Lifetime attributable risk as an alternative to effective dose to describe the risk of cancer for patients in diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andersson, Martin; Eckerman, Keith; Mattsson, Sören

2017-12-01

The aim of this study is to implement lifetime attributable risk (LAR) predictions of cancer for patients of various age and gender, undergoing diagnostic investigations or treatments in nuclear medicine and to compare the outcome with a population risk estimate using effective dose and the International Commission on Radiological Protection risk coefficients. The radiation induced risk of cancer occurrence (incidence) or death from four nuclear medicine procedures are estimated for both male and female between 0 and 120 years. Estimations of cancer risk are performed using recommended administered activities for two diagnostic (18F-FDG and 99mTc-phosphonate complex) and two therapeutic (131I-iodide and 223Ra-dichloride) radiopharmaceuticals to illustrate the use of cancer risk estimations in nuclear medicine. For 18F-FDG, the cancer incidence for a male of 5, 25, 50 and 75 years at exposure is 0.0021, 0.0010, 0.0008 and 0.0003, respectively. For 99mTc phosphonates complex the corresponding values are 0.000 59, 0.000 34, 0.000 27 and 0.000 13, respectively. For an 131I-iodide treatment with 3.7 GBq and 1% uptake 24 h after administration, the cancer incidence for a male of 25, 50 and 75 years at exposure is 0.041, 0.029 and 0.012, respectively. For 223Ra-dichloride with an administration of 21.9 MBq the cancer incidence for a male of 25, 50 and 75 years is 0.31, 0.21 and 0.09, respectively. The LAR estimations are more suitable in health care situations involving individual patients or specific groups of patients than the health detriment based on effective dose, which represents a population average. The detriment consideration in effective dose adjusts the cancer incidence for suffering of non-lethal cancers while LAR predicts morbidity (incidence) or mortality (cancer). The advantages of these LARs are that they are gender and age specific, allowing risk estimations for specific patients or subgroups thus better representing individuals in health care than effective dose.

Comparison of 4-Dimensional Computed Tomography Ventilation With Nuclear Medicine Ventilation-Perfusion Imaging: A Clinical Validation Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vinogradskiy, Yevgeniy, E-mail: yevgeniy.vinogradskiy@ucdenver.edu; Koo, Phillip J.; Castillo, Richard

Purpose: Four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) ventilation imaging provides lung function information for lung cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. Before 4DCT-ventilation can be implemented clinically it needs to be validated against an established imaging modality. The purpose of this work was to compare 4DCT-ventilation to nuclear medicine ventilation, using clinically relevant global metrics and radiologist observations. Methods and Materials: Fifteen lung cancer patients with 16 sets of 4DCT and nuclear medicine ventilation-perfusion (VQ) images were used for the study. The VQ-ventilation images were acquired in planar mode using Tc-99m-labeled diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid aerosol inhalation. 4DCT data, spatial registration, and a density-change-based modelmore » were used to compute a 4DCT-based ventilation map for each patient. The percent ventilation was calculated in each lung and each lung third for both the 4DCT and VQ-ventilation scans. A nuclear medicine radiologist assessed the VQ and 4DCT scans for the presence of ventilation defects. The VQ and 4DCT-based images were compared using regional percent ventilation and radiologist clinical observations. Results: Individual patient examples demonstrate good qualitative agreement between the 4DCT and VQ-ventilation scans. The correlation coefficients were 0.68 and 0.45, using the percent ventilation in each individual lung and lung third, respectively. Using radiologist-noted presence of ventilation defects and receiver operating characteristic analysis, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the 4DCT-ventilation were 90%, 64%, and 81%, respectively. Conclusions: The current work compared 4DCT with VQ-based ventilation using clinically relevant global metrics and radiologist observations. We found good agreement between the radiologist's assessment of the 4DCT and VQ-ventilation images as well as the percent ventilation in each lung. The agreement lessened when the data were analyzed on a regional level. Our study presents an important step for the integration of 4DCT-ventilation into thoracic clinical practice.« less

