Using self-etch adhesive agents with pit and fissure sealants. In vitro analysis of shear bond strength, adhesive remnant index and enamel etching patterns.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro, the shear bond strength (SBS) and adhesive remnant index (ARI) of pit and fissure sealants (PFS) after enamel conditioning with different new-generation self-etching (SE) agents; additionally, enamel etching patterns were assessed. METHODS: Healthy unerupted third molars surgically removed for therapeutic reasons (n = 25p/g), were randomly assigned to six groups. Conventional etching (CE) or SE was applied prior to pit and fissure sealants bonding. Enamel conditioned surfaces were evaluated by SEM at × 500, × 1000, and × 2000 magnification to determine etching patterns. Subsequently, 25 PFS blocks (3 × 2 × 1.5 mm) p/g were bonded to enamel surface. Samples were stored in water at 37 °C for 24 h, previous to SBS and ARI test. One-way ANOVA and Tamhane statistic tests were used for SBS; while Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis were employed for ARI (p ≤ 0.05). RESULTS: For SBS test, CE_PFS_3M and SE1_PFS_Shofu groups showed the lowest values (8.74 ± 4.02 and 8.75 ± 3.90, respectively). The highest scores were observed in SE_PFS_Kuraray group (13.46 ± 5.83). Significant differences in SBS and ARI assessments were found. All experimental groups showed type 1 etching pattern. CONCLUSION: The etching pattern was less pronounced in self-etching groups, which showed an equal or superior in vitro performance compared to conventional etching agents. The clinical use of self-etching agents could be recommended before pit and fissure sealants application in new dental protocols. The best in vitro performance was observed when both applied materials, self-etching agent and pit and fissure sealant have 10-methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate in their chemical composition.

A New Standard DNA Damage (SDD) Data Format.

Our understanding of radiation-induced cellular damage has greatly improved over the past few decades. Despite this progress, there are still many obstacles to fully understand how radiation interacts with biologically relevant cellular components, such as DNA, to cause observable end points such as cell killing. Damage in DNA is identified as a major route of cell killing. One hurdle when modeling biological effects is the difficulty in directly comparing results generated by members of different research groups. Multiple Monte Carlo codes have been developed to simulate damage induction at the DNA scale, while at the same time various groups have developed models that describe DNA repair processes with varying levels of detail. These repair models are intrinsically linked to the damage model employed in their development, making it difficult to disentangle systematic effects in either part of the modeling chain. These modeling chains typically consist of track-structure Monte Carlo simulations of the physical interactions creating direct damages to DNA, followed by simulations of the production and initial reactions of chemical species causing so-called "indirect" damages. After the induction of DNA damage, DNA repair models combine the simulated damage patterns with biological models to determine the biological consequences of the damage. To date, the effect of the environment, such as molecular oxygen (normoxic vs. hypoxic), has been poorly considered. We propose a new standard DNA damage (SDD) data format to unify the interface between the simulation of damage induction in DNA and the biological modeling of DNA repair processes, and introduce the effect of the environment (molecular oxygen or other compounds) as a flexible parameter. Such a standard greatly facilitates inter-model comparisons, providing an ideal environment to tease out model assumptions and identify persistent, underlying mechanisms. Through inter-model comparisons, this unified standard has the potential to greatly advance our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of radiation-induced DNA damage and the resulting observable biological effects when radiation parameters and/or environmental conditions change.

Geant4-DNA example applications for track structure simulations in liquid water: A report from the Geant4-DNA Project.

This Special Report presents a description of Geant4-DNA user applications dedicated to the simulation of track structures (TS) in liquid water and associated physical quantities (e.g., range, stopping power, mean free path…). These example applications are included in the Geant4 Monte Carlo toolkit and are available in open access. Each application is described and comparisons to recent international recommendations are shown (e.g., ICRU, MIRD), when available. The influence of physics models available in Geant4-DNA for the simulation of electron interactions in liquid water is discussed. Thanks to these applications, the authors show that the most recent sets of physics models available in Geant4-DNA (the so-called "option4" and "option 6" sets) enable more accurate simulation of stopping powers, dose point kernels, and W-values in liquid water, than the default set of models ("option 2") initially provided in Geant4-DNA. They also serve as reference applications for Geant4-DNA users interested in TS simulations.

