration under the harsh operating conditions of water splitting.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Magnesium-substituted lithium ferrite powders (Li
1−x
Mg
2x
Fe
5−x
O
8
where x = 0.0–0.8) were prepared by sol–gel auto-combustion method. XRD profiles revealed that all compositions were single ...cubic ferrite structure for the precursors annealed at 800 °C for 2 h. The crystallite size was found to decrease whereas the lattice parameter was increased with increasing Mg
2+
ion content. The microstructure of the formed powders was Mg concentration dependent. Increasing the Mg
2+
ion ratio was found to inhibit the grain growth of the formed ferrite. The AC electrical conductivity of Mg
2+
ion substituted lithium ferrite samples was raised with increasing the concentration of Mg
2+
ions as the result of increasing the hopping of electrons between Fe
2+
and Fe
3+
ions. Meanwhile, dielectric constant (ε′) was diminished with increasing the frequency of external electric field as well as increasing the temperature and concentration of Mg
2+
ions. Alongside, the formed crystalline magnesium substituted lithium ferrite had good magnetic properties. High saturation magnetization (78.7 emu/g) was attained by the formed ferrite sample at Mg
2+
molar ratio of 0.4 annealed at 800 °C for 2 h.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
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