Target Volume Delineation Training in Radiation Oncology in India : A Survey Evaluating Its Status, the Need for Educational Programs and the Utility of Virtual Teaching.

Introduction: The complexity of modern-day radiotherapy techniques calls for greater accuracy in target volume delineation which requires intensive training and expert guidance. In this study, we intend to evaluate the status of training in target delineation across radiation oncology curriculums in India and utility of webinars in teaching it.

Methodology: We organized daily webinars on the topics of radiological anatomy and target volume delineation in common sites of cancer over a period of 2 weeks.

Statistical approach to synthesise biogenic silica nanoparticles from rice husk and conjugated with Justicia adhatoda extract as green, slow-release biocide.

Biogenic silica synthesised from rice husk was used as a controlled release system of an eco-friendly biocide consisting of a Justicia adhatoda extract. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicated the presence of ester bonds between the silica support and the conjugated Justicia adhatoda extract. Surface area analysis and microscopy confirmed a high level of Justicia adhatoda extract loading in the silica support.

Involvement of Bcl-2 Activation and G1 Cell Cycle Arrest in Colon Cancer Cells Induced by Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Synthesized by Microwave-Assisted Hybrid Approach.

The toxic effect of TiO nanoparticles (TNP) greatly varies with the variation in synthesis protocol followed. Any morphological alteration of TNPs affects their activity. In the present study, we report the detailed toxicological analysis of TNPs fabricated by a microwave irradiation-assisted hybrid chemical approach.

Silver nanoparticles engineered by thermal co-reduction approach induces liver damage in Wistar rats: acute and sub-chronic toxicity analysis.

Recently, nanotechnology applications have increased tremendously in consumer products. However, it has been observed that these nanoparticles can cause a potential risk to the environment as well as human health. In the present manuscript, we have analyzed acute and sub-chronic toxicity of engineered silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by assessing the impact on Wistar rats.

Superintendence of antimicrobial resistance observed in bacterial flora isolated from human faecal carriage in Vellore, India.

A frequent cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the patterns of antimicrobial resistance in 296 bacterial strains isolated from in-patient faecal samples of Government Vellore Medical College and Hospital, Vellore. Isolation and identification of bacterial strains were done using enrichment media, selective media, and biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing by the disc diffusion method and minimal inhibitory concentration method was conducted and the strains were subjected to extended spectrum beta-lactamases screening.

Thermal Co-reduction engineered silver nanoparticles induce oxidative cell damage in human colon cancer cells through inhibition of reduced glutathione and induction of mitochondria-involved apoptosis.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are being commercialized in a number of consumer products including food and cosmetics where there is a direct exposure of AgNPs to human body. An extensive toxicological evaluation is necessary to understand the mechanism for its safe use, since the toxicity effect varies greatly with the synthesis protocol followed. In this study, we report the detailed toxicological analysis of AgNPs fabricated by thermal co-reduction approach.

Effects of the Gut microbiota on Amygdalin and its use as an anti-cancer therapy: Substantial review on the key components involved in altering dose efficacy and toxicity.

Conventional and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is popularly used due to side-effects and failure of approved methods, for diseases like Epilepsy and Cancer. Amygdalin, a cyanogenic diglycoside is commonly administered for cancer with other CAM therapies like vitamins and seeds of fruits like apricots and bitter almonds, due to its ability to hydrolyse to hydrogen cyanide (HCN), benzaldehyde and glucose. Over the years, several cases of cyanide toxicity on ingestion have been documented.

Formulation of vitamin D encapsulated cinnamon oil nanoemulsion: Its potential anti-cancerous activity in human alveolar carcinoma cells.

Cinnamon oil is used for medicinal purpose since ancient time because of its antioxidant activity. Oil-in-water nanoemulsion (NE) of cinnamon oil was formulated using cinnamon oil, nonionic surfactant Tween 80 and water by ultrasonication technique. Phase diagram was constructed to investigate the influence of oil, water and surfactant concentration.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticle-protein interaction explained by docking approach.

Titanium dioxide has been proven for toxicity by in vitro and in vivo approaches, however, further studies are needed in nano-toxicological research using in silico analysis. In this study, Autodock 4.0.

A one-dimensional search method with stable 1-norm solution for linear prediction.

In this paper a simple iterative algorithm that is guaranteed to produce a stable all-pole filter when minimizing the 1-norm of the linear prediction error signal is proposed. The approach works for both the autocorrelation and covariance frameworks, involves only a one-dimensional search at each step, and obviates the need for linear programming based methods. Based on simulation studies, it was observed that the performance of the algorithm is nearly optimal, i.

Fish oil based vitamin D nanoencapsulation by ultrasonication and bioaccessibility analysis in simulated gastro-intestinal tract.

Recently, nanoemulsions have been employed for different applications including food and drug industries for efficient nutrient delivery system. In this study, vitamin D (a lipophilic molecule) was encapsulated in fish oil for higher oral bioavailability. The oil-in-water nanoemulsion was formulated by ultrasonication technique with a droplet size range of 300-450nm and a shelf life of more than 90days.

