Comparison of different strategies in parathyroid scintigraphy imaging in the setting of multi-gland hyperparathyroidism [abstract]

Medical records of 140 patients, diagnosed with multigland primary, secondary or tertiary hyperparathyroidism were reviewed. Of those, 56 patients had complete preoperative parathyroid scintigraphy with subsequent surgical resection of abnormal glands. Parathyroid scintigraphy at our institution utilizes 99mTc sestamibi (MIBI) and 123I, and consists of early and delayed pinhole MIBI images of the neck, MIBI-123I subtraction imaging, and MIBI single photon computed tomography (SPECT). Four experienced nuclear medicine physician, without knowledge of clinical or laboratory results or final diagnosis, reviewed seven different imaging variations in separate sessions. The imaging variations were early MIBI only (EARLY), delayed MIBI only (DELAYED), comparison of early and delayed MIBI (E-D), subtraction (SUB), all planar (PLANAR), SPECT only (SPECT), and all images (ALL). The location of the abnormal parathyroid glands was recorded and compared with the embryologic designation of the abnormal glands assigned at the time of surgery

Comparison of different strategies in parathyroid scintigraphy imaging [abstract]

To retrospectively compare the various scintigraphic methods to discover the most accurate protocol for preoperative localization of single-gland disease, medical records of 710 patients, diagnosed with primary were reviewed. 293 patients had complete preoperative parathyroid scintigraphy with subsequent surgical resection of a single abnormal gland. Parathyroid scintigraphy at our institution utilizes 99mTc sestamibi (MIBI) and 123I, and consists of early and delayed pinhole MIBI images of the neck, including MIBI-123I subtraction imaging, as well as MIBI single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of the neck and chest. Four experienced nuclear medicine physicians, without knowledge of clinical or laboratory results or final diagnosis, reviewed seven different imaging variations in separate sessions. The imaging variations were early MIBI only (EARLY), delayed MIBI only (DELAYED), comparison of early and delayed MIBI (E-D), subtraction (SUB), all planar (PLANAR), SPECT only (SPECT), and all images (ALL)

Environmental Risk Assessment of Selected Antibiotics in Iran

In recent years the increasing use of pharmaceuticals and personal-care products (PPCPs), especially antibiotics, has become a particular concern because of their undesirable potential ecological and human health effects. This study presents an environmental risk assessment for the aquatic environment of some frequently used antibiotics in Iran in three stages including; a short literature review about antibiotic consumption in Iran, a comprehensive estimation regarding acute toxicity of selected antibiotics and finally calculation of Risk Quotient (RQ) using the predicted environmental concentration (PEC) and the predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC). According to recently published data, the consumption of antibiotics in Iran is several times greater than European countries and in case of antibiotics (e.g. Penicillin) is approximately 10 times greater than Scandinavian region. The calculated PECs were ranged from 0.0071 to 0.8570 and the PNECs value based on ecotoxicity data was found for all studied antibiotics (varied from 0.0037 to 177). The RQ exceeded one for Amoxicillin, Penicillin G, Sulfamethoxazole, and Erythromycin. Amoxicillin has the highest risk to aquatic organisms based on this study. With respect to the emergence of microbial resistance, it is important to begin monitoring the most frequently used antibiotic

Nonresonant Contributions in B->rho pi Decay

We consider nonresonant contributions in the Dalitz plot analysis of B->rho pi->pi^+ pi^- pi^0 decay and their potential impact on the extraction of the CKM parameter alpha. In particular, we examine the role of the heavy mesons B^* and B_0, via the process B->pi (B^*, B_0)->pi^+ pi^- pi^0, and their interference with resonant contributions in the rho-mass region. We discuss the inherent uncertainties and suggest that the effects may be substantially smaller than previously indicated.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures; minor changes, version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Lattice Study of the Massive Schwinger Model with a θ\theta term under L\"uscher's "Admissibility" condition

We present a numerical study of the massive two-flavor QED in two dimensions with the gauge action proposed by L\"uscher, which allows only ``admissible'' gauge fields. We find that the admissibility condition does not allow any topology changes by the local updation in Hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm so that the configurations in each topological sector can be generated separately. By developing a new method to sum over different topological sectors, we investigate $\theta$ vacuum effects. Combining with domain-wall fermion action, we obtain the fermion mass dependence and $\theta$ dependence of the meson masses, which are consistent with the analytic results by mass perturbation in the continuum theory.Comment: 3 pages, Lattice2003(chiral

Observing Direct CP Violation in Untagged B-Meson Decays

Direct CP violation can exist in untagged B-meson decays to self-conjugate, three-particle final states; it would be realized as a population asymmetry in the untagged decay rate across the mirror line of the Dalitz plot of the three-body decay. We explore the numerical size of this direct CP-violating effect in a variety of B-meson decays to three pseudoscalar mesons; we show that the resulting asymmetry is comparable to the partial rate asymmetry in the analogous tagged decays, making the search for direct CP violation in the untagged decay rate, for which greater statistics accrue, advantageous.Comment: 31 pages, REVTeX4, 1 eps figure, references added, typos corrected, version to appear in PR

Exploring CP Violation through Correlations in B --> pi K, B_d --> pi^+pi^-, B_s --> K^+K^- Observable Space

