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Soil compaction in the plow layer of soils is becoming a serious concern because of conventional tillage practices adopted by sugarcane growers utilizing a rotavator, particularly in medium to heav...

The present research demonstrates the design and development of a dual-compartment water purification proto-plant for microbial degradation of organic waste using microbial fuel cell technology and adsorptive removal of inorganic pollutants present in sewage water using highly crystalline chitosan grafted polyaniline (CHIT-g-PANI) and rice husk derived adsorbent. The materials were characterized by UV–Vis, infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and relevant standard methods. The observed results revealed the highly crystalline, biocompatible, porous nature of CHIT-g-PANI as electrode materials for effective microbial degradation of organic wastes of sewage water for generating electricity and water purification. Thus, observed parameters were power density of 6.496 w/m2, sustainable usability for 20 days, and removal of organic waste by 97% from sewage water. Furthermore, the above partially treated water was passed through an adsorption chamber filled with rice husk-derived adsorbents, which removes the 84.5% inorganic impurities of its original concentrations.

Introduction: An estimated 2.25 million new cancer cases with 7 lakh cancer deaths were reported, according to GLOBOCAN 2018 in India. There is a steady rise in cancer cases, but trends and patterns vary within the state depending on the geographic region. Objectives: To study the proportion and site-wise distribution of neoplasm reported at a tertiary care hospital in district Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, India. Material and Methods: A record based retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in district Etawah, Uttar Pradesh. Total four years (from 2015 to 2018) hospital-based retrospective data were collected from the Medical Record Department. Identification and distribution of malignant neoplasm were done according to the WHO ICD-10 classification. Results: Total cases diagnosed with malignancy from January 2015 to December 2018 were 3614. Cancer cases reported over the years was 932 (25.8%) in 2015, 1031 (28.5%) cases in 2016, 897 (24.8%) in 2017 and 754 (20.9%) in 2018. It was found that breast carcinoma (24.0%) accounted for the maximum number of cases diagnosed, followed by lung carcinoma (10.9%), cervical cancer (8.7%), gall bladder carcinoma (8%), and oral cavity cancer (7.9%). Conclusion: The present study reveals that the malignancy of the breast is most common, followed by malignancies of lung, cervix, and gall bladder among the patients who were seeking care in a tertiary care hospital of the district Etawah Uttar Pradesh, India.

This work reviews the progress in the area of high current density electron emitters, specifically for use in high frequency and high-power microwave vacuum electron devices. The review is divided into two subsections: 1) thermionic cathodes and 2) field emission cathodes. The thermionic cathode section includes the discussion on the M-type, MM-type, Scandate and the CPD cathodes. CPD cathode promises better usability in a practical device as compared to the Scandate cathodes which are limited by emission nonuniformity, poor resistance to poisoning/ion bombardment and low life. With the increasing demand for miniaturized and high power VEDs in the near future, the development of high current density field emission cathodes is of immediate interest to the VED community. The Spindt, CNT, and graphene-based emitters are the potential candidates in the field emitters section. Graphene-based film cathodes, when compared to the Mo/Si FEAs and the CNTs, offer larger emission area as well as high current carrying capability. This review includes the evolution of the emission capabilities of the emitters, state-of-the-art performances, and possible future developments.

Nanotechnology is the most important area of research in 21st century and is developing with an increasing rate because of its number of applications in almost all the sectors. Many of the methods used for preparing nanomaterials pollute the atmosphere. Nowadays green method of synthesis of nanomaterials are becoming important and gaining popularity. In this chapter green methods, particularly plant extracts and microorganisms, have been discussed for the synthesis of nanomaterials. The present chapter reviews various biogenic synthesis methods based on plant extracts, bacteria, yeast, algae, fungi, and viruses. Nanomaterials with different shapes, sizes, and bioactivity can be prepared by the variations in the bioreducing agents. There are number of parameters that affect the synthesis of nanomaterials through green rout. Various techniques have been discussed for the characterization of synthesized nanomaterials. Applications of nanomaterials in different sectors like water purification, defense, textile, medical, dental, energy, and so on have been discussed.

