Investigation of the protective effect of chitosan against arsenic-induced nephrotoxicity and oxidative damage in rat kidney tissue

Arsenic is an important metalloid that can cause poisoning in humans and domestic animals. Exposure to arsenic causes cell damage, increasing the production of reactive oxygen species. Chitosan is a biopolymer obtained by deacetylation of chitin with antioxidant and metal ion chelating properties. In this study, the protective effect of chitosan on arsenic-induced nephrotoxicity and oxidative damage was investigated. 32 male Wistar-albino rats were divided into 4 groups of 8 rats each as control group (C), chitosan group (CS group), arsenic group (AS group), and arsenic+chitosan group (AS+CS group). The C group was given distilled water by oral gavage, the AS group was given 100 ppm/day Na-arsenite ad libitum with drinking water, the CS group was given 200 mg/kg/day chitosan dissolved in saline by oral gavage, the AS+CS group was given 100 ppm/day Na-arsenite ad libitum with drinking water and 200 mg/kg/day chitosan dissolved in saline by oral gavage for 30 days. At the end of the 30-day experimental period, 90 mg/kg ketamine was administered intraperitoneally to all rats, and blood samples and kidney tissues were collected. Urea, uric acid, creatinine, P, Mg, K, Ca, Na, Cystatin C (CYS-C), Neutrophil Gelatinase Associated Lipocalin (NGAL) and Kidney Injury Molecule 1 (KIM-1) levels were measured in serum samples. Malondialdehyde (MDA), Glutathione (GSH), Catalase (CAT) and Superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels in the supernatant obtained from kidney tissue were analyzed by ELISA method. Compared with AS group, uric acid and creatinine levels of the AS+CS group were significantly decreased (p<0.001), urea, KIM-1, CYS-C, NGAL, and MDA levels were numerically decreased and CAT, GSH, and SOD levels were numerically increased (p>0.05). In conclusion, based on both biochemical and histopathological-immunohistochemical- immunofluorescence findings, it can be concluded that chitosan attenuates kidney injury and protects the kidney.

Deep eutectic solvent-based ferrofluid for vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs from environmental waters

A novel ferrofluid of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and a deep eutectic solvent (DES) composed of menthol and pentanoic acid was introduced as a green microextraction medium. The ferrofluid was successfully used as an extractant for vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction (VALLME) of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in environmental waters prior to their determination by HPLC-DAD. Once the ferrofluid was dispersed in the sample by vortex agitation, phase separation could be easily achieved by placing a neodymium magnet next to the tube, which eliminated the centrifugation step and simplified the operational procedure. As a result, the sample pretreatment took only ≈2 min. The experimental parameters, including pH, nanoparticle amount, ferrofluid volume, vortex time, salt amount, and disruptive solvent type and its volume, were optimized stepwise. The method showed linear behavior for all NSAIDs from 5 to 100 μg/L, with limit of detection values and enrichment factors in the ranges of 1.68-2.05 μg/L and 38.9-50.6, respectively. Intra- and Inter-day accuracies obtained from the analysis of spiked river, lake, and tap water samples at low and high-quality control levels (20 and 80 μg/L) ranged from 90.3% to 108.0%, with relative standard deviations less than <12.3%. The results of this study demonstrate that the use of DES-based ferrofluid in VALLME can be considered a simple, environmentally friendly, and reliable alternative for the determination of NSAIDs in environmental waters.

Analytical studies on some pesticides with antifungal effects: Simultaneous determination by HPLC, investigation of interactions with DNA and DNA damages

A simple, and fast method was developed for the simultaneous determination of five fungicides, namely thiram (THR), epoxiconazole (EPO), hexaconazole (HEX), tebuconazole (TEB), and diethofencarb (DIE), in different matrices by HPLC-UV. Parameters influencing the peak shape and resolution, such as the composition of mobile phase, pH and concentration of buffer solution, and column temperature, were examined and optimized. The proposed method was validated in terms of linearity, sensitivity, precision, and accuracy. Forced degradation studies were carried out for all analytes to demonstrate the specificity of the method and to evaluate the stability of analytes under different conditions. DNA interaction and DNA damage studies were conducted by HPLC and comet assay, respectively. All fungicides were found to bind DNA, except for DIE. While the binding coefficients for EPO, HEX, and TEB were of the order of 104, THR was found to interact more strongly with DNA with a binding coefficient of higher than 106. DIE did not induce DNA damage at any concentration tested. On the other hand, TEB, HEX, and EPO induced DNA damage up to 30 µg/mL. THR showed cytotoxic effects at 20 and 30 µg/mL and caused significant DNA damage at lower concentrations.

