An evaluation of the role of thallium-201 myocardial imaging in the investigation of ischaemic heart disease

Ischaemic heart disease due to coronary artery atherosclerosis is a major cause of death and morbidity in all Western countries with the West of Scotland having a particularly grim record in this respect. A definitive diagnosis of coronary artery disease during life can only be made on the basis of selective coronary arteriography. This technique, however, is difficult and associated with a small, but definite, mortality and morbidity. A noninvasive or minimally invasive investigation which could identify those patients in whom coronary arteriography is really indicated would, therefore, be of great value. The standard noninvasive methods presently available, such as electrocardiography or ultrasound, all have shortcomings. Because of advances in instrumentation and the introduction of new radiopharmaceuticals, it has become possible in recent years to apply various radioisotope techniques to the study of cardiological problems. The potassium analogue thallium-201 became readily available for gamma camera imaging of the myocardium in 1975 and this thesis is concerned with an evaluation of its clinical role in the noninvasive diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Chapter I is a review of the literature published on the application of nuclear medicine techniques (other than thallium-201 myocardial imaging) to the study of cardiac disease, especially coronary artery disease. Chapter II begins with a consideration of the whole body distribution and toxicology of thallium, then considers thallium-201 as a scintillation camera imaging agent. Chapter III describes a study comparing thallium-201 myocardial imaging, electrocardiography and selective coronary arteriography in a group of patients with chest pain. Chapter IV is concerned with a comparison of visual analysis and semiquantitative analysis of the same group of myocardial images and presents some evidence that the accuracy of interpretation of myocardial images is increased when a semiquantitative method is used. Chapter V examines the clinical value of rest thallium-201 myocardial imaging performed 3 to 6 days after admission in 50 patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction. Chapter VI describes a study to determine whether stress thallium-201 myocardial imaging can indicate which of these patients have coronary artery disease. It is concluded that the radionuclide technique does not aid the selection for coronary arteriography in this group of patients. In Chapter VII, a comparison is made of post-operative stress thallium-201 myocardial imaging and selective coronary arteriography in a group of patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Myocardial imaging successfully predicted the status of most bypass grafts and could also be used to detect disease of ungrafted vessels. It is concluded that myocardial imaging may be of value in the post-operative follow up of these patients, especially in those who continue to have chest pain. The final Chapter in the thesis considers the clinical value of thallium-201 myocardial imaging for the noninvasive detection of ischaemic heart disease and discusses the problems associated with the technique. The conclusions drawn are based both on my own work and on that published in the literature by other groups. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.)

Real Lives; Real Difference: Service User and Carer Involvement in Professional Education. Conference Summary Report

First paragraph: On the 4th of June 2013, eight Scottish universities involved in the Scottish Inter-University Social Work Service User and Carers' Network, supported by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and the Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRISS), collaborated to produce the first national service user and carer conference aimed at highlighting the importance of involving people who have experience of using Social Work and/or health services in the education of Social Workers and other professionals. The day was deemed "interesting, informative and successful" and involved approximately 45 people delivering presentations and workshops to just over 100 conference delegates. The one-day conference included a keynote speaker and a research presentation delivered by leading academics in Social Work education, poetry recitations delivered by a Social Work service user and workshops delivered by Social Work and Nursing academics, Service Users and carers and social work students

Methods to estimate body temperature and energy expenditure dynamics in fed and fasted laboratory mice:effects of sleep deprivation and light exposure

Monitoring body temperature and energy expenditure in freely-moving laboratory mice remains a powerful methodology used widely across a variety of disciplines–including circadian biology, sleep research, metabolic phenotyping, and the study of body temperature regulation. Some of the most pronounced changes in body temperature are observed when small heterothermic species reduce their body temperature during daily torpor. Daily torpor is an energy saving strategy characterized by dramatic reductions in body temperature employed by mice and other species when challenged to meet energetic demands. Typical measurements used to describe daily torpor are the measurement of core body temperature and energy expenditure. These approaches can have drawbacks and developing alternatives for these techniques provides options that can be beneficial both from an animal-welfare and study-complexity perspective. First, this paper presents and assesses a method to estimate core body temperature based on measurements of subcutaneous body temperature, and second, a separate approach to better estimate energy expenditure during daily torpor based on core body temperature. Third, the effects of light exposure during the habitual dark phase and sleep deprivation during the light period on body temperature dynamics were tested preliminary in fed and fasted mice. Together, the here-published approaches and datasets can be used in the future to assess body temperature and metabolism in freely-moving laboratory mice.</p

