Total body calcium analysis using the Ca-12(n, alpha) Ar-37 reaction

A low dose neutron activation technique was developed to measure total body calcium in vivo. The effort had included development of irradiation and processing facilities and conduction of human studies to determine the accuracy and precision of measurement attainable with the systems

Total body calcium analysis

A technique to quantitate total body calcium in humans is developed. Total body neutron irradiation is utilized to produce argon 37. The radio argon, which diffuses into the blood stream and is excreted through the lungs, is recovered from the exhaled breath and counted inside a proportional detector. Emphasis is placed on: (1) measurement of the rate of excretion of radio argon following total body neutron irradiation; (2) the development of the radio argon collection, purification, and counting systems; and (3) development of a patient irradiation facility using a 14 MeV neutron generator. Results and applications are discussed in detail

THE EFFECT OF WHOLE BODY VIBRATION ON THE DYNAMIC STABILITY OF WOMEN BASKETBALL PLAYERS

This study investigated the effect whole body vibration (WBV) on the dynamic stability of NCAA Division I women basketball players. Eleven subjects were evaluated in two test conditions including one with and one without WBV. After each condition, subjects were tested for time to stabilization (TTS) on a force platform during bilateral, right leg, and left leg countermovement jumps (CMJ). Results of the statistical analysis revealed no significant difference in TTS between the vibration and non-vibration conditions for the bilateral (p = 0.24) and right leg (p = 0.48) CMJ. A significant difference was found between the conditions demonstrating a shorter TTS in the non-vibration condition for the left leg CMJ (p = 0.04, d = 0.57, ηp ² = 0.36). Acute WBV has no effect on and in some cases impairs dynamic

Light flash phenomenon seen by astronauts

The results from experiments conducted to characterize and elucidate light flashes seen by astronauts on Apollo 11, 12, 13, and 14 during transluna or transearth orbit are presented. The data show cosmic nuclei interacting with the visual apparatus causes the light flash phenomenon. The data also suggest that slow protons and helium ions with a stopping power greater than 10 KeV/micron will cause light flashes and streaks in the partially dark adapted eye. The effects of galactic cosmic nuclei interacting with man during long term missions are discussed

Unexplained transient splenic uptake of Tc-99m MDP in bronchogenic carcinoma.

A patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung had splenic uptake of Tc-99m MDP on two consecutive bone scans, but not on a third. There was no intervening therapy. At autopsy the spleen was grossly and microscopically normal

Ventilation-perfusion scanning for pulmonary embolism: refinement of predictive value through Bayesian analysis.

The diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) by pulmonary perfusion and ventilation scintigraphy presents problems common to all imperfect diagnostic tests. Bayesian analysis indicates that the posttest probability of PE is a function of the prevalence (or pretest probability) of PE as well as the scintigraphic findings. The authors propose that Bayesian analysis allows an explicit refinement in communicating the implications of scintigraphic findings to referring clinicians. Recent data reported from a prospective study of ventilation-perfusion scanning compared with pulmonary angiography in patients suspected of PE were reviewed. Using the reported scintigraphic and chest radiographic findings, the sensitivity and specificity of each of the various test result combinations for angiographically proven PE were derived. The overall prevalence of PE was estimated to be 20% in patients suspected of PE who were referred for nuclear imaging. A Bayesian analysis was then performed for each category of test result to estimate the posttest probability of PE for different prevalence estimates. If a perfusion study alone is done which shows segmental or larger defects without corresponding chest radiographic changes, the sensitivity for PE is 80%, and the specificity is 86%. With a 20% prevalence of PE, the posttest probability of PE is 58%. The use of ventilation imaging improves the predictive power of the test by its effect on specificity. When a ventilation image shows preserved (mismatched) ventilation in concert with the above findings, the sensitivity for PE is 75%, and the specificity increases to 95%. For these findings the posttest probability increases to 79%, and for a prevalence of 50%, the posttest probability of PE is 94%

Progressive pulmonary calcification complicating successful renal transplantation.

Metastatic pulmonary calcification occurs in a chronic form in patients with malignancy, chronic renal failure, and primary hyperparathyroidism. A rapidly progressive form is associated with renal transplant failure. This case report describes chronic progressive pulmonary calcification after successful transplant with no obvious underlying cause