Objectives: Recently, there have been important advances in the clinical application of targeted hybrid near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent-radioactive tracers. ICG-99mTc-nanocolloid, for example, is already being used by some centres for sentinel lymph node biopsy in head and neck cancer. The radioactive component allows imaging at depths which would not be possible with NIR alone and, once exposed, the NIR fluorescence reporter can be imaged at very high resolution. Gamma detection is currently carried out with a separate hand-held gamma camera or with a non-imaging probe. Visualisation of NIR fluorescence during surgery requires a dedicated NIR camera, several of which are available commercially. We describe a novel hand-held hybrid NIR-gamma small field of view camera, capable of displaying co-aligned images from both modalities, which can be fused into one image or viewed separately. This study is a preliminary investigation of the performance of the fluorescence component of this camera, including phantom studies and first images from a preclinical pilot study. Methods: The hybrid camera consists of a 1500 µm thick thallium doped caesium iodide columnar (CsI:Tl) scintillator coupled to an electron multiplying charged coupled device (EMCCD). A 1.0mm diameter tungsten pinhole collimator gives a 40mm x 40mm nominal field of view for an 8mm x 8mm CCD detection area. A fluorescence camera was aligned to provide the same field of view as the gamma camera with an LED ring as the excitation source. The performance of the fluorescence imaging was quantified in this study for the fluorophores ICG and IRDye800CW (CW800) using a range of bespoke phantom experiments. In vivo images were also obtained from a preclinical study of a targeted hybrid tracer (cRGD-CW800-TCO + TCO-DOTA-111In) in mice with HT29 colorectal cancer xenografts. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The portable hybrid camera prototype has been shown to successfully image dual NIR-gamma tracers using both in vitro and in vivo experimental models. With further development, this camera could be used intraoperatively, offering the benefits of gamma imaging at depth in tissues and high resolution surface NIR fluorescence imaging in a single imaging system.
Background: The excessive use and abuse of antibiotics contribute to bacterial resistance, raising the risk of complications and treatment failures. This study investigates adherence to antibiotic prescriptions among Iraqi dental patients, highlighting implications for antimicrobial resistance.Objective: To assess adherence levels and identify factors influencing antibiotic therapy compliance among dental patients.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in which adult dental patients aged 18 and older, who had been prescribed antibiotics within the past year, participated. The modified Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 items was used to evaluate adherence, and data were analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics software V26.Results: Amon
... Show MoreObjective; swine flu is known to be caused by influenza A subtypes H1N1,H1N2, H2N3, H3N1, and H3N2, was first proposed to be a disease related to human flu during the 1918 flu pandemic, Iraq face the epidemic of 2009, many patients admitted to the medical word of alkindy teaching hospital, the clinical features were observed and managed according to WHO protocols.
The aim of the study; is to asses some features of morbidity and mortality of swine flu epidemic admitted patients in 2009 in alkindy teaching hospital.
Methods; A total 131 patients with suspected influenza
admitted to Alkindy Teaching Hospital all complain of
fever more than 38c, sore throat with or without cough.
The admitted patients are of two main
groups
The problem of housing in Iraq is a long-rooted and rooted problem, and it needs a great effort to find out its causes and thus give essential points that contribute to alleviating and addressing it, and it is worth noting that research into the housing problem and the housing sector in Iraq is not done in isolation from other sectors and studies. As well as the economic policies pursued and the social and political conditions. It is known that the Iraqi economy is a unilateral (rentier) economy, that is, it depends almost entirely on exporting oil and obtaining revenues, and that the economic decision and economic policies followed in Iraq are greatly affected by several factors, including the economic, social and political fact
... Show MoreWe report on using a CO2 (10.6 µm) laser to debond the lithium disilicate veneers. Sixty-four sound human premolar teeth and 64 veneer specimens were used in the study. The zigzag movement via CO2 laser handpiece along with an air-cooled jet to prevent temperature elevation above the necrosis temperature limit (5.5 C°) was applied. The optimal deboning irradiation time was super-fast, at about 5 seconds at 3 Watt CO2 laser power. It is 20 times less than any previously published work for veneers debonding. The enamel beneath the debonded veneers has been assessed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and shear stress technique as criteria for the easiness of debonding. The
... Show MoreAn easy, eclectic, precise high-Performance Liquid Chromatographic (HPLC) procedure was evolved and validated to estimate of Piroxicam and Codeine phosphate. Chromatographic demarcation was accomplished on a C18 column [Use BDS Hypersil C18, 5μ, 150 x 4.6 mm] using a mobile phase of methanol: phosphate buffer (60:40, v/v, pH=2.3), the flow rate was 1.1 mL/min, UV detection was at 214 nm. System Suitability tests (SSTs) are typically performed to assess the suitability and effectiveness of the entire chromatography system. The retention time for Piroxicam was found to be 3.95 minutes and 1.46 minutes for Codeine phosphate. The evolved method has been validated through precision, limit of quantitation, specificity,
... Show MoreBackground: Assessment of function of the right side of the heart in cases of left ventricular dysfunction has been widely studied but the sensitive and specific echocardiographic parameter to be tested is still a matter of controversy. Right ventricular function is related to left ventricular function by ventricular independence so function of both should be assessed carefully. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of left ventricular systolic dysfunction on right ventricular systolic and diastolic functions and pulmonary pressure using conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography. Patients and Methods: Sixty patients (39 males and 21 females) with heart failure due to left ventricular systolic dysfunction
... Show MoreVaccine hesitancy poses a significant risk to global recovery from COVID-19. To date however, there is little research exploring the psychological factors associated with vaccine acceptability and hesitancy in Iraq.
To explore attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination in Iraq. To establish the predictors of vaccine uptake and vaccine hesitancy in an Iraqi population.
Using a cross-sectional design, 7,778 participants completed an online questionnaire exploring their vaccination status, likelihood of infection, perc
A study conducted a laboratory experiment to measure the release of potassium and the dissolution of feldspar minerals in soils from different locations in Karbala Province (Ain Al-tamur, Qasr Al-Akhyar, Fadak Farm). The study involved the addition of organic acids (fulvic and humic) and mineral acids (sulfuric and phosphoric) at concentrations of 5% and 10% to sand-separated soil samples obtained through wet sieving. Feldspar minerals were identified using a polarized light microscope, and the percentage of each type of feldspar mineral was calculated. The results demonstrated that organic acids outperformed mineral acids in releasing potassium at both concentrations. Among the organ
Drones play a vital role in the fundamental aspects of Industry 4.0 by converting conventional warehouses into intelligent ones, particularly in the realm of barcode scanning. Various potential issues frequently arise during barcode scanning by drones, specifically when the drone camera has difficulty obtaining distinct images due to certain factors, such as distance, capturing the image whilst flying, noise in the environment and different barcode dimensions. In addressing these challenges, this study proposes an approach that combines a proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller with image processing techniques. The PID controller is responsible for continuously monitoring the camera’s input, detecting the difference
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