Relationship between heart rate variability and radial artery spasm in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary angiography via radial access

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship and predictive power between heart rate variability (HRV) and radial artery spasm, in cases where the radial artery is preferred as the access route for coronary angiography (CAG).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 394 patients, who were scheduled to have CAG were included in this study. Patients who developed radial artery spasms during CAG, performed using the radial artery as the access route, were analyzed for HRV parameters.

RESULTS

Ages of the patients ranged between 31 and 74 years. Significant time domain measurements such as the standard deviation of normal-normal (NN) intervals, the standard deviation of the averages of NN, the average of the standard deviations of all NN intervals, and root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats were statistically significantly lower in the patient group that developed radial artery spasm. Frequency field measurements with prognostic values such as HF (high frequency) and very low frequency were also statistically significantly lower in the patient group that developed radial artery spasms. On the other hand, there was no statistical difference between the groups in LF (low frequency) and LF/HF ratio measurements. A statistically significantly higher radial artery spasm rate was observed in the coexistence of anxiety and low HRV.

CONCLUSIONS

A significant decrease was found in major HRV values, which are closely related to the autonomic nervous system and its dysfunction, in patients with radial artery spasms.

Physiological aspect of apoptosis-regulating microRNAs expressions during fasting

OBJECTIVE

Fasting is an activity that requires a certain calorie restriction without consuming food or drinks for a certain period of daytime. However, fasting triggers many complex events, including activating cellular stress response pathways, autophagy promotion, apoptosis pathways, and a change in hormonal balance. Among the many events affecting the regulation of apoptosis, the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) plays an important role. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the levels and importance of miRNA expression in fasting.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The expressions of 19 miRNAs regulating different pathways from saliva samples, isolated by matching healthy university students (n = 34) as group 1 (fasting for 17 consecutive hours) and group 2 (testing 70 minutes after meal consumption), were examined using the real-time PCR method.

RESULTS

In fasting, modulation of apoptotic pathways by miRNAs triggers anti-pathogenic effects, and the adaptation of abnormal cells in the body decreases. For this reason, vital diseases, such as cancer, can be treated by preventing the proliferation and growth of cancerous cells by increasing programmed cell death due to the downregulation expression mechanism of miRNAs.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study aims to improve the knowledge about the mechanisms and functions of miRNAs in various apoptosis pathways during fasting and may be a model for further future physiological and pathological studies.

Clinicopathological and biochemical evaluation of Feline Infectious Peritonitis in Turkish Van cats

This study was performed to investigate serum homocysteine and nitric oxide levels in cats with Feline Infectious Peritonitis and present some biochemical and pathological alterations related to the disease. The animal material of this study consisted of thirty Turkish Van Cats of different ages and genders that were definitely diagnosed with the disease by post-mortem examinations and immunohistochemistry. The control group consisted of 6 healthy Turkish Van Cats of different ages and genders that were brought for routine clinical examination. Cats in the study group had clinical findings such as loss of appetite, weight loss, high fever, fever not reduced despite antibiotics, jaundice, dehydration, vomiting, respiratory system symptoms, anemia, nervous findings, uveitis, and ascites. These cats were monitored and following the death, post-mortem examinations were performed and cases with a definitive diagnosis were included in the study. Among the cats consisting study group, while 25 had the dry form of the disease, 5 had wet form. According to the hematological results, there was a statistically significant reduction in platelet counts. The biochemical results showed statistically significant alterations that creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, creatine kinase myocardial band, homocysteine, and nitric oxide concentrations were higher than the control group. Besides albumin concentrations were lower and the albumin/globulin ratio was 0.53. As a result; this is the first detailed study in Turkish Van Cats with Feline Infectious Peritonitis that evaluated clinical, hematological, biochemical, and pathological findings. Furthermore, serum homocysteine and nitric oxide levels were evaluated for the first time in cats with vasculitis which is the most important complication of the disease. It is concluded that the evaluation of serum homocysteine and nitric oxide concentrations in Feline Infectious Peritonitis may assist the antemortem diagnosis of the disease.

