Exploring the molecular reorientations in amorphous rosuvastatin calcium

Molecular reorientations in rosuvastatin calcium, a drug that is widely used to prevent cardiovascular disease, were explored thoroughly by means of solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H and ¹³C NMR) combined with calculations of steric hindrances. The experimental results reveal rich internal reorientational dynamics. All relaxation processes were tested in a broad range of temperatures and described in terms of their type and the associated energy barriers. The internal molecular mobility of rosuvastatin calcium can be associated with the reorientational dynamics of four methyl groups, accompanied by reorientation of the isopropyl group. The energy barriers of methyl and isopropyl group reorientation depended on the type of E/Z isomers, while the water content also had a strong influence on the dynamics of the isopropyl group. In the paper, a consistent picture of the molecular dynamics is provided, facilitating our understanding of molecular mobility in this important pharmaceutical solid.

Molecular reorientations in rosuvastatin calcium, a drug that is widely used to prevent cardiovascular disease, were explored thoroughly by means of solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H, ¹³C NMR) combined with calculations of steric hindrances.

OPTICALLY STIMULATED LUMINESCENCE OF LiF:Mg,Cu,P POWDER-INFLUENCE OF THERMAL TREATMENT

It was recently found that LiF:Mg,Cu,P, which is a very well-known thermoluminescent (TL) material, exhibits also quite substantial optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). In the present work a study on the influence of thermal treatment on the LiF:Mg,Cu,P OSL intensity has been performed. The results revealed that the well-known 'gold standard' of 240°C annealing is not appropriate for OSL measurements. The annealing at lower temperatures produced significantly higher OSL intensity. The highest enhancement of the OSL signal, reaching 95% (compared to the initial signal after standard annealing at 240°C/10 min) was obtained after annealing at about 190-200°C/30 min. The OSL emission spectrum of LiF:Mg,Cu,P was also measured and found to be peaked at 360 nm.

LITHIUM FLUORIDE CRYSTALS AS FLUORESCENT NUCLEAR TRACK DETECTORS

Radiophotoluminescence signal of LiF crystals was found to be sufficiently strong to visualize tracks of a single charged particle. This was achieved with a wide-field fluorescent microscope equipped with a ×100 objective and LiF single crystals grown with the Czochralski method at IFJ PAN. The tracks of alpha particles, protons, as well as products of 6Li(n,α)3H reaction with thermal neutrons (moderated Pu/Be source), were observed. These encouraging results are the first steps towards practical use of LiF as fluorescent nuclear track detectors. The most promising dosimetric application seems to be neutron measurements.

IMAGING OF PROTON BRAGG PEAKS IN LiF

Lithium fluoride (LiF) is one of the most common thermoluminescent phosphors routinely used in radiation protection services. Another advantageous property of LiF is radiophotoluminescence, whose occurs after its irradiation due to the creation of color centers. Excitation of LiF samples with a blue light causes the emission of photoluminescence, which spectrum consists of two peaks at ~520 and ~670 nm. The work was focused on imaging of Bragg peaks of proton beams routinely applied at the proton eye radiotherapy facility operating at the Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN) in Krakow by the measurement of the fluorescence light in LiF crystals excited with a 445 nm blue light after their previous irradiation with the proton beams of energies of 28, 30, 40 and 50 MeV. The range of proton beams in LiF crystals for different energies was calculated by Monte Carlo simulations.

Evaluation of the relative TL efficiency of the thermoluminescent detectors to heavy charged particles

The relative thermoluminescence efficiency, η, is in general not constant but depends on ionisation density. Evaluation of the η is therefore important especially for correct interpretation of measurements of densely ionising radiation doses in proton radiotherapy or in space dosimetry. The correct determination of the η is not always straightforward especially when more strongly ionising radiation is to be measured. In the present work, the process of calculation of the η based on two kinds of heavy charged particles was studied. Several factors which may influence the value of the η and their significance for the final result were discussed. These include for example non-uniform deposition of the dose within the detector volume, self-attenuation of thermoluminescent light, choice of the reference radiation, etc. The presented approach was applied to the experimental results of η of LiF:Mg,Ti detectors irradiated with two kinds of heavy charged particles, protons and alpha particles.

Relative TL and OSL efficiency to protons of various dosimetric materials

Thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) are the well-known phenomena used for passive methods of dose measurements. TL and OSL detectors are frequently used in the dosimetry of cosmic radiation in space and of particle radiotherapy beams. However, the relative TL/OSL efficiency, which is defined as a ratio of the emitted light intensity per unit dose for a given radiation type, to the same quantity for the reference gamma radiation is not constant and depends on radiation type and energy. In the present work several types of TL and OSL dosimetric materials, including lithium fluoride (LiF), aluminium oxide, beryllium oxide and lithium aluminate, were tested with protons. The measurements were realised exploiting the 60-MeV proton beam of the AIC-144 cyclotron in the Proton Eye Radiotherapy Facility at Institute of Nuclear Physics (IFJ PAN). The influence of proton energy on the relative efficiency and other TL/OSL characteristics of the studied detector types was presented.

Alpha particle and proton relative thermoluminescence efficiencies in LiF:Mg,Cu,P:is track structure theory up to the task?

Low-energy alpha particle and proton heavy charged particle (HCP) relative thermoluminescence (TL) efficiencies are calculated for the major dosimetric glow peak in LiF:Mg,Cu,P (MCP-N) in the framework of track structure theory (TST). The calculations employ previously published TRIPOS-E Monte Carlo track segment values of the radial dose in condensed phase LiF calculated at the Instituto National de Investigaciones Nucleares (Mexico) and experimentally measured normalised (60)Co gamma-induced TL dose-response functions, f(D), carried out at the Institute of Nuclear Physics (Poland). The motivation for the calculations is to test the validity of TST in a TL system in which f(D) is not supralinear (f(D) >1) and is not significantly dependent on photon energy contrary to the behaviour of the dose-response of composite peak 5 in the glow curve of LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-100). The calculated HCP relative efficiencies in LiF:MCP-N are 23-87% lower than the experimentally measured values, indicating a weakness in the major premise of TST which exclusively relates HCP effects to the radiation action of the secondary electrons liberated by the HCP slowing down. However, an analysis of the uncertainties involved in the TST calculations and experiments (i.e. experimental measurement of f(D) at high levels of dose, sample light self-absorption and accuracy in the estimation of D(r), especially towards the end of the HCP track) indicate that these may be too large to enable a definite conclusion. More accurate estimation of sample light self-absorption, improved measurements of f(D) and full-track Monte Carlo calculations of D(r) incorporating improvements of the low-energy electron transport are indicated in order to reduce uncertainties and enable a final conclusion.

Eye lens dosimetry: task 2 within the ORAMED project

The ORAMED (Optimization of RAdiation protection for MEDical staff) project is funded by EU-EURATOM within the 7° Framework Programme. Task 2 of the project is devoted to study the dose to the eye lens. The study was subdivided into various topics, starting from a critical revision of the operational quantity H(p)(3), with the corresponding proposal of a cylindrical phantom simulating as best as possible the head in which the eyes are located, the production of a complete set of air kerma to dose equivalent conversion coefficients for photons from 10 keV to 10 MeV, and finally, the optimisation of the design of a personal dosemeter well suited to respond in terms of H(p)(3). The paper presents some preliminary results.