Numerical insight into the Dual Radiation Action Theory.

This work studies the first and second order mechanisms for the induction of lethal lesions in DNA after irradiation with protons and α-particles. The purpose is to numerically study the mechanisms behind the Dual Radiation Action Theory (DRAT) for these heavy particles. A genetic material geometrical model with atomic resolution is used. It accounts for the explicit position of 5.47 × 109 base pairs, organized up to the chromatin level. The GEANT4-DNA Monte Carlo code was employed to simulate the interaction of these ions with the genetic material model. The number of lethal lesions induced by one- and two-track mechanisms was determined as a function of dose. Values of the α/ß ratio were estimated as well as corresponding relative biological effectiveness (RBE). The number of lethal lesions produced by one-track and two-track mechanisms depends on the dose and squared dose, respectively, as predicted by the DRAT. RBE values consistent with experimental results were found, at least for LET below ∼100 keV/µm. Double strand break spatial distributions are qualitatively analyzed. According to this work, the α parameter determined from cellular surviving curves depends on both the physical α and ß parameters introduced here, and on the specific energy deposited by a single track into the region of interest. We found an increment of the ß parameter with LET, yet at a slower rate than α so that the α/ß ratio increases with LET. In addition, we observed and explained the saturation of the α parameter as the dose increases above ∼6 Gy.

Impact of photon cross section uncertainties on Monte Carlo-determined depth-dose distributions.

This work studies the impact of systematic uncertainties associated to interaction cross sections on depth dose curves determined by Monte Carlo simulations. The corresponding sensitivity factors are quantified by changing cross sections by a given amount and determining the variation in the dose. The influence of total and partial photon cross sections is addressed. Partial cross sections for Compton and Rayleigh scattering, photo-electric effect, and pair production have been accounted for. The PENELOPE code was used in all simulations. It was found that photon cross section sensitivity factors depend on depth. In addition, they are positive and negative for depths below and above an equilibrium depth, respectively. At this depth, sensitivity factors are null. The equilibrium depths found in this work agree very well with the mean free path of the corresponding incident photon energy. Using the sensitivity factors reported here, it is possible to estimate the impact of photon cross section uncertainties on the uncertainty of Monte Carlo-determined depth dose curves.

Track structure modeling in liquid water: A review of the Geant4-DNA very low energy extension of the Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation toolkit.

Understanding the fundamental mechanisms involved in the induction of biological damage by ionizing radiation remains a major challenge of today's radiobiology research. The Monte Carlo simulation of physical, physicochemical and chemical processes involved may provide a powerful tool for the simulation of early damage induction. The Geant4-DNA extension of the general purpose Monte Carlo Geant4 simulation toolkit aims to provide the scientific community with an open source access platform for the mechanistic simulation of such early damage. This paper presents the most recent review of the Geant4-DNA extension, as available to Geant4 users since June 2015 (release 10.2 Beta). In particular, the review includes the description of new physical models for the description of electron elastic and inelastic interactions in liquid water, as well as new examples dedicated to the simulation of physicochemical and chemical stages of water radiolysis. Several implementations of geometrical models of biological targets are presented as well, and the list of Geant4-DNA examples is described.

Two deep evolutionary lineages in the circumtropical glasseye Heteropriacanthus cruentatus (Teleostei, Priacanthidae) with admixture in the south-western Indian Ocean.

A phylogeographic study of the circumtropical glasseye Heteropriacanthus cruentatus was conducted. Molecular analyses indicate two mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (coI) lineages that are 10·4% divergent: one in the western Atlantic (Caribbean) and another that was detected across the Indo-Pacific. A fixed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was detected at a nuclear locus (S7 ribosomal protein) and is consistent with this finding. There is evidence of recent dispersal from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean with individuals of mixed lineages detected in South Africa and the Mozambique Channel. Using coalescent analyses of the mitochondrial dataset, time of divergence between lineages was estimated to be c. 15·3 million years. The deep divergence between these two lineages indicates distinct evolutionary units, however, due to the lack of morphological differences and evidence of hybridization between lineages, taxonomic revision is not suggested at this time.

