Publications by authors named "M C D'Oca"

In this work an innovative approach was developed to address a significant challenge in the field of radiation dosimetry: the accurate measurement of spatial dose distributions using Fricke gel dosimeters. Hydrogels are widely used in radiation dosimetry due to their ability to simulate the tissue-equivalent properties of human tissue, making them ideal for measuring and mapping radiation dose distributions. Among the various gel dosimeters, Fricke gels exploit the radiation-induced oxidation of ferrous ions to ferric ions and are particularly notable due to their sensitivity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Monastrol is the best-known small compound from the dihydropyrimidinones/thiones (DHPMs) heterocycle family, a cell-permeable molecule recognized as an inhibitor of mitotic kinesin Eg5, that is over-expressed in tumor cells and is a very promising target for the development of new drugs for cancer. The lipophilic properties of the DHPMs have been demonstrated to be of pivotal importance in the design of new molecules. This work describes the synthesis and antitumoral activity of novel C5-substituted fatty-DHPMs against breast and gastric cancer cell lines.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The extremely fast delivery of doses with ultra high dose rate (UHDR) beams necessitates the investigation of novel approaches for real-time dosimetry and beam monitoring. This aspect is fundamental in the perspective of the clinical application of FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH-RT), as conventional dosimeters tend to saturate at such extreme dose rates.

Purpose: This study aims to experimentally characterize newly developed silicon carbide (SiC) detectors of various active volumes at UHDRs and systematically assesses their response to establish their suitability for dosimetry in FLASH-RT.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This work presents the computational analysis of the sensitivity improvements that could be achieved in lithium formate monohydrate (LFM) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) dosemeters exposed to neutron beams. Monte Carlo (MC) simulations were performed on LFM pellets exposed to neutron beams with different energy spectra at various depths inside a water phantom. Various computations were carried out by considering different enrichments of 6Li inside the LFM matrix as well as addition of different amounts of gadolinium oxide inside the pellet blend.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Tools for radiation exposure reconstruction are required to support the medical management of radiation victims in radiological or nuclear incidents. Different biological and physical dosimetry assays can be used for various exposure scenarios to estimate the dose of ionizing radiation a person has absorbed. Regular validation of the techniques through inter-laboratory comparisons (ILC) is essential to guarantee high quality results.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF