Tourist Information Center Toraja Utara

Kabupaten Toraja Utara memiliki potensi pariwisata yang sangat besar, dari potensi warisan budaya dan adat istiadat sampai kekayaan dan keindahan alamnya. Hal ini mampu menarik minat wisatawan, baik wisatawan domestik maupun mancanegara. Tercatat sejak tahun 2008 terjadi peningkatan jumlah wisatawan yang cukup tinggi. Maka keberadaan Tourist Information Center sangat penting dalam melayani kebutuhan para wisatawan ini. Tourist Information Center Toraja Utara sebagai sarana melayani dan memberikan pengetahuan (edukasi) tentang potensi warisan pariwisata Toraja Utara, dimana para wisatawan mampu merasakan pengalaman dan kesan yang tidak mampu diberikan oleh media informasi lainnya seperti internet ataupun sejenis buku panduan pariwisata. Selain itu, Tourist Information Center memiliki fungsi sebagai fasilitas terpadu (multifungsi), yang secara tidak langsung mampu meningkatkan kualitas ekonomi masyarakat melalui program promosi pariwisata Kabupaten Toraja Utar

Schematic overview of the position of phantom and ultrasound probe during ultrasound image acquisition.

<p>Schematic overview of the position of phantom and ultrasound probe during ultrasound image acquisition. Left. Position to obtain long axis images. The long axis of the probe (LA probe) is parallel to the long axis of the calcium (LA calcium). The phantom moves in direction along the short axis of the probe (SA probe). A = agar phantom with 5 increasing amounts of calcium, B = ultrasound probe mounted on support stand. Right. Position to obtain short axis images. The long axis of the probe (LA probe) is perpendicular to the long axis of the calcium (LA calcium). The phantom moves in direction along the short axis of the probe (SA probe). A = agar phantom with 5 increasing amounts of calcium, B = ultrasound probe mounted on support stand.</p

The correlation between the US calcium volume and CT calcium volume.

<p>The correlation between the calcium volume measured with CT and ultrasound, for different amounts of calcium (2-50mg). There is a significant correlation between the two techniques with R² = 0.7392, p<0.0001.</p

The correlation between cIB calcium score and US calcium score.

<p>The correlation between calcium scores measured with cIB (cIB calcium score) and ultrasound (US calcium score) for different amounts of calcium (2-50mg). There is a significant correlation between the two techniques with R² = 0.9439, p <0.0001.</p

Correlation of calcium amount with US calcium volume and CT calcium volume.

<p>(A) The correlation between the calcium amount and the US calcium volume. There is a significant correlation between the amount of calcium (2-50mg) and the US calcium volume, with R² = 0.8161, p<0.0001. (B) The correlation between the calcium amount and the CT calcium. There is a significant correlation between the amount of calcium (2-50mg) and the CT calcium volume, with R² = 0.9788, p<0.0001.</p

Effect of Dye and Conjugation Chemistry on the Biodistribution Profile of Near-Infrared-Labeled Nanobodies as Tracers for Image-Guided Surgery

Advances in optical imaging technologies have stimulated the development of near-infrared (NIR) fluorescently labeled targeted probes for use in image-guided surgery. As nanobodies have already proven to be excellent candidates for molecular imaging, we aimed in this project to design NIR-conjugated nanobodies targeting the tumor biomarker HER2 for future applications in this field and to evaluate the effect of dye and dye conjugation chemistry on their pharmacokinetics during development. IRDye800CW or IRdye680RD were conjugated either randomly (via lysines) or site-specifically (via C-terminal cysteine) to the anti-HER2 nanobody 2Rs15d. After verification of purity and functionality, the biodistribution and tumor targeting of the NIR-nanobodies were assessed in HER2-positive and -negative xenografted mice. Site-specifically IRDye800CW- and IRdye680RD-labeled 2Rs15d as well as randomly labeled 2Rs15d-IRDye680RD showed rapid tumor accumulation and low nonspecific uptake, resulting in high tumor-to-muscle ratios at early time points (respectively 6.6 ± 1.0, 3.4 ± 1.6, and 3.5 ± 0.9 for HER2-postive tumors at 3 h p.i., while <1.0 for HER2-negative tumors at 3 h p.i., <i>p</i> < 0.05). Contrarily, using the randomly labeled 2Rs15d-IRDye800CW, HER2-positive and -negative tumors could only be distinguished after 24 h due to high nonspecific signals. Moreover, both randomly labeled 2Rs15d nanobodies were not only cleared via the kidneys but also partially via the hepatobiliary route. In conclusion, near-infrared fluorescent labeling of nanobodies allows rapid, specific, and high contrast <i>in vivo</i> tumor imaging. Nevertheless, the fluorescent dye as well as the chosen conjugation strategy can affect the nanobodies’ properties and consequently have a major impact on their pharmacokinetics

Radiolabeled Mannosylated Dextran Derivatives Bearing an NIR-Fluorophore for Sentinel Lymph Node Imaging

Current methods for sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping involve the use of radioactivity detection with technetium-99m sulfur colloid and/or visually guided identification using a blue dye. To overcome the kinetic variations of two individual imaging agents through the lymphatic system, we report herein on two multifunctional macromolecules, <b>5a</b> and <b>6a</b>, that contain a radionuclide (^99mTc or ⁶⁸Ga) and a near-infrared (NIR) reporter for pre- and/or intraoperative SLN mapping by nuclear and NIR optical imaging techniques. Both bimodal probes are dextran-based polymers (10 kDa) functionalized with pyrazole-diamine (Pz) or 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) chelating units for labeling with <i>fac</i>-[^99mTc­(CO)₃]⁺ or ⁶⁸Ga­(III), respectively, mannose units for receptor targeting, and NIR fluorophore units for optical imaging. The probes allowed a clear visualization of the popliteal node by single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT/CT) or positron emission tomography (PET/CT), as well as real-time optically guided excision. Biodistribution studies confirmed that both macromolecules present a significant accumulation in the popliteal node (<b>5a</b>: 3.87 ± 0.63% IA/organ; <b>6a</b>: 1.04 ± 0.26% IA/organ), with minimal spread to other organs. The multifunctional nanoplatforms display a popliteal extraction efficiency >90%, highlighting their potential to be further explored as dual imaging agents