Degree of Master of Science in Dentistry by coursework and dissertation A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Health Sciences. University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Dentistry Johannesburg, 2014 / Introduction: Dental Cone beam CT has encountered great success in diagnostics and treatment planning in dentistry. However, it makes use of ionizing radiation. Lots of concern on the effects of x-rays on vital organs of the head and neck region has been raised. Clarity on the amount of radiation received on these specific organs will be a contribution to a better use of the emergent technology. Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the potential dose of radiation received on the eye and thyroid and to quantify the amount of potential scatter on the gonads during CBCT examinations. Material and Methods: Calibrated Lithium- Fluoride thermoluminescent dosimeters were inserted inside an anthropomorphic phantom, on sites of the eye, thyroid and the gonads. After its submission to a CBCT examination, using the high and standard resolution for a similar scanning protocol, the dose of radiation received on each organ was calculated according to the ICRP guidelines. Results: An equivalent dose of 0.059 mGy was calculated for the eye. Compared to the threshold dose of 0.5 Gy fixed by the ICRP 2007, this can be considered as relatively low. The thyroid with an effective dose of 23.5 μSv represented 20% of the full body effective dose existing in literature. The gonads absorbed an effective dose of 0.05 μSv, which was considered as negligible. Conclusion: The doses calculated were considered as relatively low. However, dentists must be aware of risks of cumulative exposure. Therefore adherence to the ALARA principle and consideration of clinical indication for CBCT remain a priority.

Nos ensaios de dose e resposta, geralmente são aplicadas diferentes intensidades (doses) de um estímulo (produto) a diferentes grupos de uma população de indivíduos, que poderão responder ou não. A dose máxima que cada indivíduo tolera é chamada tolerância e no caso de se considerar toda a população, ter-se-á uma distribuição de tolerâncias. Muitas vezes, porém, dentro de uma mesma população, existe uma mistura de indivíduos de diferentes sexos, raças, estágios de desenvolvimento, etc., caracterizando subpopulações com diferentes distribuições de tolerâncias. LWIN & MARTIN (1989) apresentam uma mistura de modelos probit". Neste trabalho, faz-se um estudo geral para misturas de modelos"probit","logit"e"complemento-log-log". Para a estimação dos parâmetros desses modelos, utilizou-se o método de escores de Fisher e uma modificação do algoritmo EM, implementados através dos pacotes computacionais Excel 4.0 for Windows e GLIM. Para exemplificar essa metodologia, foi conduzido e analisado um ensaio de resistência da mosca (<!>Musca. Domestica</!>.) ao inseticida deltametrina. Analisou-se, ainda, um ensaio de sensibilidade de um isolado do fungo <!>Metarhizium anisopliae</!> a diferentes doses de radiação e reanalisou-se o ensaio de resistência dos ovos do verme <!>Ostergagia. Spp.</!> a diferentes doses de tiabendazol (TEZ), apresentado por LWIN & MARTIN (1989). Observou-se a adequação do método aos casos em que havia razões biológicas para a existência de uma mistura de distribuições, confirmada pelo mau ajuste de modelos para uma única distribuição. Confirmando o que afirmaram TITTERINGTON & MORGAN (1977), observou-se, ainda, na estimação dos parâmetros do modelo de misturas, a menor velocidade de convergência do algoritmo EM, quando comparado com o método de Newton-Raphson modificado (método de escores de Fisher) / not available

Os efeitos da radiação ionizante em dispositivos eletrônicos é uma preocupação crescente na tecnologia de semicondutores, especialmente devido à contínua redução dos dispositivos e ainda maior, quando são destinados para uso em ambientes agressivos com alta radiação, tais como missões espaciais, aceleradores de partículas ou reatores nucleares. Dentre os vários efeitos causados pela radiação ionizante em dispositivos eletrônicos está aquele devido à Dose Acumulada (Total Ionizing Dose - TID), o qual a acumulação de danos de radiação no dispositivo muda seu funcionamento normal. O TID causado por fótons em transístores já foi estudado no Brasil, mas o efeito de prótons num transistor bipolar, apresentado neste trabalho é um trabalho pioneiro no país. As curvas características de um transistor 2N3733 foram medidas antes, durante e após a irradiação de prótons entre 1,5 e 3,8 MeV, para quantificar as