Avoidable challenges of a nuclear medicine facility in a developing nation

PubMed Central

Adedapo, Kayode Solomon; Onimode, Yetunde Ajoke; Ejeh, John Enyi; Adepoju, Adewale Oluwaseun

2013-01-01

The role of nuclear medicine in disease management in a developing nation is as impactful as it is in other regions of the world. However, in the developing world, the practice of nuclear medicine is faced with a myriad of challenges, which can be easily avoided. In this review, we examine the many avoidable challenges to the practice of nuclear medicine in a developing nation. The review is largely based on personal experiences of the authors who are the pioneers and current practitioners of nuclear medicine in a typical developing nation. If the challenges examined in this review are avoided, the practice of nuclear medicine in such a nation will be more effective and practitioners will be more efficient in service delivery. Hence, the huge benefits of nuclear medicine will be made available to patients in such a developing nation. PMID:24379527

Liquid discharges from the use of radionuclides in medicine (diagnosis).

PubMed

Barquero, R; Agulla, M M; Ruiz, A

2008-10-01

The production and discharge of liquid radioactive wastes as excreta from patients undergoing Nuclear Medicine Diagnostic (NMD) in a hospital were studied. Instantaneous and accumulated activity, discharged from the hospital to the sewage system, has been estimated keeping in mind radionuclide decay. This study would enable estimation of the environmental impact due to NMD procedures. Annual accumulated activities of 2.2 GBq (131I), 1.847 GBq (99mTc), 0.743 GBq (123I), 0.337 GBq (67Ga), 0.169 GBq (111In) and 0.033 GBq (201Tl) result from our model when applied to a European hospital. A comparison is made with calculations by other authors that do not consider the radionuclide decay and who overestimate by two orders of magnitude. Doses to critical people as sewage treatment workers are also significantly reduced. So, our results stress the importance of including the decay in the calculations.

The contribution of Medical Physics to Nuclear Medicine: looking back - a physicist's perspective.

PubMed

Hutton, Brian F

2014-12-01

This paper is the first in a series of invited perspectives by four pioneers of Nuclear Medicine imaging and physics. A medical physicist and a Nuclear Medicine clinical specialist each take a backward look and a forward look at the contributions of Medical Physics to Nuclear Medicine. Contributions of Medical Physics are presented from the early discovery of radioactivity, development of first imaging devices, computers and emission tomography to recent development of hybrid imaging. There is evidence of significant contribution of Medical Physics throughout the development of Nuclear Medicine.

Can Physicians Identify Inappropriate Nuclear Stress Tests? An Examination of Inter-rater Reliability for the 2009 Appropriate Use Criteria for Radionuclide Imaging

PubMed Central

Ye, Siqin; Rabbani, LeRoy E.; Kelly, Christopher R.; Kelly, Maureen R.; Lewis, Matthew; Paz, Yehuda; Peck, Clara L.; Rao, Shaline; Bokhari, Sabahat; Weiner, Shepard D.; Einstein, Andrew J.

2014-01-01

Background We sought to determine inter-rater reliability of the 2009 Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for radionuclide imaging (RNI) and whether physicians at various levels of training can effectively identify nuclear stress tests with inappropriate indications. Methods and Results Four hundred patients were randomly selected from a consecutive cohort of patients undergoing nuclear stress testing at an academic medical center. Raters with different levels of training (including cardiology attending physicians, cardiology fellows, internal medicine hospitalists, and internal medicine interns) classified individual nuclear stress tests using the 2009 AUC. Consensus classification by two cardiologists was considered the operational gold standard, and sensitivity and specificity of individual raters for identifying inappropriate tests was calculated. Inter-rater reliability of the AUC was assessed using Cohen’s kappa statistics for pairs of different raters. The mean age of patients was 61.5 years; 214 (54%) were female. The cardiologists rated 256 (64%) of 400 NSTs as appropriate, 68 (18%) as uncertain, 55 (14%) as inappropriate; 21 (5%) tests were unable to be classified. Inter-rater reliability for non-cardiologist raters was modest (unweighted Cohen’s kappa, 0.51, 95% confidence interval, 0.45 to 0.55). Sensitivity of individual raters for identifying inappropriate tests ranged from 47% to 82%, while specificity ranged from 85% to 97%. Conclusions Inter-rater reliability for the 2009 AUC for RNI is modest, and there is considerable variation in the ability of raters at different levels of training to identify inappropriate tests. PMID:25563660

Standardization of administered activities in pediatric nuclear medicine: a report of the first nuclear medicine global initiative project, part 1-statement of the issue and a review of available resources.