Application of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for crop growth promotion and yield is an urgent need for sustainable agricultural production in view of increasing indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers as well as plant nutrient deficiencies. Some PGPR strains have been identified and commercialized worldwide. The positive effect on crop growth and yields has been recorded. The application of PGPRs besides increasing crop growth and yield also reduces the cost of crop production and environmental risk. When PGPRs are applied in soil with different methods, they fix atmospheric nitrogen, solubilize plant nutrients, and also provide protection against soil-borne plant pathogens. Besides providing direct and indirect benefits to crop plants, the PGPRs also assist crop plants to tolerate drought and salt stress conditions. These PGPRs perform plausible mechanisms in the rhizosphere region, though abundantly documented but still remain greater scope for exploring various mechanisms. Generally, PGPRs are applied as biofertilizers and biocontrol agents, but their use as bioremediation, biodegredation, biostimulants, biopesticides, bio-osmoprotectants is very limited. Due to the nonjudicious application of chemical fertilizers, enormous opportunities are generated for the use and commercialization of PGPRs. So in this chapter, the role of PGPRs in the rhizosphere and activities performing in that zone are being described. The practical potential of PGPRs in crop production has also been discussed for commercial uses.

Illegal small-scale mining infamous in Ghana, as ‘Galamsey’, has been uncontrolled for a considerable length of time. Even though artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) offers financial advantages and business opportunities to about 4.5% of the Ghanaian people, its effect on human well-being has prompted a high frequency of health hazards, deforestation, pollution and loss of biodiversity. This study identifies the current challenges faced by the Ankobra River Basin and its environment in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality and suggests measures for advanced plans for revitalization and development of the Ankobra River Basin to be improved significantly. Analysis of satellite images on land use/land cover of the same geographic territory reflects changes for the past 30-years. From 1986 to 2016, multi-temporal images of the area classified indicate that the Ankobra River Basin is largely covered by dark forests and recent decline at 2.37%. Out of the 100 distributed questionnaires to the experts and stakeholders in the field, 80 completed questionnaires were analyzed. The results show that the main indicators of 0.344 are very poor and need urgent attention to revitalize and develop the river basin. Buffer zones positioned close to the source of surface water pollution are more likely to succeed in controlling water quality. Hence, support assessments for watershed land use change, pollutant discharge, management practices on water quality, encouraging environmentally friendly mining practices with automation and harnessing green electricity from the perennial stream and biogenic forest produce to phase-out thermal power will be the criterion to develop and enhance revitalization and development of the Ankobra River Basin. Thus, Rivers Revitalization Advancement Plan has been formulated.

On-farm conservation of elite and indigenous mango germplasm is crucial from the viewpoint of biodiversity conservation and its utilization for future use. Such conservation contributes to breeding of new varieties, research on biotic and abiotic stress complexes, evaluating nutrient dynamics in supporting their livelihood. One hundred thirty eight mango germplasms conserved in the experimental farm of CISH, Rehmankhera, Lucknow over decades were used for evaluating micronutrient status. The study revealed the lowest Zn content in Pan & Aswania (11 mg kg-1) to the highest in Rousa (28 mg kg-1) across these 138 mango germplasms while the corresponding values of Boron in Langra Digha (6.6 mg kg-1) and Husn-e-ara (44.8 mg kg-1). It was further inferred that a range of 6 mg kg-1 (Modami Model) to 52 mg kg-1 (Anaiwara) of Cu was estimated across these germplasms. In case of Mn and Fe micronutrients, wider variations across these germplasms were recorded. The concentrations of Mn varied between 122 (Mithua Bihar) and 347 (Prabha Shankar) mg kg-1 and Fe being 101(Shohrab Shah) and 461(Bombay Green) mg kg-1. The distribution pattern indicated that highest percentage of B (52.9%) was recorded in the range of 21–30 mg kg-1, 61.6% of Zn (11–20 mg kg-1), 45.7% of Cu (16–30 mg kg-1), 68.1% Mn (101–200 mg kg-1) followed by 75.4% Fe (101–200 mg kg-1). Wider variations in micronutrients contents in some existing commercial mango cultivars were found and such variations in micronutrient contents indicated the differential response of mango germplasms under similar soil-climatic conditions for future nutrient management strategy.