We investigate allowed regions in observable space of B --> pi K, B_d --> pi^+pi^- and B_s --> K^+K^- decays, characterizing these modes in the Standard Model. After a discussion of a new kind of contour plots for the $B\to\pi K$ system, we focus on the mixing- induced and direct CP asymmetries of the decays B_d --> pi^+pi^- and B_s--> K^+K^-. Using experimental information on the CP-averaged B_d --> pi^{+/-}K^{+/-} and B_d --> pi^+pi^- branching ratios, the relevant hadronic penguin parameters can be constrained,implying certain allowed regions in observable space. In the case of B_d --> pi^+pi^-, an interesting situation arises now in view of the recent B-factory measurements of CP violation in this channel, allowing us to obtain new constraints on the CKM angle gamma as a function of the B^0_d--\bar{B^0_d} mixing phase phi_d=2beta, which is fixed through A_{CP}^{mix}(B_d --> J/psi K_S) up to a twofold ambiguity. If we assume that A_{CP}^{mix}(B_d --> pi^+pi^-) is positive, as indicated by recent Belle data, and that phi_d is in agreement with the ``indirect'' fits of the unitarity triangle, also the corresponding values for gamma around 60 degrees can be accommodated. On the other hand, for the second solution of phi_d, we obtain a gap around gamma ~ 60 degrees. The allowed region in the space of A_{CP}^{mix}(B_s --> K^+K^-) and A_{CP}^{dir}(B_s --> K^+K^-) is very constrained in the Standard Model, thereby providing a narrow target range for run II of the Tevatron and the experiments of the LHC era.Comment: 34 pages, LaTeX, 12 figures. More detailed introduction and a few Comments added, conclusions unchanged. To appear in Phys. Rev.

Rescattering and chiral dynamics in B\to \rho\pi decay

We examine the role of B^0(\bar B^0) \to \sigma \pi^0 \to \pi^+\pi^- \pi^0 decay in the Dalitz plot analysis of B^0 (\bar B^0) \to \rho\pi \to \pi^+\pi^-\pi^0 decays, employed to extract the CKM parameter \alpha. The \sigma \pi channel is significant because it can break the relationship between the penguin contributions in B\to\rho^0\pi^0, B\to\rho^+\pi^-, and B\to\rho^-\pi^+ decays consequent to an assumption of isospin symmetry. Its presence thus mimics the effect of isospin violation. The \sigma\pi^0 state is of definite CP, however; we demonstrate that the B\to\rho\pi analysis can be generalized to include this channel without difficulty. The \sigma or f_0(400-1200) ``meson'' is a broad I=J=0 enhancement driven by strong \pi\pi rescattering; a suitable scalar form factor is constrained by the chiral dynamics of low-energy hadron-hadron interactions - it is rather different from the relativistic Breit-Wigner form adopted in earlier B\to\sigma\pi and D\to\sigma\pi analyses. We show that the use of this scalar form factor leads to an improved theoretical understanding of the measured ratio Br(\bar B^0 \to \rho^\mp \pi^\pm) / Br(B^-\to \rho^0 \pi^-).Comment: 26 pages, 8 figs, published version. typos fixed, minor change

Study on optimum exploitation of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)

The increasing demands of the growing populations can be met by developing aquaculture. However in order to provide suitable grounds for consumption which is acceptable to different conditions and tastes, apart from producing a variety of products we also need to improve the methods of marketing and consumption. The silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) comprises about 50 to 85% of the composition of fish species in the polyculture of warm water species in Iran. However the difficulty in pretreatment of this species and the presence of pin bones are among the main reasons to restrict the demand of this species in the domestic markets, particularly in non-coastal provinces. In this project different aspects of silver carp processing studied as follow: 1. Use of fish fillet residuals in preparation of snack, cheese and ice cream 2. Use of fish meat in sausage and fish ball produce 3. Use of machinery to produce of without or low bones fillet and trimmed fillets. Fish sausages were studied in four experimental groups; Based on the results obtained it was evident that sausages in the experimental Group 1 (65% minced fish & 12 % soy bean oil) showed better taste and flavor as compared to those in the other groups. Fish ball were prepared using starch from four different sources (wheat, corn, potato and tapioca). Thirty different trials were tested by adding each starch source either individually or by mixing equal proportions of two sources of starch at a rate of 5, 10 and 15% to 80% ground meat of silver carp. Among trials containing two sources of starch, mixed trials with potato and wheat (5% potato + 5% wheat) were rated higher in organoleptic tests as compared to the other trials. Fifteen formulas were worked for preparing of fish cheese. The quality assessment of product showed that fish cheese in zero and 30 days after storage in 4֯ C were good and medium, respectively. Quantity enrichment of corn snack with FPC until 33% in fish snack preparation, have a best results among with other experiments. Fish ice cream made from fish protein concentrate type a that produced from silver carp in three steps by the extraction with isopropyl alcohol solvent and heat. The result showed that FPC replaced with 30%milk in ice cream formula has a best quality score. On the basis of recent findings, the deep part and a upper part on the back of the fish, like a relatively narrow band, are considered as boneless parts in silver carp. The aims of trimming project introduce best type of fillet trimming and machine for Silver Carp fillet. The results show percentage of waste in trimming by machinery line processing was less than handing, and fillet trimming speed by hand was most than machinery .Also final results of this study show machinery method or complex of handing and machinery for Silver carp fillet trimming are the best .speed rate in pine bone removing from silver carp fillet in handy method with using of transparent table and machinery method were 30-40 min per fish and 15 second per fish, respectively. Removing efficiency of bones from fillets in handy and machinery method were 50-60 and 90 %, respectively