Grating coupled photonic crystal demultiplexer with integrated detectors on InP-membrane

We report on the successful integration of grating fiber couplers, compact photonic crystal demultiplexers and efficient p-i-n photodetectors on a single bonded InP-membrane chip. Polarization independent operation is obtained by implementing polarization diversity

NEMA NU 2-2007 performance characteristics of GE Signa integrated PET/MR for different PET isotopes

BackgroundFully integrated PET/MR systems are being used frequently in clinical research and routine. National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) characterization of these systems is generally done with F-18 which is clinically the most relevant PET isotope. However, other PET isotopes, such as Ga-68 and Y-90, are gaining clinical importance as they are of specific interest for oncological applications and for follow-up of Y-90-based radionuclide therapy. These isotopes have a complex decay scheme with a variety of prompt gammas in coincidence. Ga-68 and Y-90 have higher positron energy and, because of the larger positron range, there may be interference with the magnetic field of the MR compared to F-18. Therefore, it is relevant to determine the performance of PET/MR for these clinically relevant and commercially available isotopes.MethodsNEMA NU 2-2007 performance measurements were performed for characterizing the spatial resolution, sensitivity, image quality, and the accuracy of attenuation and scatter corrections for F-18, Ga-68, and Y-90. Scatter fraction and noise equivalent count rate (NECR) tests were performed using F-18 and Ga-68. All phantom data were acquired on the GE Signa integrated PET/MR system, installed in UZ Leuven, Belgium.Results(18)F, Ga-68, and Y-90 NEMA performance tests resulted in substantially different system characteristics. In comparison with F-18, the spatial resolution is about 1mm larger in the axial direction for Ga-68 and no significative effect was found for Y-90. The impact of this lower resolution is also visible in the recovery coefficients of the smallest spheres of Ga-68 in image quality measurements, where clearly lower values are obtained. For Y-90, the low number of counts leads to a large variability in the image quality measurements. The primary factor for the sensitivity change is the scale factor related to the positron emission fraction. There is also an impact on the peak NECR, which is lower for Ga-68 than for F-18 and appears at higher activities.ConclusionsThe system performance of GE Signa integrated PET/MR was substantially different, in terms of NEMA spatial resolution, image quality, and NECR for Ga-68 and Y-90 compared to F-18. But these differences are compensated by the PET/MR scanner technologies and reconstructions methods

The Grizzly Bear and the Deer : the history of Federal Indian Policy and its impact on the Coast Reservation tribes of Oregon, 1856-1877

The Coast Reservation of Oregon was established under Executive Order of President Franklin Pierce in November, 1855, as a homeland for the southern Oregon tribes. It was an immense, isolated wilderness, parts of which had burned earlier in the century. There were some prairies where farming was possible, but because the reservation system itself and farming, particularly along the coast, were unknown entities, life for the Indians was a misery for years. Those responsible for the establishment of the reservation were subject to the vagaries of the weather, the wilderness, the Congress, and the Office of Indian Affairs. Agents were accountable, not only for the lives of Oregon Indians, but also for all of the minute details involved in answering to a governmental agency. Some of the agents were experienced with the tribes of western Oregon; others were not. All of them believed that the only way to keep the Indians from dying out was to teach them the European American version of agriculturalism. Eventually, if possible, Oregon Indians would be assimilated into the dominant culture. Most agents held out little hope for the adults of the tribes. This thesis lays out the background for the development of United States Indian policies. European Americans' ethnocentric ideas about what constituted civilization became inextricably woven into those policies. Those policies were brought in their infant stage to Oregon. Thus, the work on the reservations was experimental, costing lives and destroying community. How those policies were implemented on the Coast Reservation from 1856-1877 concludes this study

Synthesis, Biodistribution and In vitro Evaluation of Brain Permeable High Affinity Type 2 Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists [11C]MA2 and [18F]MA3

Abstract The type 2 cannabinoid receptor (CB2) is a member of the endocannabinoid system and is known for its important role in (neuro)inflammation. A PET-imaging agent that allows in vivo visualization of CB2 expression may thus allow quantification of neuroinflammation. In this paper, we report the synthesis, radiosynthesis, biodistribution and in vitro evaluation of a carbon-11 ([11C]MA2) and a fluorine-18 ([18F]MA3) labeled analogue of a highly potent N-arylamide oxadiazole CB2 agonist (EC50 = 0.015 nM). MA2 and MA3 behaved as potent CB2 agonist (EC50: 3 nM and 0.1 nM, respectively) and their in vitro binding affinity for hCB2 was found to be 87 nM and 0.8 nM, respectively. Also MA3 (substituted with a fluoro ethyl group) was found to have higher binding affinity and EC50 values when compared to the originally reported trifluoromethyl analogue 12. [11C]MA2 and [18F]MA3 were successfully synthesized with good radiochemical yield, high radiochemical purity and high specific activity. In mice, both tracers were efficiently cleared from blood and all major organs by the hepatobiliary pathway and importantly these compounds showed high brain uptake. In conclusion, [11C]MA2 and [18F]MA3 are shown to be high potent CB2 agonists with good brain uptake, these favorable characteristics makes them potential PET probes for in vivo imaging of brain CB2 receptors. However in view of its higher affinity and selectivity, further detailed evaluation of MA3 as a PET tracer for CB2 is warranted

Highlights lecture EANM 2014: “Gimme gimme gimme those nuclear Super Troupers”