Ion thruster is the most useful electronic propulsion system in deep space to control the orbit of a satellite due to its high exhaust velocity. Erosion of extraction grid is a critical parameter, which limits the life of an ion thruster. In this paper, an analytical model has been presented to estimate the rate of erosion of the extraction grid. The analytical results show that the rate of erosion can be reduced by about 66% using modified extraction grid as compared with conventional grid.

Ion thruster is the most efficient population system of satellite to control its orbits in deep space. Total efficiency, thrust, and specific impulse are the key characterization parameters of an ion thruster which define its performance. At present, total efficiency is limited within the range of 36–68%. In this paper, a new grid design is discussed to increase the total efficiency and thrust of ion thruster wherein screen grid has chamfered edges. The ion beam dynamics were simulated in OPERA14.0-3D. The simulated result is shown to have increased thrust and total efficiency from 0.196–0.364 mN and 41.29–74.66%, respectively.

Background: Perimenopause is the period in a woman's life during which she passes from the reproductive to the nonreproductive stage. According to the 2008 estimates, the number of menopausal women in India was 43 million. Projected values in 2026 depict the menopausal population at 103 million. Due to the increasing life expectancy, improved quality of life is imperative to decrease the disability and frailty of a society. Objectives: To study the quality of life of perimenopausal women in rural areas of Etawah district, Uttar Pradesh, and the various factors associated with it. Materials and Methods: This is a community-based cross-sectional study conducted in 4 villages in the Saifai block of Etawah district, Uttar Pradesh, India. One hundred and ninety-nine healthy, perimenopausal women of the age group 45–55 years were included in the study. Data were collected on sociodemographic variables, and Menopause Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire - Intervention version questionnaire was used to assess the quality of life. Results: The mean age of attainment of menopause was 45.38 ± 3.58 years. Majority of the women experienced physical (100%) and psychosocial (94.5%) symptoms; the most common symptom being “decrease in physical strength” (86.4%) and being able to “accomplish less than previously” (80.4%). Women who handled stress poorly showed severe vasomotor (P = 0.047) and psychosocial (P = 0.014) symptoms. Postmenopausal women who regularly exercised were 52.6% less likely to have vasomotor symptoms (odd's ratio OR 0.474 (0.235–0.960), P = 0.038). Conclusion: The quality of life among the study population was affected by the physical and psychosocial problems they experienced. By taking appropriate preventive measures, these can be ameliorated, and further deterioration can be checked.

Scandia (Sc2O3)-doped tungsten nanoparticle-based high current density cathode is developed for the application in terahertz (THz) devices. This paper involves synthesis of scandia-doped tungsten nanoparticle powder using chemical technique, estimation of optimum porosity, and development of pellet with required porosity by optimizing process parameters. The cathode, made out of the above pellet, is tested in an analytical system containing Auger electron spectroscope and anode. The results show that the cathode can deliver more than 100 A/cm2 current density with stable emission—strongly recommending it as a candidate for the use in a THz device. Theoretical estimates show that the void porosity is to be kept at 21% for proper surface coverage to produce good emission with long life.

Biodegradable polymeric nanostructures (BPNs) have shown great promise in different therapeutic applications such as diagnosis, imaging, drug delivery, cosmetics, organ implants, and tissue engineering. BPNs exhibit superior properties over their respective bulk materials, overcoming the limitations of traditional polymers to address numerous important medical problems. Furthermore, the addition of other components can enable specific functionalities of the nanostructures to be modulated for tunable applications. This review emphasizes the state-of-the-art of biodegradable polymeric nanostructures, preparative methods, therapeutic uses, and challenging issues concerning the commercialization of emerging BPN-based therapeutics with respect to their future perspectives.