The Influence of DNA Configuration on the Direct Strand Break Yield.

PURPOSE: To study the influence of DNA configuration on the direct damage yield. No indirect effect has been accounted for. METHODS: The GEANT4-DNA code was used to simulate the interactions of protons and alpha particles with geometrical models of the A-, B-, and Z-DNA configurations. The direct total, single, and double strand break yields and site-hit probabilities were determined. Certain features of the energy deposition process were also studied. RESULTS: A slight increase of the site-hit probability as a function of the incident particle linear energy transfer was found for each DNA configuration. Each DNA form presents a well-defined site-hit probability, independently of the particle linear energy transfer. Approximately 70% of the inelastic collisions and ~60% of the absorbed dose are due to secondary electrons. These fractions are slightly higher for protons than for alpha particles at the same incident energy. CONCLUSIONS: The total direct strand break yield for a given DNA form depends weakly on DNA conformation topology. This yield is practically determined by the target volume of the DNA configuration. However, the double strand break yield increases with the packing ratio of the DNA double helix; thus, it depends on the DNA conformation.

Comment on "Calculations for the one-dimensional soft Coulomb problem and the hard Coulomb limit".

In the referred paper, the authors use a numerical method for solving ordinary differential equations and a softened Coulomb potential -1/√[x(2)+ß(2)] to study the one-dimensional Coulomb problem by approaching the parameter ß to zero. We note that even though their numerical findings in the soft potential scenario are correct, their conclusions do not extend to the one-dimensional Coulomb problem (ß=0). Their claims regarding the possible existence of an even ground state with energy -∞ with a Dirac-δ eigenfunction and of well-defined parity eigenfunctions in the one-dimensional hydrogen atom are questioned.

Long-term sperm storage in the brownbanded bamboo shark Chiloscyllium punctatum.

This study investigated the birth of a brownbanded bamboo shark Chiloscyllium punctatum at the Steinhart Aquarium. Genetic analyses suggest this is the longest documented case of sperm storage for any species of shark (45 months).

Carbon ion fragmentation effects on the nanometric level behind the Bragg peak depth.

In this study, fragmentation yields of carbon therapy beams are estimated using the Geant4 simulation toolkit version 9.5. Simulations are carried out in a step-by-step mode using the Geant4-DNA processes for each of the major contributing fragments. The energy of the initial beam is taken 400 MeV amu(-1) as this is the highest energy, which is used for medical accelerators and this would show the integral role of secondary contributions in radiotherapy irradiations. The obtained results showed that 64% of the global dose deposition is initiated by carbon ions, while up to 36% is initiated by the produced fragments including all their isotopes. The energy deposition clustering yields of each of the simulated fragments are then estimated using the DBSCAN clustering algorithm and they are compared to the yields of the incident primary beam.

Evaluation of the mean energy deposit during the impact of charged particles on liquid water.

The DNA strand break yield due to the impact of ionizing particles on living beings is closely related to the number of inelastic events per unit absorbed dose produced by these particles. The higher this number, the higher the probability of causing DNA strand breaks per unit absorbed dose. In a previous work, it was found that the total number of events produced by primary particles and the secondary electrons is almost independent of the type and energy of the incident particle (or LET). This finding could be supported by a quasi-constant mean energy deposit by inelastic event (ε). In this work, ε was defined and determined for electrons and the non-negative charge states of hydrogen (H°,⁺) and helium (He°,⁺,²âº) species impacting on liquid water. Ionization, excitation and charge transfer (up to two-electron transfers) processes have been included in present calculations. We found that, for liquid water, ε is within 13.7 ± 4.1 eV, 14.2 ± 1.7 eV and 13.8 ± 1.4 eV for electrons, hydrogen and helium species, respectively, with impact energies changing over three orders of magnitude. Unlike the mean excitation energy, the mean energy deposit per inelastic event depends not only on the target molecule but also on the projectile features. However, this dependence is relatively weak. This fact supports the quasi-independent number of inelastic events per unit absorbed dose found previously when charged particles impact on matter.

Monte Carlo simulation of energy-deposit clustering for ions of the same LET in liquid water.