A spectroscopic study on interaction between bovine serum albumin and titanium dioxide nanoparticle synthesized from microwave-assisted hybrid chemical approach.

The use of nanoparticles in food or pharma requires a molecular-level perceptive of how NPs interact with protein corona once exposed to a physiological environment. In this study, the conformational changes of bovine serum albumin (BSA) were investigated in detail when exposed to different concentration of titanium dioxide nanoparticle by various techniques. To analyze the effects of NPs on proteins, the interaction between bovine serum albumin and titanium dioxide nanoparticles at different concentrations were investigated.

Bovine serum albumin interacts with silver nanoparticles with a "side-on" or "end on" conformation.

As the nanoparticles (NPs) enter into the biological interface, they have to encounter immediate and first exposure to many proteins of different concentrations. The physicochemical interaction of NPs and proteins is greatly influenced not only by the number and type of proteins; but also the surface chemistry of NPs. To analyze the effects of NPs on proteins, the interaction between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) at different concentrations were investigated.

Nanomaterials in food and agriculture: An overview on their safety concerns and regulatory issues.

Nanotechnology has seen exponential growth in last decade due to its unique physicochemical properties; however, the risk associated with this emerging technology has withdrawn ample attention in the past decade. Nanotoxicity is majorly contributed to the small size and large surface area of nanomaterials, which allow easy dispersion and invasion of anatomical barriers in human body. Unique physio-chemical properties of nanoparticles make the investigation of their toxic consequences intricate and challenging.

Microwave-irradiation-assisted hybrid chemical approach for titanium dioxide nanoparticle synthesis: microbial and cytotoxicological evaluation.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TNPs) are widely used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. It is used for protection against UV exposure due to its light-scattering properties and high refractive index. Though TNPs are increasingly used, the synthesis of TNPs is tedious and time consuming; therefore, in the present study, microwave-assisted hybrid chemical approach was used for TNP synthesis.

Dust Plate, Retina, Photograph: Imaging on Experimental Surfaces in Early Nineteenth-Century Physics.

This article explores the entangled histories of three imaging techniques in early nineteenth-century British physical science, techniques in which a dynamic event (such as a sound vibration or an electric spark) was made to leave behind a fixed trace on a sensitive surface. Three categories of "sensitive surface" are examined in turn: first, a metal plate covered in fine dust; second, the retina of the human eye; and finally, a surface covered with a light-sensitive chemical emulsion (a photographic plate). For physicists Michael Faraday and Charles Wheatstone, and photographic pioneer William Henry Fox Talbot, transient phenomena could be studied through careful observation and manipulation of the patterns wrought on these different surfaces, and through an understanding of how the imaging process unfolded through time.

Thermal co-reduction approach to vary size of silver nanoparticle: its microbial and cellular toxicology.

In recent years, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have attracted considerable interest in the field of food, agriculture and pharmaceuticals mainly due to its antibacterial activity. AgNPs have also been reported to possess toxic behavior. The toxicological behavior of nanomaterials largely depends on its size and shape which ultimately depend on synthetic protocol.

Biosorption of Cr(VI) by Ceratocystis paradoxa MSR2 using isotherm modelling, kinetic study and optimization of batch parameters using response surface methodology.

This study is focused on the possible use of Ceratocystis paradoxa MSR2 native biomass for Cr(VI) biosorption. The influence of experimental parameters such as initial pH, temperature, biomass dosage, initial Cr(VI) concentration and contact time were optimized using batch systems as well as response surface methodology (RSM). Maximum Cr(VI) removal of 68.

Synthesis and characterization of palladium nanoparticles using Catharanthus roseus leaf extract and its application in the photo-catalytic degradation.

The potential effect of Catharanthus roseus leaf extract for the formation of palladium nanoparticles and its application on dye degradation was discussed. The efficiency of C.roseus leaves are used as a bio-material for the first time as reducing agent.

Pesticide tolerant and phosphorus solubilizing Pseudomonas sp. strain SGRAJ09 isolated from pesticides treated Achillea clavennae rhizosphere soil.

In this study, an attempt was made to identify an effective phosphate solubilizing bacteria from pesticide polluted field soil. Based on the formation of solubilization halo on Pikovskaya's agar, six isolates were selected and screened for pesticide tolerance and phosphate (P) solubilization ability through liquid assay. The results showed that only one strain (SGRAJ09) obtained from Achillea clavennae was found to tolerate maximum level of the pesticides tested and it was phylogenetically identified as Pseudomonas sp.

Stopping time: Henry Fox Talbot and the origins of freeze-frame photography.

As an image-making tool for scientists studying the transient, instantaneous photography has long been seen as opening up a visual realm previously inaccessible to the inferior testimony of the human eye. But when photographic pioneer Henry Fox Talbot took the first photograph of a moving object by the light of an electric spark in 1851, he was guided by existing visual practices designed to create instantaneous vision in the eye itself. Exploring the background behind the peculiar subject of his experiment - a mechanically spinning disc - reveals a hidden prehistory of spark-illuminated photography: physicists' pre-photographic techniques for stopping time.