Background: Neonatal death is defined as no. of deaths during the first 28 completed days of life per 1000 live births in a given year or period. Around 2.6 million deaths or roughly 46% of all under five deaths had occurred during this period in 2016 which means that 7000 newborn deaths occur each day. Most of the neonatal deaths occur on the first day and week accounting to about 1 million dying on the 1st day. Objective of this study was to ascertain various causes of neonatal mortality using verbal autopsy in Etawah district.Methods: The present study was a retrospective cross-sectional study carried out for a period of 1 year (July 17 to June 2018) using WHO verbal autopsy questionnaire by finding out the study subjects from medical information system of UPUMS, Saifai and district hospital, Etawah. A total of 89 neonatal deaths were found out of which 87 were interviewed by going to their residences to get the relevant information regarding the causes of deaths.Results: Most common cause of neonatal mortality came out to be low birth weight with prematurity 44 of 87 (50.6%), followed by birth asphyxia 23 of 87 (26.4%) and sepsis 8 of 87 (9.2%).Conclusions: Effective interventions should be incorporated into policy decisions to reduce neonatal mortality due to these causes.

In many cases of sexual assault, traces of semen are left behind on the victim’s body, clothes and the area in which the assault has taken place. The positive identification of semen is instrumental in supporting such cases. There are several methods of forensic examination of semen reported in literature, but the presence of blood complicates the identification of semen stains. This paper presents one such case study where the presence of blood makes DNA profiling more challenging as the PCR amplification becomes complicated, and the absolute differential isolation is the only way to get the clear profile using identifiler kits.

Ketamine is a drug of abuse and is gaining popularity as a date rape drug. There are no field test kits available especially for ketamine. Scott's test has been used for the detection of cocaine for a very long time. It is based upon the formation of an insoluble complex of the cobalt thiocyanate ion with a free nitrogen base of cocaine. However, this test has been known for a large number of false positives when tested for cocaine. The authors have modified Scott's test by basifying the original solution and the addition of ethylene glycol for the detection of ketamine hydrochloride in the presence of lignocaine and cocaine. The test was done on more than 100 common drugs of abuse, medicines, cutting agents, excipients and other substances and was found to be specific only for ketamine. The EDX and FTIR analysis was further carried to establish the presence of ketamine in the complex. There were no false positives for the test and hence it could be incorporated for routine drug screening in toxicological...

The effect of modeling of velocity fluctuations on the prediction of collection efficiency of cyclone separators has been numerically investigated using the Reynolds stress turbulence model (RSTM) and large eddy simulation (LES). The Eulerian–Lagrangian modeling approach of CFD code Fluent 6.3.26 has been employed to simulate the three dimensional, unsteady turbulent gas–solid flows in a Stairmand high efficiency cyclone. The simulated results have been compared with experimental observations available in the literature. The analysis of results shows that the RSTM and the LES have adequately predicted the mean flow field. Results of the present study demonstrate that the LES has good performance on prediction of fluctuating flow field and collection efficiency for each and every particle size. However, the performance of the RSTM is found poor in terms of prediction of velocity fluctuations and collection efficiency, especially for small particles. This relates to the precessing of the vortex core phenomenon, which is resolved more accurately by LES as compared to the RSTM simulation. The results suggest that the prediction of collection efficiency, especially for small particles is greatly influenced by the simulation of velocity fluctuations in cyclones.

Next generation internet protocol IPv6 provides great solution to the problems associated with IPv4. large address space of IPv6 solves the problem of lack of IP addresses which was a major concern with the enormous growth of the internet. The new version of protocol provides innumerable benefits like auto configuration, simple header, multicasting, quality of service, etc. which improve the overall functionality of IPv6. In the present study, the benefits of IPv6 on IPv6 on IPv 4 have been discussed in detail including he lacuna of Ipv6 in present day scenaro. The future challenges have also been identified during the implemntation of IPv 6

This study investigates the performance of different discretization schemes for simulation of dispersed phase of cyclone separators by using Reynolds stress turbulence model facility of CFD code Fluent 6.3.26. The continuous flow inside the cyclone separator is simulated by solving Reynolds averaged three dimensional unsteady Navier-Stokes equation in Eulerian reference frame whereas the dispersed phase is modeled using Lagrangian approach. Analysis of computed results shows that the high order discretization schemes give satisfactory performance for simulation of dispersed particles of all size. However the prediction of trapezoidal discretization scheme is found to be marginally better than that of the Runge-Kutta scheme. The low order schemes and combination of low order and high order schemes failed to predict accurately the collection efficiency of the smaller dispersed particles. The results suggest that the CFD method using trapezoidal scheme for discretization of equation of motion of dis...

