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.
This is the first record of a new species of cyanobacteria Westiellopsis akinetica in the Iraqi environment, Samples were collected on June 2013 and the existence of it was not documented before. We isolated and purified this species ten years ago in Iraq, but we couldn't identify accurately based on all taxonomic handbooks. This is due to the species features being different from the other documented species in the available taxonomic lectures. It resembled many species by morphological characteristics such as Fischerella muscicola, Fischerella thermalis, Westiellopsis biateralis SA16. Westiellopsis interrupta, Westiellopsis persica SA33, Westiellopsis prolifica and Symphyonema bifilamentata. Describing a new species of the Westiellops
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This study aims to highlight the role of strategic leadership in adopting the intelligent organization model. The study was conducted on 7 economic organizations in Algeria. The study population consisted of 354 leaders, of whom a random sample of 176 leaders (managers, department heads, division heads, engineers) was selected. The researcher used a questionnaire as the main tool of the study. Statistical analysis and hypothesis testing were conducted using SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) with the aid of SPSS.v26 and AMOS.v24 software. The study concluded with a set of results, most notably: there is a statistically significant direct positive effect between strategic leadership and building intelligent organizations at a significance le
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Crime is one of the most severe challenges facing States, and strives to find preventive measures, reduce its seriousness, and prevent them; due to developments, crimes have increased, and emerging new patterns of crimes, there is an urgent need to prevent crimes and reduce their effects. Modernizing its punitive system and diverting it to correctional rehabilitative justice to redress the prejudice caused by the crime and rehabilitate the convicted person by using alternative measures to short-term imprisonment. This research emphasizes alternative sanctions' value to minimizing short-term imprisonment penalties and their impact on societal security through several goals like, the negative consequences, justifications, and alternatives
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The study aims to examine the problem of forced displacement and its social and economic problems in light of the Syrian crisis. Such an aim helps to know the difficulties and challenges facing the children of displaced families in learning, and the reasons for their lack of enrolment. It also clarifies whether there are significant statistical differences at among the attitudes of the children of the displaced families towards education regarding the following variables: (the work of the head of the family, the economic level of the family, and the work of the children). The study has adopted the descriptive-analytical approach; a questionnaire was adopted as a tool to collect information. The study was applied to a sample o
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This work evaluates the economic feasibility of various production scenarios for the Zubair reservoir in the Kifl oil field using cash flow and net present value (NPV) calculations. The Kifl field is an exploratory field that has not yet been developed or assessed economically. The first well was drilled in 1960, and three other wells were later drilled to assess the oil accumulation, so in this research, Different production scenarios were evaluated economically. These scenarios were proposed based on the reservoir model of the Zubair formation in the field. The research methodology used QUE$TOR software to estimate capital expenditures (CapEx) and operating expenditures (OpEx) based on field-level data, production prof
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Double hydrothermal method was used to prepare nano gamma alumina using aluminum nitrate nano hydrate and sodium aluminate as an aluminum source, CTAB (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) as surfactant, and variable acids: weak acids like; citric, and acitic acids, and strong acids like; hydrochloric and nitric acids as a bridge between aluminum salts and surfactant. Different crystallization times 12, 24, 48, and 72 hrs were applied. All the batches were prepared at pH equals to 9. XRD diffraction technique was used to investigate the crystalline nano gamma alumina pure from surfactant. N2 adsorption-desorption (BET) was used to measure the surface area and pore volume of the prepared nano alumina, the average p
... Show MorePraise be to God, Lord of the worlds, and prayers and peace be upon our master and beloved Muhammad, the wise guide and great teacher, the guide to a straight path, the one sent as a mercy to the worlds, and upon his good and chosen family, his chosen companions, the working scholars, and those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment.
And after:
One of the important controversial topics shared between the sciences of the Noble Hadith and the Fundamentals of God is the issue of the innovator in terms of accepting and rejecting his narration and testimony, and the difference in it leads to disagreement in many branches of jurisprudence that were based on texts narrated by innovated narrators or those accu
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