Lab-In-Syringe automation of deep eutectic solvent-based direct immersion single drop microextraction coupled online to high-performance liquid chromatography for the determination of fluoroquinolones

Lab-In-Syringe direct immersion single drop microextraction is proposed as an automated sample pretreatment methodology and coupled online to HPLC with fluorescence detection for the determination of fluoroquinolones in environmental waters. For the first time, a drop of a natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES), synthesized from hexanoic acid and thymol, has been used as an extractant in automated single-drop microextraction. The extraction procedure was carried out within the 5 mL void of an automatic syringe pump. A 9-position head valve served the aspiration of all required solutions, air, waste disposal, and hyphenation with the HPLC instrument. Sample mixing during extraction was done by a magnetic stirring bar placed inside the syringe. Only 60 μL of NADES were required omitting toxic classical solvents and improving the greenness of the proposed methodology. By direct injection, linear working ranges between 0.1 and 5 μg L^-1 were achieved for all fluoroquinolones. The limit of quantification values and enrichment factors ranged from 20 ng L^-1 to 30 ng L^-1 and 35 to 45, respectively. Accuracies obtained from the analysis of spiked surface water and wastewater treatment plant effluent analysis at two concentration levels (0.5 and 4 μg L^-1) ranged from 84.6% to 119.7%, with RSD values typically <3%.

Analytical Methods for Determination of Antiviral Drugs in Different Matrices: Recent Advances and Trends

Viruses are the main pathogenic substances that cause severe diseases in humans and other living things. They are among the most common microorganisms, and consequently, antiviral drugs have emerged to prevent and treat viral infections. Antiviral drugs are an essential drug group considering their prescription and consumption rates for different diseases and indications. Therefore, it is crucial to develop accurate and precise analytical methods to detect antiviral drugs in various matrices. Chromatographic techniques are used frequently for the quantification purpose since they allow simultaneous determination of antivirals. Electrochemical methods have also gained importance since the analysis can be performed quickly without the need for pretreatment. Spectrophotometric and spectrofluorimetric methods are used because they are simple, inexpensive, and less time-consuming methods. The purpose of this review is to present an overview of the analysis of currently used antiviral drugs from 2010 to 2021. Since studies on antiviral drugs are numerous, selected publications were reviewed in this article. The analysis of antiviral drugs was divided into three main groups: chromatographic, spectrometric, and electrochemical methods which were applied to different matrices, including pharmaceutical, biological, and environmental samples.

Can the use of surface sealant on restorative materials prevent discoloration related to iron syrup supplements?

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of surface sealants on the stain resistance of restorative materials exposed to iron syrups.

METHODS

Sixty specimens were prepared from each of three restorative materials-compomer (Dyract XP), a microhybrid composite (Filtek Z250), and a nanohybrid composite (G-aenial Anterior). Specimens were divided into three solution groups (n = 20) and immersed in two iron syrups (Ferrum and Ferro Sanol B) and distilled water. Two subgroups, sealed (BisCover ( +)) and unsealed (BisCover (-)), were established for each group (n = 10). Color changes between baseline and measurements at 4, 8, 24, 48, and 72 h were calculated with CIEDE2000 (ΔE₀₀) metrics. Data were analyzed with 4-factor mixed-design ANOVA.

RESULTS

The first null hypothesis of this study that the use of surface sealant would not mitigate the restorative materials' susceptibility to staining was rejected: significant differences were found between BisCover ( +) and BisCover (-) groups in ΔE00 values for all restorative materials tested in Ferro Sanol B (p < 0.001) and Ferrum (p = 0.002) solutions. The ΔE₀₀ values in the Ferro Sanol B/BisCover ( +) groups were significantly lower than in Ferrum/BisCover ( +) groups (p = 0.002), the second null hypothesis that different forms of iron syrups would not impact the staining resistance of restorative materials was rejected. ΔE₀₀ values were different for each restorative materials tested, the third null hypothesis that the type of restorative material would not affect staining resistance was rejected.