Changing climatic scenario with respect to biotic and abiotic factors may be the major challenge for sustainable sugarcane production. The basic effect of climate change is expected to rise in average temperature, increase in mean summer rainfall, frequent and longer dry spells, hot extremes, degradation of natural resources especially land, water and bio- diversity. The diverse challenge and constrains faced by sugarcane growers to fulfill their ever increasing demands from limited available natural resources. Weeds have become more prolific and are expected to invade new habitats as global warming increases. Insect-pests, some ofwhich carry plant diseases, could become more prolific and widespread as temperatures increase. It is also possible that increases in temperature, moisture and carbon dioxide could result in higher populations of destructive pests. Constrains such as erratic rainfall, soil acidity, limited access to credit and rises in production costs have been mentioned to be the major constrains faced by sugarcane growers in India. Major options to tackle the climatic challenge are development of suitable varieties, adoption of integrated approaches for managing nutrient, weed, and insect-pest, and developing location specific suitable varieties having special desirable traits as per requirement of growers. Mechanization of farm is essential for timely completion of operation and reducing human drudgery without compromising the profitability of farming community. Machine should be arranged either on custom hired basis or by procuring groups of farmers depending upon the cost. Government and policy maker may provide small machine or equipments for small farmers on subsidized basis. Crop insurance and marketing risks are to be also taken care by intercropping or crop diversification for sustaining the productivity and profitability of the system.

Globally, the chicken infectious anaemia virus (CIAV) has gained much importance as an immunosuppressive and economically important emerging pathogen of poultry. In recent years, the virus has been detected and isolated from poultry flocks of India. The present study reports the first sero-epidemiological investigation of the presence of CIAV infection in poultry flocks of the country. A total of 404 serum samples were collected from chicken flocks of eleven poultry farms, which contain a total of 0.34 million birds from four Northern states, suspected of having chicken infectious anaemia (CIA). Screening of the sera samples using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit revealed 351 serum samples (86.88%) to be positive for CIAV antibodies. A high CIAV prevalence rate recorded in the present investigation, along with earlier virus detection reports, indicates the widespread distribution of the virus and that CIAV should be considered an economically important poultry pathogen affecting poultry industry of India. Extensive nationwide epidemiological studies are suggested for revealing the economic impact of CIA and to initiate further research along with devising and adapting suitable prevention and control strategies especially the use of suitable vaccines for safeguarding poultry health and production in the country.

Background: The geriatric population is defined as a population aged 60 years and above. The United Nation’s principles address the independence, participation, care, self-fulfillment, and dignity of older persons as an ensured priority. Keeping all these issues in mind we conducted this study. Objective: To access various medical and social problems and treatment-seeking behavior among geriatric population in Ghaziabad District, Uttar Pradesh, India. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in the rural and urban area of Ghaziabad District. A total of 980 elderly interviewed on pretested protocol to find out the health and social problem of elderly. Result: In geriatric population musculoskeletal problem (59.08%), dental problem (58.77%), and problem of vision impairment (55.61%) were quite higher. The overall prevalence of diabetes and heart disease were 10% and 12.2%, respectively. In social aspect, financial dependence on family members (45.9%) was a bigger issue among elderly population. Almost one-fourth population (23.6%) reported the problem of loneliness and depression. On psychological issue forgetfulness (32.96%) was reported by person of geriatric age group. When it comes to treatment-taking behavior, approach of elderly is quite different for different morbidities. Conclusion: Elderly are suffering the triple burden in respect of high burden of morbidity, social negligence, and financial dependency. However, many of the rules and government welfare schemes are running but their impact and access to elderly need to be evaluated.