alterações das especificações elétricas do dispositivo. Nestas energias, há uma correlação direta entre a mudança na resposta elétrica e a energia do próton, exceto em algumas energias específicas, onde o pico de Bragg ocorreu perto das junções ou no meio do cristal de silício, demonstrando a importância da correta caracterização da camada de passivação em estudos de TID em dispositivos eletrônicos. A recuperação dos transistores irradiados após o recozimento a 50°C durante 8 horas também foi maior para aqueles irradiados nessas energias. Existe um limite superior de dose para o qual não foi observada alteração significativa do transistor. Este limite, da ordem de Grad, excede a maioria das aplicações em ambientes terrestres, mas está dentro do intervalo esperado para missões espaciais a Júpiter ou em grandes aceleradores de partículas. / The effect of ionizing radiation on electronic devices is a growing concern in semiconductor technology, especially due to the continuous reduction of the devices and even greater when they are intended for use in aggressive environments with high radiation, such as space missions, particle accelerators or nuclear reactors. Among the various effects caused by ionizing radiation on electronic devices are the effects due to Total Ionizing Dose (TID), in which the accumulation of radiation damage in the device changes its normal functioning. The TID caused by photons has already been studied in Brazil, but the effect of protons on a bipolar transistor, presented in this work is a pioneer work in the country. The characteristic curves of a 2N3733 transistor were measured before, during and after proton irradiation between 1.5 and 3.8 MeV, to quantify changes of the electrical specifications of the device. At these proton energies, there is a direct correlation between the change in the electric response to the proton energy, except at some specific energies where the Bragg peak occurred near the junctions or in the middle of the silicon crystal, demonstrating the importance of the correct characterization of the passivation layer in TID studies of electronic devices. The recovery of transistors irradiated after annealing at 50 ° C for 8 hours was also higher for those irradiated at these energies. There is an upper dose limit for which no alteration of the transistor was observed. This limit, of the order of Grad, exceeds most applications in terrestrial environments, but is within the expected range for space missions to Jupiter or large particle accelerators.

Nos ensaios de dose e resposta, geralmente são aplicadas diferentes intensidades (doses) de um estímulo (produto) a diferentes grupos de uma população de indivíduos, que poderão responder ou não. A dose máxima que cada indivíduo tolera é chamada tolerância e no caso de se considerar toda a população, ter-se-á uma distribuição de tolerâncias. Muitas vezes, porém, dentro de uma mesma população, existe uma mistura de indivíduos de diferentes sexos, raças, estágios de desenvolvimento, etc., caracterizando subpopulações com diferentes distribuições de tolerâncias. LWIN & MARTIN (1989) apresentam uma mistura de modelos probit". Neste trabalho, faz-se um estudo geral para misturas de modelos"probit","logit"e"complemento-log-log". Para a estimação dos parâmetros desses modelos, utilizou-se o método de escores de Fisher e uma modificação do algoritmo EM, implementados através dos pacotes computacionais Excel 4.0 for Windows e GLIM. Para exemplificar essa metodologia, foi conduzido e analisado um ensaio de resistência da mosca (<!>Musca. Domestica</!>.) ao inseticida deltametrina. Analisou-se, ainda, um ensaio de sensibilidade de um isolado do fungo <!>Metarhizium anisopliae</!> a diferentes doses de radiação e reanalisou-se o ensaio de resistência dos ovos do verme <!>Ostergagia. Spp.</!> a diferentes doses de tiabendazol (TEZ), apresentado por LWIN & MARTIN (1989). Observou-se a adequação do método aos casos em que havia razões biológicas para a existência de uma mistura de distribuições, confirmada pelo mau ajuste de modelos para uma única distribuição. Confirmando o que afirmaram TITTERINGTON & MORGAN (1977), observou-se, ainda, na estimação dos parâmetros do modelo de misturas, a menor velocidade de convergência do algoritmo EM, quando comparado com o método de Newton-Raphson modificado (método de escores de Fisher) / not available

