Monte Carlo radiography simulation for assessment of absorbed radiation dose in femur bone marrow during X-ray radiography for constant mAs and AEC techniques

The purpose of this study was to find the accurate absorbed dose in the femur bone marrow during the X-ray radiography for constant mAs and AEC techniques. The DOSXYZnrc was used to simulate radiation doses in two human femurs during diagnostic radiography. EGSnrc phantoms produced from actual CT images of human femurs were modified by adding seven micrometre layers of marrow tissues. The X-ray machine was simulated using BEAMnrc using 30 billions particles for different combinations of energies and filters. The resultant data was used to in DOSXYSnrc simulations to evaluate the absorbed dose in the human femur. In the head of the femur, for 2.5 mm aluminium filtered 85 kVp X-ray set at 50 mAs, the absorbed dose in the marrow was found to be 1.360 mGy, tilde 36% of the absorbed dose in the cortical bone. It was also found that for the constant mAs technique, the radiation dose in the marrow over the studied energies and filter combination, ranges from 0.356 mGy to 2.403 mGy, with higher dose recorded for higher kVp settings. However, for the AEC technique, the dose is lower for higher kVp settings. For a typical setting, viz. 85 kVp, 6 mAs at 48 inches SID, the bone marrow absorbed dose was found to be 0.186 mGy for the constant mAs technique and 0.0308 mGy for the AEC technique. It was confirmed that the radiation dose is lower when the AEC exposure technique is used as opposed to using constant mAs technique. For the AEC technique, typical dose to the bone marrow was found to be tilde 0.05 mGy, decreasing with both kVp settings and beam filtration. For constant mAs technique, the typical dose to bone marrow is found to be higher, tilde 0.2 mGy, decreasing with the amount of filtration used but increasing with the kVp setting

[Effect of red clover Isoflavones extract on menopausal symptoms]

Menopausal symptoms influence mental, physical and emotional health, as well as social performance and family relationships. Due to the undesirable side effects of alternated hormone-therapy, tendency toward alternative treatments in relieving these symptoms have been increased, and the use of herbs like phytoestrogens seem preferable. This study was conducted to determine the effect of red clover Isoflavones extract on menopausal symptoms. This clinical randomized, triple-blind trial was conducted on 72 menopausal women who referred to Navab Safavi health care center, Isfahan, Iran during Oct-Apr 2011. After two weeks of monitoring and determination of the baseline symptoms score including hot flushes and sweating, paresthesia, insomnia, nervousness, depression, vertigo, weakness and fatigue, arthralgia and myalgia, headache, palpitation and formication, the women were randomly divided into two groups of 36 subjects: placebo and intervention [taking 45 mg of red clover Isoflavones extract capsules]. The subjects were given one capsule daily for eight weeks and menopausal symptoms were recorded weekly. Data were analyzed using SPSS-18, independent t-test, ANOVA, chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests. 55 women completed the study: 27 subjects in the placebo and 28 in the intervention group. The mean age of subjects in placebo and intervention group was 53.92 +/- 3.21 and 52.96 +/- 3.07 years, respectively. The mean age of menopause in the placebo and intervention groups was 51.38 +/- 2.63 and 50.05 +/- 1.17 years, respectively. The mean elapsed time since menopause was determined as 2.69 +/- 1.47 years in placebo and 2.66 +/- 1.65 years in intervention group. The average score of menopausal symptoms at the end of the 10[th] week was 13.87 +/- 7.22 and 16.44 +/- 11.59 in intervention and placebo groups, this reduction was significant [P<0.05]. This study showed that consumption of capsules containing red clover Isoflavones extract for 8 weeks, reduces menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women

Application of combination, immunomagnetic separation plus multiplex PCR for the detection and identification of salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar typhimurium in bovine diarrhoeic fecal samples