Thermionic emission microscope (THEM) is an analytical research tool to study the emission uniformity of a thermionic cathode. In this paper, the design of electrostatic lens for a multi-beam cathode (MBC) has been given using 2-D TRAK and Omni-TRAK codes. The design of single beam lens system, available with us, containing a small cathode has been modified to study large size MBC using scaling laws. The present MBC contains 19 protruding buttons contributing to 19 beamlets whose image is projected onto the screen for study. The influence of various parameters such as protrusion, diameter of button, and their interspacing has been studied. The studies prove that THEM could be used as an effective tool for the characterization of MBC.

Zusammenfassung 169Yb-Komplexe mit bekannter Biokinetik in tumortragenden Mäusen bis zu 48 h nach Injektion wurden gesunden Mäusen intravenös injiziert und die Bioverteilung in Organen und Geweben bis zu 672 h nach Injektion untersucht. Durch diese Langzeituntersuchungen in einem durch Tumorwachstum unbeeinflußten Tiermodell sollten zuverlässige biokinetische Daten als Basis für Berechnungen der biologischen Halbwertszeit und der Dosisverteilung in verschiedenen Organen und Geweben erhalten werden. Die Ergebnisse der Radionuklidelimination aus Organen und Geweben bzw. der -exkretion mit dem Urin zeigten, daß mindestens zwei Komponenten vorliegen, deren effektive Halbwertszeiten mit zunehmender Stabilität der verabreichten Komplexe kürzer werden. Sie liegen für die »schnelle« Komponente bei wenigen Stunden und für die »langsame« Komponente zwischen 200 und 800 h.

On the basis of experimental results obtained during performance evaluation of five types of solar stills, kept in outdoor conditions on a single plate form, the cost of distilled water produced have been calculated by using a uniform cost analysis method. The experiments were performed at I.I.T. Delhi, India during year 2001–2002 under summer and winter, both the climatic conditions. It can be concluded that the cost of distilled water produced from a multiwick double slope solar still is lesser than other solar stills due to higher yield/hour. However for small scale purposes, multiwick single slope solar still is better option.Copyright © 2008 by ASME

Von Ricklinghausen's disease is commonly associated with simultaneous cranial and spinal meningioma but these are not true meningiomas. Craniospinal meningiomas without Von Ricklinghausen's disease are very rare. We report a 13-year-old girl who presented with two episodes of right focal seizure with secondary generalisation of three year's duration, weakness of both lower limbs for 6 months, and retention of urine of three month's duration. MRI brain showed enhancing lesion in the left fronto-parietal region. MRI spine revealed enhancing intradural extramedullary lesion at D(4-5), D(9-10), and L(1-2). The tumours were excised completely in a single stage, first by craniotomy then by multi level laminectomy. On histology the spinal meningioma had predominant meningothiliomatous. We followed up for 6 months and the patient recovered with power grade 4/5 both lower limb.

The aim of this study was to optimise the parameters affecting the Bremsstrahlung scintigraphy of patients injected with strontium-89 chloride. The parameters considered were : (1) instrumental detection efficiency, and (2) tissue attenuation factor for 89Sr calibrated sources, which permit quantitative evaluation of the activity in a given bone lesion. Some typical examples of in vivo 89Sr imaging are presented to illustrate the clinical utility of the imaging procedure developed by us, which is implemented in our department for all patients treated with 89Sr chloride.

The moderate response, following the therapeutic i.v. application of 186Re-HEDP in 29 patients treated in our Hospital for painful bone metastases 3,5 and the world-wide reservedness upon the efficacy of the radionuclidic palliative application, prompted us to investigate the possible causes of this non-satisfactory response.

The systemic therapy of advanced prostate cancer, which progressed in spite of radical prostectomy, external radiation therapy, hormonal management, chemotherapy, and metastron therapy, has been achieved with i.v. injection of prostate cancer-affine yttrium-90 citrate solution, containing both cationic and anionic species. The total-body Bremsstrahlung imaging technique, introduced by us, has shown the concentration of the radionuclide both in the primary prostate cancer and in the bone metastases which had been seen a week earlier on bone scan with Tc-99m-MDP. The myelodepression caused by repeated injection of the radionuclide is the side-effect to be avoided. Other Y-90 prostate cancer-affine radiopharmaceuticals free from this disadvantage are under investigation.