PubMed

Fahey, Frederic H; Bom, Henry Hee-Seong; Chiti, Arturo; Choi, Yun Young; Huang, Gang; Lassmann, Michael; Laurin, Norman; Mut, Fernando; Nuñez-Miller, Rodolfo; O'Keeffe, Darin; Pradhan, Prasanta; Scott, Andrew M; Song, Shaoli; Soni, Nischal; Uchiyama, Mayuki; Vargas, Luis

2015-04-01

The Nuclear Medicine Global Initiative (NMGI) was formed in 2012 and consists of 13 international organizations with direct involvement in nuclear medicine. The underlying objectives of the NMGI were to promote human health by advancing the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, encourage global collaboration in education, and harmonize procedure guidelines and other policies that ultimately lead to improvements in quality and safety in the field throughout the world. For its first project, the NMGI decided to consider the issues involved in the standardization of administered activities in pediatric nuclear medicine. This article presents part 1 of the final report of this initial project of the NMGI. It provides a review of the value of pediatric nuclear medicine, the current understanding of the carcinogenic risk of radiation as it pertains to the administration of radiopharmaceuticals in children, and the application of dosimetric models in children. A listing of pertinent educational and reference resources available in print and online is also provided. The forthcoming part 2 report will discuss current standards for administered activities in children and adolescents that have been developed by various organizations and an evaluation of the current practice of pediatric nuclear medicine specifically with regard to administered activities as determined by an international survey of nuclear medicine clinics and centers. Lastly, the part 2 report will recommend a path forward toward global standardization of the administration of radiopharmaceuticals in children. © 2015 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

AAPM/SNMMI Joint Task Force: report on the current state of nuclear medicine physics training.

PubMed

Harkness, Beth A; Allison, Jerry D; Clements, Jessica B; Coffey, Charles W; Fahey, Frederic H; Gress, Dustin A; Kinahan, Paul E; Nickoloff, Edward L; Mawlawi, Osama R; MacDougall, Robert D; Pizzutiello, Robert J

2015-09-08

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) recognized the need for a review of the current state of nuclear  medicine physics training and the need to explore pathways for improving nuclear medicine physics training opportunities. For these reasons, the two organizations formed a joint AAPM/SNMMI Ad Hoc Task Force on Nuclear Medicine Physics  Training. The mission of this task force was to assemble a representative group of stakeholders to:• Estimate the demand for board-certified nuclear medicine physicists in the next 5-10 years,• Identify the critical issues related to supplying an adequate number of physicists who have received the appropriate level of training in nuclear medicine physics, and• Identify approaches that may be considered to facilitate the training of nuclear medicine physicists.As a result, a task force was appointed and chaired by an active member of both organizations that included representation from the AAPM, SNMMI, the American Board of Radiology (ABR), the American Board of Science in Nuclear Medicine (ABSNM), and the Commission for the Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational Programs (CAMPEP). The Task Force first met at the AAPM Annual Meeting in Charlotte in July 2012 and has met regularly face-to-face, online, and by conference calls. This manuscript reports the findings of the Task Force, as well as recommendations to achieve the stated mission.

AAPM/SNMMI Joint Task Force: report on the current state of nuclear medicine physics training

PubMed Central

Allison, Jerry D.; Clements, Jessica B.; Coffey, Charles W.; Fahey, Frederic H.; Gress, Dustin A.; Kinahan, Paul E.; Nickoloff, Edward L.; Mawlawi, Osama R.; MacDougall, Robert D.; Pizzuitello, Robert J.