CONCLUSIONS

The application of surface sealant significantly improved the color stability of restorative materials. The content of iron syrups was also an important factor affecting color change. Nanohybrid composites seem to be more resistant to the staining effects of iron syrups.

Vortex assisted liquid-liquid microextraction based on in situ formation of a natural deep eutectic solvent by microwave irradiation for the determination of beta-blockers in water samples

In this study, a simple, green, and reliable method combining vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction based on in situ formation of a novel hydrophobic natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES-VA-LLME) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed for the determination of metoprolol and propranolol in water samples. The novel NADES was synthesized in situ within only 20 s by subjecting the water sample containing azelaic acid and thymol to microwave irradiation at 50 ˚C. Initial studies indicated that a 17:1 ratio of thymol to azelaic acid yielded the highest response for analytes. The influence of 7 parameters, including NADES volume, salt amount, sample pH, vortex time, centrifugation time, microwave time, and temperature, were screened using a 2^7-3 fractional factorial design. The obtained significant parameters were optimized by response surface methodology employing a Box-Behnken design. The method displayed satisfactory linearity (r=0.9996) for metoprolol and propranolol with limits of detection of 0.2 and 0.1 µg/L, respectively. The relative standard deviation at 2.5, 40, and 80 µg/L levels was lower than 6%, with accuracy in the range of 90.8-100.2%. Enrichment factors were 147.0 and 144.4 for metoprolol and propranolol, respectively. This study demonstrates that the developed in situ NADES-VA-LLME-HPLC technique can be considered as a fast and environmentally friendly alternative for isolation/preconcentration of β-blockers from water samples.

Interaction of citalopram and escitalopram with calf Thymus DNA: A spectrofluorometric, voltammetric, and liquid chromatographic approach

Citalopram (CIT) and its S-enantiomer, escitalopram (ESC), are antidepressants belonging to the class called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and have many different pharmacological and biological properties. Understanding the interaction mechanism of small drug molecules with DNA both helps in the development of new DNA-targeted drugs and provides more in-depth knowledge for controlling gene expression. In this study, the interaction of CIT and ESC with double-stranded calf thymus DNA (ct-dsDNA) was investigated for the first time. Spectrofluorometric, liquid chromatographic, and voltammetric response profiles of drugs and ct-dsDNA at different concentrations showed DNA-drug complex formation. Calculated binding constants were greater with all three techniques for ESC compared to CIT and were of the order of 10³-10⁴, which is in accordance with those of well-known groove binders. The results also showed the significant effect of chirality on complex formation. The thermodynamic parameters, including free energy change (ΔG < 0) and enthalpy change (ΔH < 0) obtained at different temperatures, indicated that complex formation was mainly driven by hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces for both drugs. The results of this study may enhance the understanding of the interaction between CIT or ESC and ct-dsDNA and can be considered as the pioneer for future studies to uncover possible hidden phenotypes of these compounds.

Determination of aluminum concentrations of parenteral nutrition solutions by HPLC

Aluminum (Al) contamination of parenteral nutrition (PN) solutions has been known for over 30 years. In particular, vascular intake of Al leads to its accumulation in tissues. In this study, 8 all-in-one PN solutions the aluminum concentration was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The mean Al concentration of the glucose solutions of the PN solutions combinations was 16.36 ± 8.31 µg/L, the mean Al concentration of the amino acid solutions was 4.96 ± 3.73 µg/L, and the mean Al concentration of the lipid solutions was 9.09 ± 11.23 µg/L. The Al concentration of the PN₅ glucose and PN₂ lipid solutions were above 25 µg/L, which is the limit set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). No studies in the literature have examined the Al concentrations of all-in-one PN solutions via HPLC. In two of the analyzed solutions, the Al concentration was found to be higher than the limit set by the FDA.

Simple and Fast Determination of Terbinafine in Human Urine by Dilute and Shoot HPLC-DAD Using a Core-Shell Column

BACKGROUND

Terbinafine is an allylamine antifungal that is effective against many fungi, dermatophytes and moulds. Analytical methods are required for the determination of terbinafine in biological fluids to perform therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacokinetic studies.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a novel and fast method combining dilute and shoot approach and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection for the determination of terbinafine in human urine.