The EANM Congress 2014 took place in Gothenburg, Sweden, from 18 to 22 October under the presidency of Prof. Wim Oyen, chair of the EANM Scientific Committee. Prof. Peter Gjertsson chaired the Local Organizing Committee, according to the standardized EANM congress structure. The meeting was a highlight for the multidisciplinary community that forms the heart and soul of nuclear medicine; attendance was exceptionally high. In total almost 5,300 participants came to Gothenburg, and 1,397 colleagues participated via the EANM LIVE sessions (http://eanmlive.eanm.org/index.php). Participants from all continents were presented with an excellent programme consisting of symposia, scientific and featured sessions, CME sessions, and plenary lectures. These lectures were devoted to nuclear medicine therapy, hybrid imaging and molecular life sciences. Two tracks were included in the main programme, clustering multi-committee involvement: the 5th International Symposium on Targeted Radionuclide-therapy and Dosimetry (ISTARD) and the first Molecules to Man (M2M) track, an initiative of the EANM Committees for Translational Molecular Imaging, Radiopharmacy and Drug Development. The industry made a substantial contribution to the success of the congress demonstrating the latest technology and innovations in the field. During the closing Highlights Lecture, a selection of the best-rated abstracts was presented including diverse areas of nuclear medicine: physics and instrumentation, radiopharmacy, preclinical imaging, oncology (with a focus on the clinical application of newly developed tracers) and radionuclide therapy, cardiology and neurosciences. This Highlights Lecture could only be a brief summary of the large amount of data presented and discussed during the meeting, which can be found in much greater detail in the congress proceedings book, published as Volume 41, Supplement 2 of the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging in October 2014

Competence Requirements in Early Childhood Education and Care (CoRe)

There is a broad consensus among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers that the quality of early childhood services – and ultimately the outcomes for children and families – depends on well- educated, experienced and ‘competent’ staff. But what exactly makes a competent early childhood practitioner? How can competence be understood, and its development supported, in the highly complex and demanding field of working professionally with young children, families and communities? What approaches do different countries take, and what lessons can be learnt from practices developed by practitioners, training institutions and policymakers across Europe? This report presents the findings of a European research project jointly conducted by the University of East London (UEL) and the University of Ghent (UGent). The ‘study on competence requirements in early childhood education and care’ (CoRe) explored conceptualisations of ‘competence’ and professionalism in early childhood practice, and identified systemic conditions for developing, supporting and maintaining competence in all layers of the early childhood system. The European Commission Directorate-General for Education and Culture commissioned the research conducted between January 2010 and May 2011. In the light of the research findings, and intensive consultation with key stakeholders in ECEC in Europe, CoRe has developed policy recommendations, which are also part of this report. The aim of CoRe is to provide policy-relevant information, advice and case studies with regard to the competences required for the ECEC workforce and how to support competence development from a systemic perspective. In order to achieve its aims, CoRe has conducted original research, reviewed previous work and international literature, and consulted with experts in the field over a period of 15 months. In this report, we present the findings of the different but interrelated strands of this process which underpin the policy recommendations regarding systemic competence development and professionalisation in early childhood education and care in Europe. By providing informed views on the questions at stake we hope to initiate discussion, to provoke new thinking, and to encourage new questions

Towards Competent Systems in Early Childhood Education and Care. Implications for Policy and Practice

The close connection between the quality of provision for young children and professionaliation of the field has long been supported by international research. That the two are inseparable aspects of one picture is beginning to become accepted at European policy level, as evident in recent high level EU policy documents. This article explores the reciprocal relationship between quality and professionalisation, drawing on the findings of the study on ‘competence requirements in early childhood education and care’ (CoRe), jointly conducted by the University of East London and the University of Gent, and funded by the European Commission. Based on a review of literature in several European languages and data from a 15-country survey and seven in-depth case studies, CoRe has identified systemic conditions for a professionalisation of the entire early childhood system, beyond the formal qualification levels of individual practitioners. The article argues for a critical and systemic reconceptualisation of professional practice in a competent system

Semiautomated isolation and molecular characterisation of single or highly purified tumour cells from CellSearch enriched blood samples using dielectrophoretic cell sorting

Background: Molecular characterisation of single circulating tumour cells (CTCs) holds considerable promise for predictive biomarker assessment and to explore CTC heterogeneity. We evaluate a new method, the DEPArray system, that allows the dielectrophoretic manipulation and isolation of single and 100% purified groups of CTCs from pre-enriched blood samples and explore the feasibility of their molecular characterisation.Methods:Samples containing known numbers of two cell populations were used to assess cell loss during sample loading. Cultured breast cancer cells were isolated from spiked blood samples using CellSearch CTC and Profile kits. Single tumour cells and groups of up to 10 tumour cells were recovered with the DEPArray system and subjected to transcriptional and mutation analysis.Results:On average, 40% cell loss was observed when loading samples to the DEPArray system. Expected mutations in clinically relevant markers could be obtained for 60% of single recovered tumour cells and all groups of tumour cells. Reliable gene expression profiles were obtained from single cells and groups of up to 10 cells for 2 out of 3 spiked breast cancer cell lines.Conclusion:We describe a semiautomated workflow for the isolation of small groups of 1 to 10 tumour cells from whole blood samples and provide proof of principle for the feasibility of their comprehensive molecular characterisation