The aim of the study was to reveal primary and/or secondary foci that are clinically occult in suspected, positive for somatostatin-receptors tumours, and to evaluate their tumouricidal behaviour. Among 25 patients (a) 4 suffered from medullary thyroid carcinoma, (b) 6 had small-cell lung carcinoma, (c) 7 had pheochromocytoma, and (d) 8 had breast cancer. 185 MBq (5mCi) 99T cm (V) DMSA (Nucl Research Centre «Demokritos», Athens) and 185 MBq (5mCi) 11In Pentetreotide (OctreoScan 111, Mallinckrodt Medical B.V., Petten) were both injected to each patient (3-4 days time interval between the two examinations).99Tcm (V) DMSA scintigraphy was carried out 2.5 and 5 hrs after i.v. application. 111In Pentetreotide static images were obtained 5 and 18 hrs (delayed scans for comparison) after i.v. application. According to the results: (a) both radiopharmaceuticals showed higher sensitivity than do conventional imaging techniques, (b) medullary carcinoma showed in all cases a positive 99Tcm(V) DMSA scan, while small cell lung carcinoma a positive in all cases Pentetreotide scan. The examination is easy to perform and safe.

INDUS-1 is a 450 MeV electron storage ring operating since 1997. Its RF cavity needed replacement. R.F Cavity is a very important and critical component of the storage ring. It is a vacuum vessel having large number of ports for vacuum pumps, gauges, view port, RF tuners, RF sensors etc. The welded parts were leak checked at various stages during the fabrication. Prior to final welding of two halves, the cavity was assembled using large viton O-ring, leak tested and baked for 48 Hrs. Ultimate vacuum in 10−8 mbar range was obtained. Cavity was also subjected to RF power conditioning. The final welding was done after confirming all other functional tests. Again the cavity was baked and tested for the vacuum, without connecting in the storage ring. Finally, it was connected in the ring, baked along with all other portion of the ring. This paper gives the details of these tests.

89Sr is a beta used for palliation of pain in patients with metastatic bone cancer. After each intravenous administration, up to 80% of the isotope is eliminated in the urine. A simple chemical process is described, which permits the recovery and purification of the 89Sr from the urine.

Twenty-eight patients with inoperable or metastatic carcinoma of the lung who failed to respond to conventional chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy were entered in this study. All of them received repeated courses of multiple chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, 5-flourouracil, 6-thioguanine, methotrexate, and vincristine) with or without concurrent intravenous heparin anticoagulation. No tumor regression was noted in any of the 14 patients who received the multiple chemotherapy only. On the contrary, tumor progression was seen in all of them, and subsequently 12 died of their disease. The other 14 patients were anticoagulated with heparin, then received the same multiple chemotherapeutics while anticoagulated. Over 50% tumor regression was noted clinically and radiologically, and occasionally demonstrated histologically in 7 of them. Two patients in this group are alive and well for 1 1/2 years. No increase in toxicity or metastases was noted. The 2 patients who had progression of their disease while on the multiple chemotherapy program alone showed tumor regression when they received the same chemotherapy after heparinization.

In the preface to the book “Therapeutic Use of Artificial Radioisotopes”, P.F. Hahn wrote (1) in 1956: “Ideally, one looks for an agent that will seek out and destroy cancer”. 13 Years later in 1969, Edwards and Hayes (2) reported “Tumour scanning with 67Ga citrate”. In 1971 Hart and co-workers observed antitumour activity of gallium nitrate in rodents and suggested the potential usefulness of gallium for treatment of various solid tumours in man (3,4). During the last 15 years since the report of Edwards and Hayes (2), much effort has been devoted to improve the tumour imaging results with 67Ga and also to get satisfactory treatment of various tumours in rodents with gold gallium (5). Although 67Ga citrate is widely used for tumour (6) and abscess detection (7), a positive finding is often doubtful due to following difficulties still encountered during radionuclidic examinations with this radiopharmaceutical (8,9).