METHODS

Chromatographic parameters including mobile phase composition, pH, flow rate and injection volume were assessed and optimized. The separation of terbinafine and naproxen (internal standard) was achieved within 3 min using a C18 core-shell column (Raptor ARC-18, 100 x 4.6 mm, 2.7 μm) under isocratic conditions. Samples were eluted from the column at the flow rate of 1.4 mL/min using a mobile phase containing 0.2% triethylamine in water (pH 3.4 with formic acid): acetonitrile (45:55, v/v).

RESULTS

The presented technique was linear in the range of 25-2000 ng/mL. Intra- and inter-day reproducibility at four quality control levels (25, 200, 750 and 1500 ng/mL) were less than 7%, with relative errors ranging from -5.40% to 5.91%. The limit of detection was 12.60 ng/mL. The developed method has three main advantages compared to existing methods: simplicity and greenness of sample preparation, use of core-shell column and short analysis time.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study indicate that the combination of dilute and shoot approach and core-shell column can be regarded as an advantageous application for the fast determination of terbinafine in the urine.

Determination of levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin and gemifloxacin in urine and plasma by HPLC-FLD-DAD using pentafluorophenyl core-shell column: Application to drug monitoring

Concentrations of fluoroquinolones, which are used in the treatment of many bacterial infections, should be monitored in biological fluids as they exhibit concentration-dependent bactericidal activity. In this study, a liquid chromatography method for the determination of levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin and gemifloxacin in human urine and plasma was developed for the first time. The efficiency of five different columns for the separation of these fluoroquinolones was compared. Experimental parameters that affect the separation, such as percentage of organic solvent, pH, temperature, gradient shape and detector wavelength, were optimized by a step-by-step approach. Using a pentafluorophenyl core-shell column (100 × 4.6 mm, 2.7 μm), the separation of four analytes was accomplished in <7.5 min. The developed method was validated for the determination of analytes in both urine and plasma with respect to sensitivity, specificity, linearity (r ≥ 0.9989), recovery (79.46-102.69%), accuracy, precision and stability (85.79-111.07%). The intra- and inter-day accuracies were within 89.55-111.94% with relative standard deviations of 0.35-8.05%. The feasibility of method was demonstrated by analyzing urine and plasma samples of patients orally receiving levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin or moxifloxacin. The developed method is suitable for therapeutic drug monitoring of these fluoroquinolones and can be applied to pharmacokinetic and toxicological studies.

Effects of umbelliferone isolated from the Ferulago pauciradiata Boiss. & Heldr. Plant on cecal ligation and puncture-induced sepsis model in rats

Sepsis is a pathophysiological event involving systemic inflammatory response syndrome, multiple organ failure syndromes, and tissue damage. Overproduction of free radicals as a result of tissue damage during sepsis contributes to cellular toxicity, organ failure, and even mortality. Antioxidants, which scavenge free radicals, play a protective role against various diseases. Previous studies have shown that umbelliferone (UF) has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Since oxidative stress is naturally associated with sepsis-induced organ dysfunction, the application of antioxidant compounds could potentially illuminate the pathophysiology of sepsis, which does not yet have an effective treatment. The sepsis model induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) was applied to rats. Different doses of UF (10░mg/kg, 20░mg/kg, and 40░mg/kg) on oxidant-antioxidant in septic rats, mRNA of inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-1 its effects on expression levels were evaluated in lung, kidney, and liver tissues. When the lung, kidney, and liver tissues of septic rats were compared with those of the control group, it was found that UF administration increased dose-dependent superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione levels and significantly decreased malondialdehyde levels. The effects of UF administration on oxidative parameters were dose-dependent. The 40░mg/kg UF dose showed greater anti-oxidative properties than the 20░mg/kg and 10░mg/kg doses for all the evaluated parameters. Further, the TNF- α mRNA expression of the CLP +40░mg/kg group was reduced to a level comparable to that of the control group. UF has been found to be an effective molecule in reducing oxidative stress by supporting endogenous antioxidants and enhancing the scavenging effects of free radicals. The potent antioxidant property of UF may also be related to the suppression of the cytokine cascade during sepsis. The results suggest that UF administration may represent a new treatment for the prevention of lung, kidney and liver damage caused by septic conditions.