Airborne dusts can transport radioactive materials in the form of isolated individual radioactively-hot particles containing high concentrations of radioisotopes. These airborne particles may be inhaled or ingested, becoming a source of internal radiation exposure. After the March 11, 2011, nuclear reactor accidents at Fukushima Daiichi, in northern Japan; eighty-five Japanese environmental samples and 234 US and Canadian samples were collected and analyzed by gamma spectrometry, autoradiography, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM/EDS), and total alpha and beta counts. Social media and volunteer organizations were an important part of the sample collection effort. The combination of autoradiography and SEM/EDS allowed individual radioactively-hot particles to be isolated and analyzed. Detectable levels of 134Cs and 137Cs were found in 62 of 85 Japanese particulate matter samples. The median dust specific activity for Japanese samples was 2.5 Bq g-1 +/- 1.6 Bq g-1, while the mean dust specific activity was 71 Bq g-1 (RSD = 335 %). The mean was skewed high due to five dust samples with sharply higher specific activities. These five samples had specific activities ranging from 167 kBq g-1 to 5.2 PBq kg-1. Only four of 234 US and Canadian environmental samples had detectable levels of both 134Cs and 137Cs. Gross gamma spectroscopy of Japanese samples also detected 131I and 60Co. US and Canadian dust samples showed primarily naturally-occurring nuclides. More than 300 individual hot particles were identified in Japanese samples. The Japanese particles analyzed by SEM/EDS were found to contain cesium, americium, radium, polonium, tellurium, rubidium and other necessarily or potentially radioactive elements. No cesium-containing hot particles were found in the US, however some dust particles were found that contained uranium, thorium and plutonium. These US particles were all related to identified uranium mines or nuclear materials storage and processing sites. Some of the hot particles detected in this study could cause significant radiation exposures to individuals if inhaled. Where hot particles are present in the environment, radiation dose models must include this exposure component to remain accurate.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-01T23:27:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tese_8531_Dissertação Rodrigo Altoé Chagas..pdf: 1839118 bytes, checksum: 58c8820788a5e1e1468ddf49d794a775 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-06-20 / Devido ao elevado índice de Staphylococcus aureus resistentes a meticilina (MRSA) em infecções da corrente sanguínea (ICS) em pacientes em tratamento hemodialítico a vancomicina (vanco) tem sido o antibiótico de escolha no tratamento empírico destas infecções. Pacientes em tratamento hemodialítico podem apresentar concentrações séricas de vanco abaixo do nível terapêutico (<10µg/mL), que podem ocorrer devido a falhas no ajuste de doses e no intervalo de administração do fármaco, especialmente importantes quando são utilizadas membranas de alto fluxo. Assim, é extremamente recomendado o monitoramento dos níveis séricos mínimos de vanco, para adequação da dosagem e do intervalo de administração do fármaco. No entanto, poucos hospitais ou serviços de hemodiálise têm acesso à vancocinemia, sendo os pacientes, frequentemente, tratados com doses subterapêuticas. Essa subdosagem pode levar a falha terapêutica e seleção de cepas bacterianas resistentes. Além disso, efeitos menos óbvios de doses subterapêuticas de antimicrobianos, como interferência na expressão de fatores de virulência do microrganismo tem sido relatados, sendo este o foco do presente estudo. O Objetivo deste trabalho é investigar os efeitos de dose subterapêutica de vanco sobre alguns aspectos da fisiologia e de fatores de virulência do S. aureus. Cepas de S. aureus com diferentes perfis de susceptibilidade à vanco serão expostas a dose subterapêutica do fármaco (<10µg/mL) em experimento de curva de morte (time kill curve). Em seguida as cepas bacterianas serão cultivadas na presença do fármaco durante sete dias consecutivos em ágar Muller Hinton contendo um gradiente de vanco (0 a 10µg/mL), simulando a terapia empírica padrão das ICS nos pacientes em hemodiálise. Uma cultura controle da mesma cepa bacteriana, porém sem exposição ao fármaco será incluída em todos os experimentos. Ao final do sétimo dia, as culturas serão avaliadas (i) quanto a suas características morfológicas por meio da microscopia eletrônica de varredura e transmissão; (ii) quando à concentração inibitória mínima de vanco por meio de microdiluição em caldo; (iii) quanto a sua capacidade de produção de biofilme em microplacas de polipropileno e (iv) quanto à sua resistência à fagocitose e à atividade bactericida de neutrófilos e macrófagos.