This work presents a Monte Carlo study of energy depositions due to protons, alpha particles and carbon ions of the same linear-energy-transfer (LET) in liquid water. The corresponding track structures were generated using the Geant4-DNA toolkit, and the energy deposition spatial distributions were analyzed using an adapted version of the DBSCAN clustering algorithm. Combining the Geant4 simulations and the clustering algorithm it was possible to compare the quality of the different radiation types. The ratios of clustered and single energy depositions are shown versus particle LET and frequency-mean lineal energies. The estimated effect of these types of radiation on biological tissues is then discussed by comparing the results obtained for different particles with the same LET.

Experimental and Monte Carlo-simulated spectra of standard mammography-quality beams.

UNLABELLED: A spectrometric study of standard mammography-quality beams by using experimental and Monte Carlo simulation methods was carried out in this work. The qualities of these beams are described according to the International Electrotechical Commission 61267 standard and the Technical Report Series 457 International Atomic Energy Agency report. Specifically, the non-attenuated RQR-M beam series was studied. METHODS: A Si-PIN diode-based spectrometer and the PENELOPE Monte Carlo code (v. 2008F1) were used for experiments and simulations, respectively. In addition, an ionization chamber was used to determine the half-value layers (HVLs) of each beam quality. The measurements were done in the mammography dosimeter calibration setup of our laboratory, and the Monte Carlo simulations reproduced such conditions. RESULTS: The relative differences between the HVLs calculated from experimental and simulated spectra were lower than 2.4% for all the beam qualities studied. These differences are 1.2% and 3.1% when comparing the HVLs calculated from the experimental and simulated spectra to those determined by using the ionization chamber, respectively. A semi-empirical relation was found to obtain the nominal tube potential from the effective tube potential. CONCLUSION: According to our results, the mammography beams used in this work have energy spectra similar to clinical beams.

Estimation of the RBE of mammography-quality beams using a combination of a Monte Carlo code with a B-DNA geometrical model.

The PENELOPE code is used to determine direct strand break yields corresponding to photons from a (60)Co source and 28 and 30 kV x-ray beams impacting on a B-DNA geometrical model, which accounts for five organizational levels of the human genetic material. Direct single, double and total strand break probabilities are determined in a liquid water homogeneous medium with 1.06 g cm(-3) density. The spectra produced by the x-ray beams at various depths in the phantom have been used to study the dependence of the damage yield on the depth. The relative biological effectiveness (RBE) is also estimated using the (60)Co radiation qualities as the reference. According to this work, the damage probabilities and thus the RBE are, within the uncertainties, similar for both x-ray energies and are independent of the depth into the phantom. Furthermore, the total strand break yield is invariant with respect to the energy of the incident photons. The RBE for low-energy x-ray beams determined here (1.3 ± 0.1) is lower than that reported by Kellerer, taking into account that he used a 200 kV radiation as the reference quality. However, our RBE values are consistent with those determined by Kühne et al (2005 Radiat. Res. 164 669-76), which used the same biological endpoint and reference quality as our study. Also, our RBE values are similar to those determined by Verhaegen and Reniers (2004 Radiat. Res. 162 592-9).

The invariance of the total direct DNA strand break yield.

PURPOSE: The invariance of the total direct strand break yield when DNA is irradiated by different types of particles and energies has been reported by previous works. This study is intended to explain the physical causes of this behavior. METHODS: The GEANT4-DNA extension of the GEANT4 general purpose Monte Carlo simulation toolkit has been used to determine direct strand break yields induced by protons and alpha particles impacting on a B-DNA geometrical model, including five organization levels of the human genetic material. The linear energy transfer (LET) of such particles ranges from 4.8 keV/microm (10 MeV protons) to about 235 keV/microm (2 MeV alpha particles), at 5.225 pm depth (near the center of the region of interest). Direct total, single and double strand break probabilities have been determined in a liquid water homogeneous medium with a 1.06 g/cm3 density. The energetic spectra of single strand breaks (SSB), the number of energy deposition events, and the SSB/event ratio were determined. RESULTS: The target-hit probability was found to be independent of both the type and the energy of the incident particle, even if this latter is a secondary electron. This probability is determined by the geometrical properties of the system. The total strand break yield and the number of energy deposition events required to reach a certain absorbed dose were found nearly independent of the type and energy of the incident ion (proton or alpha). In contrast, the double strand break (DSB) yield was found strongly dependent on the LET of the incident radiation. CONCLUSIONS: The SSB generation process is homogeneous and independent of the LET of the particles involved, at least within the proton and alpha particle energy range here studied. The target-hit probability is only determined by the ratio between the total volume occupied by targets and that of the ROI where the radiation deposits its energy. The maximum separation distance between two adjacent SSBs to produce a DSB is the parameter that breaks the homogeneity of the target-hit process, making the DSB production process strongly heterogeneous.