Effect of cytokinins on in vitro multiplication, volatiles composition and rosmarinic acid content of Thymus leucotrichus Hal. shoots

An efficient in vitro multiplication protocol was designed to Thymus leucotrichus, a subshrub and perennial herb growing naturally in the Northwest of Turkey. Of all basal media studied, Murashige and Skoog medium was found to be superior to the others, providing higher shoot formation and the maximum shoot length. Varying concentrations of cytokinins, i.e., 6-benzyladenine, thidiazuron, 2-isopentenyladenine and kinetin were supplemented in the nutrient media to observe their effects on shoot development and biomass. Rosmarinic acid content and volatile compositions of both naturally growing plants and in vitro multiplied plantlets were also evaluated. 6-benzyladenine (1.0 mg/L) and kinetin (0.5 mg/L) were found to be optimum for shoot number and shoot elongation, respectively. Thidiazuron (1.0 mg/L) was superior for biomass production. Rosmarinic acid content of in vitro multiplied plants was found to be higher than that of wild plants, reaching a maximum with 0.5 mg/L 2-isopentenyladenine, which yielded 10.15 mg/g dry weight. The highest thymol content was obtained with 1.0 mg/L kinetin (55.82%), while thidiazuron (0.1 mg/L) increased carvacrol production (12.53%). Overall, Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/L kinetin was determined to be the most favorable medium studied.

Antioxidant capacity, anti-acetylcholinesterase activity and inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation in mice brain homogenate of Achillea millefolium

Objective:

(

Methods:

Methanol extracts (ME) and ethanol extracts (EE) of

Results:

ME had higher antioxidant activities compared to EE. Both extracts displayed a competitive inhibition of acetylcholinesterase; however, the inhibitory activity of ME was higher than EE. The inhibitory constant (K

Conclusions:

Our results showed that

Comparison of injection pain caused by the DentalVibe Injection System versus a traditional syringe for inferior alveolar nerve block anaesthesia in paediatric patients

AIM

To compare paediatric patients' pain during needle insertion and injection in inferior alveoler nerve block (IANB) anaesthesia injected by either a traditional syringe (TS) or the DentalVibe Injection Comfort System (DV).

STUDY DESIGN

the study was a randomised controlled crossover clinical trial, comprised of 60 children aged 6-12 requiring an operative procedure with IANB anaesthesia on their mandibular molars bilaterally. One of the molar teeth was treated with TS and the contralateral tooth was treated with DV. On each visit, subjective and objective pain was evaluated using the Wond-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale (PRS) and the Face, Legg, Cry, Consolability Scale (FLACC Scale). Patients were asked which anaesthesia technique they preferred. Data were analysed using Wilcoxon signed rank, Spearman correlation, and Mann-Whitney U tests.

RESULTS

There were no statistically significant differences for pain evalution during needle insertion and injection of each injection system. However, a negative correlation was found on the FLACC between age and pain scores during injection after using DV.

CONCLUSION

Paediatric patients experienced similar pain during IANB anaesthesia administered with TS and DV. With increased age, pain values reduced during anaesthetic agent injection with DV according to FLACC. The traditional procedure was preferred to DV in paediatric patients.

Diffusion length calculations for one-speed neutrons in a slab with backward, forward and linear anisotropic scattering

The diffusion lengths for one-speed neutrons spreading in a uniform homogeneous slab with backward, forward and linear anisotropic scattering are calculated by using first order approximation of the Chebyshev polynomials of first kind, i. e. T1 method. The method is applied to neutron transport equation by expanding first the neutron angular flux in terms of the Chebyshev polynomials of first kind, and then diffusion lengths for one-speed neutrons are determined for various values of the collision and anisotropy parameters. Numerical results obtained from the present method are tabulated in tables together with the ones already presented in literature.

Stafne bone defect in the anterior mandible

Lingual mandibular bone defect, also known as Stafne bone cavity, is mostly seen in the posterior portion of the mandible. Cavities in the anterior region are very unusual, with around 50 cases reported in the English literature. They are often asymptomatic and found during routine radiographic examinations. This article describes a case of anterior Stafne bone cavity in a 56-year-old male patient.