Thesis (MSc.(Med)(Physics))--University of Limpopo, 2010. / Key words: Diagnostic reference levels (DRL), entrance surface dose (ESD), thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD) Introduction: Diagnostic reference levels (DRL‟s) are defined as a dose level set for standard sized patients or standard phantoms and are not for individual exposures and individual patients and are an efficient standard for optimizing the radiation protection of patients and are practically useful for more common examinations. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommends entrance surface dose (ESD) as DRL‟s in diagnostic radiology and are establish using a TLD on a patient/phantom surface. Aim: To estimate entrance surface dose for different X-ray procedures. Objectives: The objective of this study is to develop the diagnostic reference levels by assessing the dose received by a patient in radiographic exposure. This was achieved using different X-ray techniques to estimate the entrance surface dose for different examinations. Method: The study was conducted at the Dr George Mukhari hospital using 5 different X-ray machines. Before the study commenced quality assurance was done on the machines. The following examinations were considered: Cervical spine (AP), cervical spine (LAT), Skull (AP), Skull (PA), Abdomen (AP), Pelvis (AP), Lumber spine (AP), Lumber spine (LAT), Chest (PA) and Chest (LAT). Thermoluminescence lithium fluoride (LiF) (TLD-100, 3.16 X 3.16 X 0.9 mm3, Harshaw) and the Rando phantom were used to estimate the ESD‟s in mGy. Three TLD‟s were mounted on the top of the phantom in the centre of X-ray beam, external to the organ/tissue being imaged. The average dose was calculated for each radiograph and for each examination. The following technique factors were recorded: tube kilovoltage, focus-to-surface distance, focus-to-film distance, time and mA. vi Results: The mean ESD‟s measured at the centre of X-ray beam on the surface of the phantom for the following examinations are: Cervical spine (AP), 2.99 (± 0.26) mGy; Cervical spine (LAT), 3.23 (± 0.34) mGy; Skull (PA), 3.50 (±0.37) mGy; Skull (LAT), 2.60 (± 0.26) mGy; Abdomen (AP), 4.18 (± 0.40) mGy; Pelvis (AP), 3.96 (± 0.33) mGy; Lumber spine (APS), 4.72 (± 0.39) mGy; Lumber spine (LAT), 8.56 (± 0.67) mGy Chest (PA), 0.72 (± 0.27) mGy and Chest (LAT), 1.03 (± 0.45) mGy. Conclusion: The results of the individual exposure and the overall results of each examination were lower than reported in the literature except for the chest (PA). The determination of patient dose and the comparison with the international DRL‟s are an important factor in the optimization process in diagnostic radiology and it is of special concern for the patient‟s protection. The baseline of diagnostic reference levels for the Dr George Mukhari hospital has been established and the results obtained could be useful for future patient dose measurements in diagnostic radiology Department at the Dr George Mukhari hospital.

La radiochirurgie par Gamma Knife constitue une modalité thérapeutique reconnue de certaines affections cérébrales. Le traitement se base sur l’administration d’un rayonnement focalisé au niveau d’une cible intracrânienne. L’efficacité de ce traitement repose sur la délivrance d’une dose d’irradiation efficace au sein d’un volume-cible associé à la délivrance d’une dose d’irradiation négligeable à l’extérieur de ce même volume-cible. En pratique, la dose d’irradiation administrée à l’intérieur du volume-cible n’est pas distribuée de manière homogène, et la dose d’irradiation reçue par les tissus situés en-dehors du volume-cible n’est pas nécessairement faible. Notre travail est basé sur l’hypothèse que l’imperfection de la distribution de la dose d’irradiation au sein du volume-cible et en-dehors de celui-ci peut être responsable des échecs et des complications rencontrées en radiochirurgie. Dans deux modèles cliniques de traitement radiochirurgical, le schwannome vestibulaire et la névralgie du trijumeau, nous avons montré qu’il existait une relation entre les paramètres de distribution de dose d’irradiation et certains résultats du traitement radiochirurgical par Gamma Knife de ces pathologies. Nous avons développé deux modèles expérimentaux d’irradiation radiochirurgicale de rats, l’un ciblé sur le striatum et l’autre sur le nerf trijumeau, permettant d’analyser les conséquences histologiques des variations de la distribution de dose à l’intérieur du volume-cible ainsi qu’à distance de celui-ci. Nous avons démontré que la réponse radiobiologique des tissus irradiés était fortement dépendante de ce paramètre dosimétrique, et que ce dernier constituait une donnée de la planification chirurgicale aussi importante que la dose de prescription. Nous avons corrélé ces résultats avec certaines observations réalisées dans d’autres indications de traitement radiochirurgical ainsi que dans l’analyse histologique de tumeurs traitées par Gamma Knife. Ces études mettent en évidence le rôle important joué par l’optimalisation de la distribution de la dose d’irradiation dans l’amélioration des résultats cliniques du traitement radiochirurgical. Les valeurs optimales de la distribution de dose dans les différentes indications de traitement radiochirurgical doivent être recherchées, et les différentes méthodes mises à notre disposition lors de la planification dosimétrique pour améliorer la distribution de dose doivent être utilisées avec discernement pour obtenir la dosimétrie radiochirurgicale la plus parfaite possible.