Comparison of GEANT4 very low energy cross section models with experimental data in water.

PURPOSE: The GEANT4 general-purpose Monte Carlo simulation toolkit is able to simulate physical interaction processes of electrons, hydrogen and helium atoms with charge states (H0, H+) and (He0, He+, He2+), respectively, in liquid water, the main component of biological systems, down to the electron volt regime and the submicrometer scale, providing GEANT4 users with the so-called "GEANT4-DNA" physics models suitable for microdosimetry simulation applications. The corresponding software has been recently re-engineered in order to provide GEANT4 users with a coherent and unique approach to the simulation of electromagnetic interactions within the GEANT4 toolkit framework (since GEANT4 version 9.3 beta). This work presents a quantitative comparison of these physics models with a collection of experimental data in water collected from the literature. METHODS: An evaluation of the closeness between the total and differential cross section models available in the GEANT4 toolkit for microdosimetry and experimental reference data is performed using a dedicated statistical toolkit that includes the Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistical test. The authors used experimental data acquired in water vapor as direct measurements in the liquid phase are not yet available in the literature. Comparisons with several recommendations are also presented. RESULTS: The authors have assessed the compatibility of experimental data with GEANT4 microdosimetry models by means of quantitative methods. The results show that microdosimetric measurements in liquid water are necessary to assess quantitatively the validity of the software implementation for the liquid water phase. Nevertheless, a comparison with existing experimental data in water vapor provides a qualitative appreciation of the plausibility of the simulation models. The existing reference data themselves should undergo a critical interpretation and selection, as some of the series exhibit significant deviations from each other. CONCLUSIONS: The GEANT4-DNA physics models available in the GEANT4 toolkit have been compared in this article to available experimental data in the water vapor phase as well as to several published recommendations on the mass stopping power. These models represent a first step in the extension of the GEANT4 Monte Carlo toolkit to the simulation of biological effects of ionizing radiation.

An investigation on the capabilities of the PENELOPE MC code in nanodosimetry.

The Monte Carlo (MC) method has been widely implemented in studies of radiation effects on human genetic material. Most of these works have used specific-purpose MC codes to simulate radiation transport in condensed media. PENELOPE is one of the general-purpose MC codes that has been used in many applications related to radiation dosimetry. Based on the fact that PENELOPE can carry out event-by-event coupled electron-photon transport simulations following these particles down to energies of the order of few tens of eV, we have decided to investigate the capacities of this code in the field of nanodosimetry. Single and double strand break probabilities due to the direct impact of gamma rays originated from Co60 and Cs137 isotopes and characteristic x-rays, from Al and C K-shells, have been determined by use of PENELOPE. Indirect damage has not been accounted for in this study. A human genetic material geometrical model has been developed, taking into account five organizational levels. In an article by Friedland et al. [Radiat. Environ. Biophys. 38, 39-47 (1999)], a specific-purpose MC code and a very sophisticated DNA geometrical model were used. We have chosen that work as a reference to compare our results. Single and double strand-break probabilities obtained here underestimate those reported by Friedland and co-workers by 20%-76% and 50%-60%, respectively. However, we obtain RBE values for Cs137, AlK and CK radiations in agreement with those reported in previous works [Radiat. Environ. Biophys. 38, 39-47 (1999)] and [Phys. Med. Biol. 53, 233-244 (2008)]. Some enhancements can be incorporated into the PENELOPE code to improve its results in the nanodosimetry field.