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 current research aims to identify: 1) the challenges facing blended education from the point of view of teachers of students with disabilities. 2) The challenges facing blended education from the point of view of teachers of students with disabilities according to the gender variable (males-females). 3) The challenges facing blended education from the point of view of teachers of students with disabilities, according to the academic qualifications of graduates
(institute-bachelors-masters). 4) The challenges facing blended education from the point of view of male and female teachers, according to the functional service period with students with disabilities (less than 8 years - from 9 to 15 years - 16 years and above). 5) the
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Nanomaterials have an excellent potential for improving the rheological and tribological properties of lubricating oil. In this study, oleic acid was used to surface-modify nanoparticles to enhance the dispersion and stability of Nanofluid. The surface modification was conducted for inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) TiO₂ and CuO with oleic acid (OA) surfactant, where oleic acid could render the surface of TiO2-CuO hydrophobic. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the surface modification of NPs. The main objective of this study was to investigate the influence of adding modified TiO₂-CuO NPs with weight ratio 1:1 on thermal-physical propertie
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Abstract
The human mind knew the philosophy and logic in the ancient times, and the history afterwards, while the semiotics concept appeared in the modern time, and became a new knowledge field like the other knowledge fields. It deals, in its different concepts and references, with the processes that lead to and reveals the meaning through what is hidden in addition to what is disclosed. It is the result of human activity in its pragmatic and cognitive dimensions together. The semiotic token concept became a knowledge key to access all the study, research, and investigation fields, due to its ability of description, explanation, and dismantling. The paper is divided into two sections preceded by a the
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The aim of this paper to study the effect of the implicit factors on the entrepreneurial spirit of the students of the Algerian university. Our structural model was proposed based on the model (Shapiro et Sokol, 1982) and the model (Ajzen, 1991). We tested it on a sample of 163 university students at the University of Algiers 3. The model consists of a set of variables (the intention of contracting as a dependent variable, structural and social educational support as independent variables). The results showed that educational and social support factors affect the entrepreneurial spirit of students more than structural support. The Applied Impacts are the enhancing of knowledge capacities of university stu
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In this research was conducted to provide a product to analyze the performance sensor fiber optic used to measure and feel the intensity of the electric field results showed obtained that use sensor long gives reactive high electric field strength and a high value for allergic sensor, but that is at the expense of reducing the intensity of the electric field that is detected
The purpose of this research shed light on the analysis of the relationship between the knowledge gap and the strategic performance gap and diagnose the level of impact this relationship in building a learning organization, and sought search to achieve a number of goals, cognitive and Applied been tested nature of the relationship and effect between variables in a sample size (62) of the managers of banks civil in Baghdad (Baghdad, Gulf, Assyria, Union, Elaf) and focused research problem in question is bold is whether the analysis of the relationship between the knowledge gap and the performance gap strategic leads to recognize organizations need to shift to organizations educated, either in the side of the field was the pr
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Abstract
In this research we been estimated the survival function for data suffer from the disturbances and confusion of Iraq Household Socio-Economic Survey: IHSES II 2012 , to data from a five-year age groups follow the distribution of the Generalized Gamma: GG. It had been used two methods for the purposes of estimating and fitting which is the way the Principle of Maximizing Entropy: POME, and method of booting to nonparametric smoothing function for Kernel, to overcome the mathematical problems plaguing integrals contained in this distribution in particular of the integration of the incomplete gamma function, along with the use of traditional way in which is the Maximum Likelihood: ML. Where the comparison on t
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The study aims to demonstrate the significance of metaverse technology across various disciplines, academic degrees, scientific fields, and academic titles. It also aims to assess the level of knowledge and understanding of university teachers (research sample) regarding metaverse technology. Hence, the descriptive research methodology was based on the method of statistical survey in the sample. It involved a set of organized scientific steps to deduce data from the reality of the statistical sample and its nature in order to achieve the objectives of the study. In this study, a questionnaire was used as a tool to collect data from a random sample of approximately 121 teachers and instructors from the University of Baghdad. This app
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