2015-01-01

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) recognized the need for a review of the current state of nuclear medicine physics training and the need to explore pathways for improving nuclear medicine physics training opportunities. For these reasons, the two organizations formed a joint AAPM/SNMMI Ad Hoc Task Force on Nuclear Medicine Physics Training. The mission of this task force was to assemble a representative group of stakeholders to: Estimate the demand for board‐certified nuclear medicine physicists in the next 5–10 years,Identify the critical issues related to supplying an adequate number of physicists who have received the appropriate level of training in nuclear medicine physics, andIdentify approaches that may be considered to facilitate the training of nuclear medicine physicists. As a result, a task force was appointed and chaired by an active member of both organizations that included representation from the AAPM, SNMMI, the American Board of Radiology (ABR), the American Board of Science in Nuclear Medicine (ABSNM), and the Commission for the Accreditation of Medical Physics Educational Programs (CAMPEP). The Task Force first met at the AAPM Annual Meeting in Charlotte in July 2012 and has met regularly face‐to‐face, online, and by conference calls. This manuscript reports the findings of the Task Force, as well as recommendations to achieve the stated mission. PACS number: 01.40.G‐ PMID:26699325

Necessity of Internal Monitoring for Nuclear Medicine Staff in a Large Specialized Chinese Hospital

PubMed Central

Wang, Hong-Bo; Zhang, Qing-Zhao; Zhang, Zhen; Hou, Chang-Song; Li, Wen-Liang; Yang, Hui; Sun, Quan-Fu

2016-01-01

This work intends to quantify the risk of internal contaminations in the nuclear medicine staff of one hospital in Henan province, China. For this purpose, the criteria proposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to determine whether it is necessary to conduct internal individual monitoring was applied to all of the 18 nuclear medicine staff members who handled radionuclides. The activity of different radionuclides used during a whole calendar year and the protection measures adopted were collected for each staff member, and the decision as to whether nuclear medicine staff in the hospital should be subjected to internal monitoring was made on the basis of the criteria proposed by IAEA. It is concluded that for all 18 members of the nuclear medicine staff in the hospital, internal monitoring is required. Internal exposure received by nuclear medicine staff should not be ignored, and it is necessary to implement internal monitoring for nuclear medicine staff routinely. PMID:27077874

Necessity of Internal Monitoring for Nuclear Medicine Staff in a Large Specialized Chinese Hospital.

PubMed

Wang, Hong-Bo; Zhang, Qing-Zhao; Zhang, Zhen; Hou, Chang-Song; Li, Wen-Liang; Yang, Hui; Sun, Quan-Fu

2016-04-12

This work intends to quantify the risk of internal contaminations in the nuclear medicine staff of one hospital in Henan province, China. For this purpose, the criteria proposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to determine whether it is necessary to conduct internal individual monitoring was applied to all of the 18 nuclear medicine staff members who handled radionuclides. The activity of different radionuclides used during a whole calendar year and the protection measures adopted were collected for each staff member, and the decision as to whether nuclear medicine staff in the hospital should be subjected to internal monitoring was made on the basis of the criteria proposed by IAEA. It is concluded that for all 18 members of the nuclear medicine staff in the hospital, internal monitoring is required. Internal exposure received by nuclear medicine staff should not be ignored, and it is necessary to implement internal monitoring for nuclear medicine staff routinely.

Radiation safety audit of a high volume Nuclear Medicine Department.

PubMed

Jha, Ashish Kumar; Singh, Abhijith Mohan; Shetye, Bhakti; Shah, Sneha; Agrawal, Archi; Purandare, Nilendu Chandrakant; Monteiro, Priya; Rangarajan, Venkatesh

2014-10-01

Professional radiation exposure cannot be avoided in nuclear medicine practices. It can only be minimized up to some extent by implementing good work practices. The aim of our study was to audit the professional radiation exposure and exposure rate of radiation worker working in and around Department of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, Tata Memorial Hospital. We calculated the total number of nuclear medicine and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) procedures performed in our department and the radiation exposure to the radiation professionals from year 2009 to 2012. We performed an average of 6478 PET/CT scans and 3856 nuclear medicine scans/year from January 2009 to December 2012. The average annual whole body radiation exposure to nuclear medicine physician, technologist and nursing staff are 1.74 mSv, 2.93 mSv and 4.03 mSv respectively. Efficient management and deployment of personnel is of utmost importance to optimize radiation exposure in a high volume nuclear medicine setup in order to work without anxiety of high radiation exposure.

