Objectives: Small field of view gamma detection and imaging technologies for monitoring in vivo tracer uptake are rapidly expanding and being introduced for bed-side imaging and image guided surgical procedures. The Hybrid Gamma Camera (HGC) has been developed to enhance the localization of targeted radiopharmaceuticals during surgical procedures; for example in sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsies and for bed-side imaging in procedures such as lacrimal drainage imaging and thyroid scanning. In this study, a prototype anthropomorphic head and neck phantom has been designed, constructed, and evaluated using representative modelled medical scenarios to study the capability of the HGC to detect SLNs and image small organs. Methods: An anthropomorphic head and neck phantom has been designed to mimic the adult head and neck including some internal organs and tissues of interest, such as the thyroid gland and sentinel lymph nodes. The design of the head and neck phantom included an adjustable inner jig holding the simulated SLNs and thyroid gland. The simulated thyroid gland was designed and 3D printed taking into consideration the size and the shape of a healthy adult thyroid gland. The inner sealed space of the thyroid was filled with 15MBq of 99mTc through two upper filling valves. Sealed micro-tubes (0.2ml) have been employed to simulate SLNs containing various 99mTc activity concentrations ranging between 0.1MBq and 1MBq, and can be positioned at any desired place in the head and neck region. An active background was simulated through mixing 10MBq of 99mTc solution with the water used to fill the outer shell of the head and neck phantom. Results: The head and neck phantom was employed to simulate a situation where there are four SLNs distributed at two different vertical levels and at two depths within the neck. Contrast to noise ratio (CNR) calculations were performed for the detected SLNs at an 80mm distance between both pinhole collimators (i.e. 0.5mm and 1.0mm diameters) and the surface of the head and neck phantom with a 100s acquisition time. The recorded CNR values for the simulated SLNs are higher when the HGC was fitted with the 1.0mm diameter pinhole collimator. For instance, the recorded CNR values for the superficially simulated SLN containing 0.1MBq of 99mTc using 0.5mm and 1.0mm diameter pinhole collimators are 6.48 and 16.42, respectively (~87% difference). The anatomical context provided by the hybrid imaging aided the localization process of radioactivity accumulation in simulated SLNs. Gamma and hybrid optical images were acquired using the HGC with both available pinhole collimators for the simulated thyroid gland. The thyroid images produced varied in terms of spatial resolution and detectability. The count profiles through the middle of the simulated thyroid gland images provided by both pinhole collimators were obtained. The HGC could clearly differentiate the individual peaks of both thyroid lobes in the gamma image produced by the 0.5mm pinhole collimator. In contrast, the recorded count profile for the acquired image using the 1.0mm diameter pinhole collimator showed broader peaks for both lobes, reflecting the degradation of the spatial resolution with increasing the diameter of the pinhole collimator. Conclusion: The capability of the HGC has been evaluated utilizing a prototype anthropomorphic head and neck phantom, and the gamma and hybrid images obtained demonstrate that it is ideally suited for intraoperative SLNs detection and small organ imaging. The standardization of test phantoms and protocols for SFOV portable gamma systems will provide an opportunity to collect data across various medical centers and research groups. Moreover, it will provide a technical baseline for researchers and clinical practitioners to consider when assessing their SFOV gamma imaging systems. The anthropomorphic head and neck phantom described is cost effective, reproducible, flexible and anatomically representative.
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Abstract
Objective(s): To evaluate the level of Psychological Empowerment among Nurses as perceived by their Point of View, and identify the differences in nurses' Psychological Empowerment with regard to age, gender, graduation level, and years of work employment.
Methodology: A descriptive analytic design was conducted on nurses in Psycho-social health Units in Primary Health Care Centers in Kirkuk Governorate, to achieve the objectives of the study. A convenient (non-probability) sample of 84 nurses was selected. The data collected through self-report method for the period from 25th August to 10th October 2022. The questionnaire was adopted
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Translation as a human endeavor has occupied the attention of nations since it bridges the gab between cultures and helps in bringing out national integration. The translation of Kurdish literature started with personal efforts in which newspapers and magazines had played a vital role in supporting translation and paved the way for promoting the publication of Kurdish products.
The bulk of the materials translated from Arabic exceeds that translated from other languages owing to the influence of religious and authoritarian factors.
The survey of the Kurdish journals was limited to the period 1898-1991 since it marked a radical and historic change represented by the birth of Kurdish journalis
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This article examines the usage features of the phraseological units in Russian political discourse and the peculiarities of the phraseological units’ usage by politicians in their speeches. The main focus is on the expressive and pragmatic functions of using phraseological units in political texts due to their evaluative and expressive nature. The present article also examines the structural and stylistic changes of the phraseological units in political discourse. Moreover, the work provides examples from the speeches of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation S.V. Lavrov. As a result, the author comes to the conclusion that phraseological units make it possible to establish a contact be
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A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computerized database management system for accumulating, storage, retrieval, analysis, and display spatial data. In general, GIS contains two broad categories of information, geo-referenced spatial data and attribute data. Geo-referenced spatial data define objects that have an orientation and relationship in two or three-dimensional space, while attribute data is qualitative data that can be counted for recording and analysis. The main aim of this research is to reveal the role of GIS technology in the enhancement of bridge maintenance management system components such as the output results, and make it more interpretable through dynamic colour coding and more sophisticated visualization
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This research is studying technique sculptures super - realism, search through, how the method of work, and the search for the materials used in their manufacture, and this is the first study in the field of art and the field of academic study in the country.Research consists of an introduction, And four sections, The introduction containing information on: research problem, Importance of research, Goals of the research, Limits of research, research approach, and research tools.The first section contains a technical study sculptures super -realism in contemporary sculpture, while the second section includes a search for alternative materials available in the local markets, for making sculptures super - realism, the third section dedicate
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After 2003 Iraq witnessed a rapid development in the number and kind of non-governmental organizations in addition to the increase in their sources.A lot of obstacles and constraints hinder the development of the said organizations and one of the most important and prominent obstacles is their administrative and accounting structure that affect directly on the existence, continuity and survival of these organizations.This research discussed the concept the non-governmental organizations and reaching the assessment of internal control System in these organizations. Therefore, the researcher has assessed the internal control System applied National Olympic Committee of Iraq. The study showed vulnerabilities in the internal control the said
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Background: Laser is a novel physical therapy technique used to treat various conditions, including wound healing, inhibition of bacterial growth, and postoperative wounds. High-power pulsed alexandrite laser therapy is one of the most prevalent forms of laser therapy, which is a noninvasive method for treating various pathological conditions, thereby enhancing functional capacities and quality of life. It is a modern medical and physiotherapeutic technology. Generally, the Alexandrite laser emits infrared light with a wavelength of 755 nm, allowing it to propagate and penetrate tissues. Objective: This study focused on the application of a high-power pulsed alexandrite laser in vitro to evaluate the effect of a pulsed alexandrite l
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