A total of 400 bovine diarrhoeic fecal specimens were obtained and conventional microbial culture, immunomagnetic separation and multiplex PCR were simultaneously carried out on samples. For detection of Salmonella at genus level, inv-A universal primer was selected. In order to identifiing of Salmonella typhimurium, specific primers of Rfbj, Fljb and Flic related to gene sequence of O4, H2:1,2 and H1: i were used, respectively. Results showed, 33[8.5%]were culture positive for Salmonella serotypes. However, Salmonella typhimurium with[66.7%], Salmonella dublin[9.1%], Salmonella virchow[6.1%], Salmonella gloucester[6.1%], Salmonella enteritidis[3%], Salmonella georgia[3%], Salmonella augustenborg[3%]and Salmonella lindenburg[3%], were the most common isolated serovars, respectively. In the IMS+Multiplex PCR four amplified products[663,526,284 and 183 bp] were found in all specimens which had typhimurium serovar[1,4,5,12:i:1,2]from rfbj,fljb,inv-A and flic genes, respectively. Results showed that detection and identification of Salmonella typhimurium using specific primers of O4, H2:1,2 and H1: i antigens can be useful

effect of egg derived specific antibody and probiotic on prevention of salmonella enteritidis infection in broiler chickens

To evaluate the effect of probiotic [Primalac] and Salmonella enteritidis-specific IgY on prevention of Salmonella enteritidis infection in broiler chickens, four 33 week-old Single Comb White Leghorn hens were hyperimmunized with Salmonella enteritidis [SE] whole cell antigens obtained by ultrasonication and administrated at a protein concentration of 500 microg/ml after centrifugation. Primary immunization was performed with 250 micro g of the antigen prepared in equal volume of Freunds complete adjuvant and saline. Booster injections were done each 14 days for twice, using incomplete Freunds adjuvant. Bleedings were performed 20 days after first injection and eggs were collected. The presence of anti-Salmonella antibody IgY and IgG in egg yolk and serum respectively, was monitored by ELISA, during the immunization period. Body weight, feed intake and feed conversation were determined. Then two hundred forty male "Ross "day-old chicks were randomly assigned to 8 groups and 3 replications of 10 birds were grown for 56 days of experiment. Eight experimental groups identified with, S, P, A, SP, SA, AP, SPA, C. Four birds from four challenged groups [S], were orally inoculated with 0.5 Ml of S. enteritids that contained 1X10[6] cfu/ml on day 7. The groups that supplemented with antibody [A], received 15 ml of yolk contained antibody [1.5 ml/bird/day], from day 1 to end of the experiment. The probiotic treated groups [P] were received probiotic, 0.1% of feed and 0.5% of feed, during 1-21 and 22-56 days of experimental period respectively. One group as control [C] did not receive any treatment of probiotic and antibody. The test was completely randomized designed. In this project the SAS statistical program for parameter data and chi[2] test for non- parameter data. The results indicated that high titer polyclonal antibody may be obtained 20 days and 55 days after first immunization, in serum and egg yolk respectively. A-treated, P-treated and A-Ptreated groups had significantly lower fecal shedding [P < 0.01]. The antibody alone and A-P treated groups had a significantly lower concentration of SE cecal colonization. Antibody alone and A-Ptreated groups had a lower isolation of SE from the liver, spleen and ileume. There were no significant differences [P > 0.05] in the mean body weight, mean daily feed intake, feed conversation ratio and mortality rate among the experimental groups at any period of experiment, but in the A-, P-, and A-P treated groups, daily weight gain significantly increased during finisher period and at day 49 [p < 0.05]

Bronchoalveolar lavage and bacteriological findings in calf pneumonia

This study was done for identification of bacterial agents in calf pneumonia and determination of their antimicrobial susceptibility. Bronchoalveolar lavage was done on fourteen pneumonic and seven normal Holstein calves between 1-3 month old. In bacteriological examination on the fluid of bronchoalveolar lavage, Mycoplasma spp. were isolated from 4 [28.6%] pneumonic calves and 1 [14.3%] healthy calf. Furthermore, Arcanobacterium pyogenes was isolated from 3 [21.5%] pneumonic calves and 1 [14.3%] healthy calf. However, Fusobacterium necrophorum, Actionobacillus [Pasturella] urea, Neisseria mucosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Cardiobacterium hominis were isolated from one pneumonic calf. This is the first report of Cardiobacterium hominis from the lung of a pneumonic calf. All of the isolated bacteria had the highest susceptibility to florfenicol