ACR-SNM Task Force on Nuclear Medicine Training: report of the task force.

PubMed

Guiberteau, Milton J; Graham, Michael M

2011-06-01

The expansion of knowledge and technological advances in nuclear medicine and radiology require physicians to have more expertise in functional and anatomic imaging. The convergence of these two specialties into the new discipline of molecular imaging has also begun to place demands on residency training programs for additional instruction in physiology and molecular biology. These changes have unmasked weaknesses in current nuclear medicine and radiology training programs. Adding to the impetus for change are the attendant realities of the job market and uncertain employment prospects for physicians trained in nuclear medicine but not also trained in diagnostic radiology. With this background, the ACR and the Society of Nuclear Medicine convened the Task Force on Nuclear Medicine Training to define the issues and develop recommendations for resident training.

Nucleology, nuclear medicine, molecular nuclear medicine and subspecialties.

PubMed

Grammaticos, Philip C

2005-01-01

Henry N. Wagner Jr started the presentation of the highlights of the 39th Annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine by quoting: "The economist JM Keynes said: "the difficult lies not in new ideas but in escaping from the old ones". Many changes have taken place in the actual term describing our specialty during the last 15 years. Cardiologists have adopted an important chapter of nuclear medicine and to describe that they use the term of "nuclear cardiology". Radiologists have proposed the term "radionuclide radiology". "Nuclear endocrinology", "nuclear oncology", "nuclear nephrology" may be considered as terms describing chapters of nuclear medicine related to other specialties. Will that indicate that our specialty will be divided into smaller chapters and be offered to colleagues working in other specialties leaving to us the role of the supervisor or perhaps the radioprotection officer for in vivo studies? Of course this role is now being exercised by our colleagues in medical physics. It is suggested to use the word " nucleology", instead of "nuclear medicine" where "nuclear" is used as an adjective. Thus, we will avoid being part of another specialty and cardiologists would use the term cardiac nucleology where "cardiac" is the adjective. The proposed term "nucleology" as compared to the existing term "nuclear medicine" has the advantage of being simpler, correct from the grammar point of view and not related to combined terms that may seem to offer part of our specialty to other specialties. At present our specialty faces many problems. The term "nucleology" supports our specialty from the point of view of terminology. During the 3rd International Meeting of Nuclear Medicine of N. Greece which was held in Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece on 4-6 November 2005, a discussion arose among participants as to whether the name of "nucleology" could replace the existing name of "nuclear medicine". Finally, a vote (between "yes" and "no") for the new proposed term showed that the "yes" votes were 72 and the "no" votes were 49.

Understanding the cause of an unreadable nuclear medicine image: a case of unexpected results with 123I whole-body scintigraphy.

PubMed

Skweres, Justin; Yang, Zhiyun; Gonzalez-Toledo, Eduardo

2014-12-01

When unexpected results are obtained with standard image collection, the nuclear medicine physician must consider many technical factors that may have contributed. When image quality is poor, prior radiotracer administration, among other things, should always be considered. Our case demonstrates how knowledge of patient history and basic principles of nuclear medicine physics allows recognition of the septal penetration artifact. This allows the nuclear medicine physician to tailor the exam to an individual patient and obtain the most useful diagnostic information for the clinician. © 2014 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

Radiation safety audit of a high volume Nuclear Medicine Department

PubMed Central

Jha, Ashish Kumar; Singh, Abhijith Mohan; Shetye, Bhakti; Shah, Sneha; Agrawal, Archi; Purandare, Nilendu Chandrakant; Monteiro, Priya; Rangarajan, Venkatesh

