Peptides ToAP3 and ToAP4 decrease release of inflammatory cytokines through TLR-4 blocking.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small molecules with microbicidal and immunoregulatory activities. In this study we evaluated the anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities of peptides ToAP3 and ToAP4, AMPs from the venom of the Brazilian scorpion Tityus obscurus. To test the peptides' activity, murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) or dendritic cells (BMDCs) were stimulated with peptides plus LPS to analyze their ability to modulate cytokine release as well as phenotypic markers.

Photon beam quality correction factors for the NE2571A and NE2581A thimble ionization chambers using PENELOPE.

The beam quality correction factor kQ,Q0 and the perturbation factor pQ for photon beams were calculated for the NE2571A and NE2581A ionization chambers, using the Monte Carlo simulation code PENELOPE. Results are compared to those quoted for the NE2571 and NE2581 chambers in previous works. Both kQ,Q0 and pQ obtained for NE2571A and NE2581A chambers agree with those of their predecessors NE2571 and NE2581 ones.

Calculation of beam quality correction factors for various thimble ionization chambers using the Monte Carlo code PENELOPE.

The beam quality correction factor [Formula: see text] and the perturbation factor pQ, commonly considered in dosimetry with ionization chambers, were calculated for the NE2571 and the Standard Imaging A19 and A12S chambers, using the Monte Carlo simulation code PENELOPE. For the NE2571 chamber, the values of [Formula: see text] obtained are in very good agreement with those found in previous works by Wulff et al. and Muir and Rogers with the code EGSnrc and also with the experimental results summarized in the NCS code of practice.