2003-2004 Young Musician Showcase

https://spiral.lynn.edu/conservatory_otherseasonalconcerts/1053/thumbnail.jp

UK and Australian University Students’ Perceptions of the Nature of Sexual Assault and Intervening Behavior

Sexual assault is a global problem, with the risk highest among university students. Bystander intervention preventing sexual assaults has primarily been researched using quantitative methods to understand what factors influence it. However, both sexual assault and bystander intervention are complex with many subtle and overlapping issues that, when analyzed qualitatively, can offer new insights. The current study aimed to explore and develop a nuanced and comprehensive understanding of students’ perceptions of sexual assault and bystander intervention across two universities, one in the United Kingdom and one in Australia. Thirty-nine university students (19 in the United Kingdom; 20 in Australia) took part in one-to-one semistructured interviews. Using inductive thematic analysis, two overarching themes were identified: (a) navigating the complex dynamics of sexual assault; and (b) decisions to intervene or not to intervene. Findings suggest that the complexity and ambiguity around sexual assault can forestall bystander intervention. As such, increasing education, awareness, and discussions around sexual assault and bystander intervention is vital to increase awareness of the problem and mobilize action from bystanders to prevent sexual assault

Microneedle array sensors based on carbon nanoparticle composites: interfacial chemistry and electroanalytical properties

Conductive microneedle patches consisting of carbon nanoparticles embedded in a polystyrene matrix have been prepared using micro-moulding techniques. The interfacial properties of the structures before and after electrochemical etching have been characterised using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and contact angle. Anodisation of the needles leads to a significant increase in oxygen functionality and is shown to dramatically improve the electroanalytical capabilities of the microneedle array. The detection of uric acid in horse blood was used as a model system through which to assess the performance of the system. The composite approach is shown to lead to viable carbon-based sensors and can offer a rapid prototype option for the development of tailored microneedle systems

Strike-Slip Fault Terminations at Seismogenic Depths: The Structure and Kinematics of the Glacier Lakes Fault, Sierra Nevada United States

[1] Structural complexity is common at the terminations of earthquake surface ruptures; similar deformation may therefore be expected at the end zones of earthquake ruptures at depth. The 8.2 km long Glacier Lakes fault (GLF) in the Sierra Nevada is a left-lateral strike-slip fault with a maximum observed displacement of 125 m. Within the fault, pseudotachylytes crosscut cataclasites, showing that displacement on the GLF was accommodated at least partly by seismic slip. The western termination of the GLF is defined by a gradual decrease in the displacement on the main fault, accompanied by a 1.4 km wide zone of secondary faulting in the dilational quadrant of the GLF. The secondary faults splay counterclockwise from the main fault trace forming average angles of 39° with the main fault. Slip vectors defined by slickenlines plunge more steeply west for these splay faults than for the GLF. Static stress transfer modeling shows that the orientations of the splays, and the plunge of displacement on those splays, are consistent with displacement on the main fault. The GLF termination structure shows that structural complexity is present at the terminations of faults at seismogenic depths and therefore ruptures that propagate beyond fault terminations, or through step overs between two faults, will likely interact with complex secondary fault structures. Models of dynamic rupture propagation must account for the effect of preexisting structures on the elastic properties of the host rock. Additionally, aftershock distributions and focal mechanisms may be controlled by the geometry and kinematics of structures present at fault terminations

Continuous and non-invasive thermography of mouse skin accurately describes core body temperature patterns, but not absolute core temperature

Body temperature is an important physiological parameter in many studies of laboratory mice. Continuous assessment of body temperature has traditionally required surgical implantation of a telemeter, but this invasive procedure adversely impacts animal welfare. Near-infrared thermography provides a non-invasive alternative by continuously measuring the highest temperature on the outside of the body (Tskin), but the reliability of these recordings as a proxy for continuous core body temperature (Tcore) measurements has not been assessed. Here, Tcore (30 s resolution) and Tskin (1 s resolution) were continuously measured for three days in mice exposed to ad libitum and restricted feeding conditions. We subsequently developed an algorithm that optimised the reliability of a Tskin-derived estimate of Tcore. This identified the average of the maximum Tskin per minute over a 30-min interval as the optimal way to estimate Tcore. Subsequent validation analyses did however demonstrate that this Tskin-derived proxy did not provide a reliable estimate of the absolute Tcore due to the high between-animal variability in the relationship between Tskin and Tcore. Conversely, validation showed that Tskin-derived estimates of Tcore reliably describe temporal patterns in physiologically-relevant Tcore changes and provide an excellent measure to perform within-animal comparisons of relative changes in Tcore