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.
The goal of the study is to discover the best model for forecasting the exchange rate of the US dollar against the Iraqi dinar by analyzing time series using the Box Jenkis approach, which is one of the most significant subjects in the statistical sciences employed in the analysis. The exchange rate of the dollar is considered one of the most important determinants of the relative level of the health of the country's economy. It is considered the most watched, analyzed and manipulated measure by the government. There are factors affecting in determining the exchange rate, the most important of which are the amount of money, interest rate and local inflation global balance of payments. The data for the research that represents the exchange r
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This research will deal in a simple way with the concept of urban expansion and taking the decision to sign the spatial signature of residential investment projects in order to reach through them in a real way to the extent of the proportionality of the decision taken, in light of the fulfillment of the conditions that must be met in the matter of making the decision of the spatial signature of the residential investment project and the extent of commitment to them, in which the conditions are: (Ease of access to services and transportation, adequacy of services, commitment to urban land uses) when establishing the investment project represented by the Al-Ayad residential project in the Hittin neighborhood of Al
... Show MoreAbstract. In this research, the uranium concentration in (16) water samples collected from some agricultural areas surrounded with AlTuwitha nuclear site in Baghdad-Iraq was measured by using a CR-39 detector. The concentration of uranium in this study was from (0.6 ± 0.33mg/l) to (2.51 ± 0.49 mg/l), and the weighted average for the concentrations (1.262 ± 0.402 mg/l). The results showed it is a concentration of uranium level in water samples studied is higher than the allowed limit recommended by WHO and ICRP.
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The ability of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to uptake three pharmaceuticals (diclofenac, mefenamic acid and metronidazole) from two types of soil (clay and sandy soil) was investigated in this study to explore the human exposure to these pharmaceuticals via the consumption of beans. A pot experiment was conducted with beans plants which were grown in two types of soil for six weeks under controlled conditions. During the experiment period, the soil pore water was collected weekly and the concentrations of the test compounds in soil pore water as well as in plant organs (roots, stems and leaves) were weekly determined.
The results showed that the studied pharmaceuticals were detected in all plant tissues; their concentration
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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the main cause of female infertility. The role of insulin resistance in the development of polycystic ovary is actively discussed here. The study included patients with PCOS without insulin resistance (n = 48) and with insulin resistance (n = 39). The comparison groups were patients with no history of PCOS: a control group without insulin resistance (n = 46) and a group of patients with insulin resistance (n = 45). The following parameters were determined in patients: FSH, LH, TSH, T3f, T4f, PRL, E2, 17-OHd, Pr, AMH, Test total, Testf, DHEAS, DHEASs, SHBG, ACTH, cortisol, IRI, IGF-1, C-peptide, and glucose level. The HOMA-IR index and the LH / FSH ratio and t
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The present study aims at representing the importance of Quranic readings in the interpretation of the meaning of the Holly Quran in Imam Al Wahidi’s interpretation “Al Wasiet”, declaring its meaning, and eliminating of the paradox which takes place when trying to understand the intention of the Almighty Allah in His Holly book. The study aims at:
1- Defining the paradox linguistically and in terminology according to the formatives or the fundamentalists, the scientist of interpretation and of the Quranic sciences.
2-Reasoning paradox in the Quranic readings: Believing in matters that disagree with the Holly Quran and Sunnis, variety of the subjects in the verses, disagreement of the place and the place for the vers
... Show MoreUnderstanding breaking news necessitates a special attention, since they are written with a special style. The study aims at identifying the difficulties faced by the Iraqi university EFL learners in comprehending English breaking news. The study included 10 fourth year students enrolled at the Department of English, College of Education for Humanities, University of Anbar. Thus, a questionnaire as a research instrument, was sent online to the students. The questionnaire points were related to the identification of difficulties faced by the learners in comprehending English breaking news. The data of the study were (10) headlines selected purposively from Euronews website. The data were qualitatively analyzed based on quantifying the qua
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The Evaluation of the immune response in Golden Hamsters experimentally infected with Leishmania donovani was determined in this study, particularly, the cellular immune response. Follow up has maintained to determine the Delayed Type of Hypersensitivity using skin test both in infected and control lab animals. Chicken red blood cells were used as a parameter to evaluate the immune system; they are dull and have the ability of immunization. Two concentrations of chicken R.B.C were examined to determine which gives the higher titration in Hamsters and those were 1.5 X 109 cell/ml and 3 X 109 cell/ml , the second concentration gave the maximum titration where then used in this work. After sensitization with Chicken R.B.C for both infected a
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Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the principal nosocomial causative agents. This bacterium has the capability to resist wide range of antibiotics and it is responsible for many diseases like skin, nose and wounds infection. In this study, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR was applied with ten random primers to examine the molecular diversity among methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates in the hospitals and to investigate the genetic distance between them. 90 Isolates were collected from clinical specimens from Iraqi hospitals for a total of 90 isolates. Only 10 strains (11.11%) were found to be MRSA. From these 10 primers, only 9 gave clear amplification products. 91 fragment l
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Abstract:
This study aims to identify the level of patients’ satisfaction among a sample of hospitalized patients in the targeted hospital (Al-Kindy Teaching Hospital, and Al-Yarmook Teaching Hospital). Moreover, this study highlights the reality of services for patients, especially in the targeted governmental teaching hospitals. The Patient Satisfaction with Nursing Care (PSNCS) has been measured in these hospitals through the revised scale by Tang et al, (2013).This scale includes four major domains; Health Information (5 items), Influencing Support (4 items), Decision Control (4 items), Specialized Technical Competence (7 items). The method of surveying patients’ opinions about the degree
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