Flaxseed (FS) is a rich source of lignans and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), compounds that may help preserve normal bone cell function during aging. Understanding the effect of FS alone or combined with lower doses of estrogen therapy on bone and other estrogen-responsive tissues (e.g. uterus) is of particular interest to postmenopausal women who combine dietary bioactives (e.g. FS) with pharmacological agents (e.g. estrogen monotherapy) to attenuate postmenopausal bone loss. The overall objective of my research was to determine the effects and mechanisms of FS, alone or combined with lower doses of estrogen therapy, on bone and uterus health by measuring a comprehensive set of outcomes in the ovariectomized rat model of postmenopausal osteoporosis. The results demonstrated that FS enhances the protective effect of low-dose estrogen therapy (LD) on vertebral bone mineral density (BMD), three-dimensional microarchitecture and strength in ovariectomized rats. Moreover, FS exerts a stronger effect on bone outcomes when combined with LD than when combined with ultra-low-dose estrogen therapy (ULD). These studies also showed that FS feeding results in higher lignans and n-3 PUFAs in vertebrae, tibias and femurs. Histological analyses at the lumbar vertebra (LV) showed that there were no differences in TRAP-5β, CTX, or OPG/RANKL ratio between the FS+LD and LD groups. FS+LD did however result in lower protein expression of osteocalcin, a marker of bone formation and overall bone turnover, and higher expression of OPG compared to the negative control (NEG), while LD did not. While these findings suggest that FS+LD results in greater attenuation of deterioration of bone tissue compared to LD due to a reduction in bone turnover, significant differences between FS+LD and LD were not observed. Elucidating these specific mechanisms of action require further investigation. In the uterus, FS+LD did not induce greater cell proliferation or differences in qualitative indices of uterine morphology compared to LD. These findings suggest that there may be no increase in the risk of endometrial hyperplasia and carcinoma with FS+LD compared to LD. These findings may lead to the development of strategies that combine food bioactives and current pharmacological agents to more effectively normalize bone turnover during aging.

Flaxseed (FS) is a rich source of lignans and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), compounds that may help preserve normal bone cell function during aging. Understanding the effect of FS alone or combined with lower doses of estrogen therapy on bone and other estrogen-responsive tissues (e.g. uterus) is of particular interest to postmenopausal women who combine dietary bioactives (e.g. FS) with pharmacological agents (e.g. estrogen monotherapy) to attenuate postmenopausal bone loss. The overall objective of my research was to determine the effects and mechanisms of FS, alone or combined with lower doses of estrogen therapy, on bone and uterus health by measuring a comprehensive set of outcomes in the ovariectomized rat model of postmenopausal osteoporosis. The results demonstrated that FS enhances the protective effect of low-dose estrogen therapy (LD) on vertebral bone mineral density (BMD), three-dimensional microarchitecture and strength in ovariectomized rats. Moreover, FS exerts a stronger effect on bone outcomes when combined with LD than when combined with ultra-low-dose estrogen therapy (ULD). These studies also showed that FS feeding results in higher lignans and n-3 PUFAs in vertebrae, tibias and femurs. Histological analyses at the lumbar vertebra (LV) showed that there were no differences in TRAP-5β, CTX, or OPG/RANKL ratio between the FS+LD and LD groups. FS+LD did however result in lower protein expression of osteocalcin, a marker of bone formation and overall bone turnover, and higher expression of OPG compared to the negative control (NEG), while LD did not. While these findings suggest that FS+LD results in greater attenuation of deterioration of bone tissue compared to LD due to a reduction in bone turnover, significant differences between FS+LD and LD were not observed. Elucidating these specific mechanisms of action require further investigation. In the uterus, FS+LD did not induce greater cell proliferation or differences in qualitative indices of uterine morphology compared to LD. These findings suggest that there may be no increase in the risk of endometrial hyperplasia and carcinoma with FS+LD compared to LD. These findings may lead to the development of strategies that combine food bioactives and current pharmacological agents to more effectively normalize bone turnover during aging.