Hot and cold contrasts in high resolution Tc-99m planar scintigraphy: a survey of fifty-two camera heads using the PICKER thyroid phantom

This study aimed at comparing the sensitivity and hot and cold contrasts obtained when imaging the Picker thyroid phantom using gamma cameras fitted with either their ultra-high or high-resolution low energy parallel hole collimator. Seventeen camera models from Elscint, General Electric, Siemens and Sopha Medical Vision were involved in the study for a total of 30 cameras and 52 camera heads. A single operator conducted the study in order to minimize the impact of human factors. The phantom contained about 74 MBq 99mTc and was imaged at 10-cm from the collimator face with the energy window recommended by the camera manufacturer. A total of 1 million counts were accumulated. Hot and cold contrasts were in mean about 0.05 higher when using an ultra-high-resolution than when using a high-resolution low energy collimator. This higher contrast was obtained at the expense of a mean reduction in sensitivity of 30%. In particular, Elscint cameras demonstrated a 30% lower sensitivity whatever the collimator type. The Sopha Medical Vision DST and DSX cameras and the General Electric Magicam camera offered the lowest contrasts among the cameras with a high-resolution collimator. Although this was accompanied by a higher than the mean sensitivity for the DST and DSX, the Magicam demonstrated sensitivity roughly identical to the mean of all the cameras with a high-resolution collimator.Peer reviewe

La notion de pénéplaine à la lumière d'une stratigraphie paléoclimatique du Quaternaire intertropical african et des cuirasses latéritiques

La notion de pénéplaine, introduite par Davis a la fin du siècle dernier, définit l'étape ultime d'un cycle complet d'érosion. Elle désigne un aplanissement de très grande étendue, généralisé au point d'estomper dans le relief l'influence des différences lithologiques du substratum. Quelques rares reliefs résiduels peuvent néanmoins persister. Ce sont les "monadnocks", de dimensions souvent modestes, qui correspondent soit aux restes d'anciens interfluves incomplétement aplanis-monadnocks d'éloignement du réseau hydrographique-, soit a des formations lithologiques particulierement résistantes, de telle sorte que leur aplanissement n'a pu s'opérer-monadnock de résistance

La notion de pénéplaine à la lumière d'une stratigraphie paléoclimatique du Quaternaire intertropical african et des cuirasses latéritiques

La notion de pénéplaine, introduite par Davis a la fin du siècle dernier, définit l'étape ultime d'un cycle complet d'érosion. Elle désigne un aplanissement de très grande étendue, généralisé au point d'estomper dans le relief l'influence des différences lithologiques du substratum. Quelques rares reliefs résiduels peuvent néanmoins persister. Ce sont les "monadnocks", de dimensions souvent modestes, qui correspondent soit aux restes d'anciens interfluves incomplétement aplanis-monadnocks d'éloignement du réseau hydrographique-, soit a des formations lithologiques particulierement résistantes, de telle sorte que leur aplanissement n'a pu s'opérer-monadnock de résistance

In Darkness There Is Light: Designing for The Insect Play

This serves as documentation of my scenic design process for the School of Theatre & Dance at West Virginia University’s production of The Insect Play by Karel Čapek. This thesis includes a plot summary, text analysis, and historical context. It also contains conversations with the director and design team, as well as a description of my design process befitting the needs of the play. The design aspects will be presented through research photos, models, drafting plates, and execution photos. It will conclude with a self-reflection of the overall production process

Mesangial Cell-Specific Antibodies Are Central to the Pathogenesis of Lupus Nephritis

Not only is nephritis a common complaint in systemic lupus erythematosus, but it is also the most life-threatening complication of the disease. Anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies (Abs), which are found in up to 80% of these patients, might be nephritogenic per se. That is, they may cross-react with mesangial cell (MC) surface proteins, such as alpha-actinin and annexin A2, they may cross-react with mesangial matrix protein such as laminine and fibronectin, or they may recognize chromatin material previously deposited in the glomeruli. The consequence of the binding of anti-MC Abs may be their internalization, which results in activation and proliferation of these MCs. In turn, these activated MCs are suspected of promoting immune complex formation by sequestering and thereby protecting chromatin from degradation. The present paper will explain the mechanisms through which such autoAbs may initiate nephritis

EFFECT OF TOBACCO-TREATED MG63 OSTEOBLAST ON HUMAN PULP CELLS

poster abstractObjective: The objective of this study is to determine the effects of to-bacco products on protein concentration and growth of MG63 osteoblasts and the effects of the bacterial cells and culture supernatants on human pulp cells. The study was designed to observe the effects of P.gingivalis grown in four different tobacco solutions such as CSC (cigarette smoked condensate), nicotine (chewing tobacco), and DST (dissolvable smokeless tobacco) strips, and in the media control only without tobacco products. Methods: MG63 os-teoblast was grown in BHI-YE (Bacteria Heart Infusion-Yeast Extract) and hemin-vitamin K. In addition, MG63 osteoblast was grown in BHI-Y-E con-taining nicotine, CSC, and DST. Human pulp cells were grown in media con-taining BGS (Bovine Growth Serum) and washed. The pulp cell cultures will be assayed for cytotoxicity and the supernatants will be assayed for cyto-kines and MMP expression. Results: The protein assays was performed us-ing a microplate spectrophometer and SoftMax Pro 5.2, and we observed that nicotine and DST treated cells had significantly less protein than control cells, however, CSC treated cells had significantly more protein. The undilut-ed control had significantly less protein than the tobacco-treated superna-tants. Conclusion: Based on the previous experiments, we speculate that the additional protein in the undiluted CSC cells and tobacco-treated super-natant may stimulate more effect on human pulp cells than the control, nico-tine or DST treated cells or the control supernatant

European Shark Fisheries: A Preliminary Investigation into Fisheries, Conversion Factors, Trade Products, Markets and Management Measures

Recommends new regulations to prevent shark finning -- an illegal practice in which a shark's fins are removed and its carcass dumped at sea -- and stresses the urgent need for effective shark conservation measures

Exploring with [18F]UCB-H the in vivo cariations in SV2A expression through the kainic acid rat model of temporal lobe epilepsy

Purpose The main purpose of this study was to understand how the positron emission tomography (PET) measure of the synaptic vesicle 2A (SV2A) protein varies in vivo during the development of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) in the kainic acid rat model. Procedures Twenty Sprague Dawley male rats were administered with multiple systemic doses of saline (control group, n = 5) or kainic acid (5 mg/kg/injection, epileptic group, n = 15). Both groups were scanned at the four phases of TLE (early, latent, transition, and chronic phase) with the [F-18]UCB-H PET radiotracer and T2-structural magnetic resonance imaging. At the end of the scans (3 months post-status epilepticus), rats were monitored for 7 days with electroencephalography for the detection of spontaneous electrographic seizures. Finally, the immunofluorescence staining for SV2A expression was performed. Results Control rats presented a significant increase in [F-18]UCB-H binding at the last two scans, compared with the first ones (p < 0.001). This increase existed but was lower in epileptic animals, producing significant group differences in all the phases of the disease (p < 0.028). Furthermore, the quantification of the SV2A expression in vivo with the [F-18]UCB-H radiotracer or ex vivo with immunofluorescence led to equivalent results, with a positive correlation between both. Conclusions Even if further studies in humans are required, the ability to detect a progressive decrease in SV2A expression during the development of temporal lobe epilepsy supports the use of [F-18]UCB-H as a useful tool to differentiate, in vivo, between healthy and epileptic animals along with the development of the epileptic disease