2014-01-01

Introduction: Professional radiation exposure cannot be avoided in nuclear medicine practices. It can only be minimized up to some extent by implementing good work practices. Aim and Objectives: The aim of our study was to audit the professional radiation exposure and exposure rate of radiation worker working in and around Department of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, Tata Memorial Hospital. Materials and Methods: We calculated the total number of nuclear medicine and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) procedures performed in our department and the radiation exposure to the radiation professionals from year 2009 to 2012. Results: We performed an average of 6478 PET/CT scans and 3856 nuclear medicine scans/year from January 2009 to December 2012. The average annual whole body radiation exposure to nuclear medicine physician, technologist and nursing staff are 1.74 mSv, 2.93 mSv and 4.03 mSv respectively. Conclusion: Efficient management and deployment of personnel is of utmost importance to optimize radiation exposure in a high volume nuclear medicine setup in order to work without anxiety of high radiation exposure. PMID:25400361

Peculiarities of organizing the construction of nuclear medicine facilities and the transportation of radionuclide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Telichenko, Valeriy; Malykha, Galina; Dorogan, Igor

2017-10-01

The article is devoted to the organization of construction of nuclear medicine facilities in Russia. The article describes the main methods of nuclear medical diagnostics, as well as the peculiarities of nuclear medicine facilities that determine the need for application of specific methods for organizing and managing the construction, methods of requirements management in the organization of construction of nuclear medicine facilities. Sustainable development of the transport of radioactive isotopes from the place of production to places of consumption is very important for the safety of the population. The requirements management system is an important and necessary component in organizing the construction of complex facilities, such as nuclear medicine facilities. The author developed and proposed a requirements management system for the design, construction and operation of a nuclear medicine facility, which provides for a cyclic sequence of actions. This system allows reducing the consumption of resources including material and energy during construction and operation of complex objects.

Thirty years from now: future physics contributions in nuclear medicine.

PubMed

Bailey, Dale L

2014-12-01

This paper is the first in a series of invited perspectives by pioneers of nuclear medicine imaging and physics. A medical physicist and a nuclear medicine physician each take a backward and a forward look at the contributions of physics to nuclear medicine. Here, we provide a forward look from the medical physicist's perspective. The author examines a number of developments in nuclear medicine and discusses the ways in which physics has contributed to these. Future developments are postulated in the context of an increasingly personalised approach to medical diagnostics and therapies. A skill set for the next generation of medical physicists in nuclear medicine is proposed in the context of the increasing complexity of 'Molecular Imaging' in the next three decades. The author sees a shift away from 'traditional' roles in instrumentation QA to more innovative approaches in understanding radiobiology and human disease.

Structure and Activities of Nuclear Medicine in Kuwait.

PubMed

Elgazzar, Abdelhamid H; Owunwanne, Azuwuike; Alenezi, Saud

2016-07-01

The practice of nuclear medicine in Kuwait began in 1965 as a clinic for treating thyroid diseases. The practice developed gradually and until 1981 when the Faculty of Medicine established the Division of Nuclear Medicine in the Department of Radiology, which later became a separate department responsible for establishing and managing the practice in all hospitals of Kuwait. In 1987, a nuclear medicine residency program was begun and it is administered by Kuwait Institute for Medical Specializations originally as a 4-year but currently as a 5-year program. Currently there are 11 departments in the ministry of health hospitals staffed by 49 qualified attending physicians, mostly the diplomats of the Kuwait Institute for Medical Specializations nuclear medicine residency program, 4 academic physicians, 2 radiopharmacists, 2 physicists, and 130 technologists. These departments are equipped with 33 dual-head gamma cameras, 10 SPET/CT, 5 PET/CT, 2 cyclotrons, 1 breast-specific gamma imaging, 1 positron-emitting mammography, 10 thyroid uptake units, 8 technegas machines, 7 PET infusion systems, and 8 treadmills. Activities of nuclear medicine in Kuwait include education and training, clinical service, and research. Education includes nuclear medicine technology program in the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, the 5-year residency program, medical school teaching distributed among different modules of the integrated curriculum with 14 didactic lecture, and other teaching sessions in nuclear medicine MSc program, which run concurrently with the first part of the residency program. The team of Nuclear Medicine in Kuwait has been active in research and has published more than 300 paper, 11 review articles, 12 book chapters, and 17 books in addition to 36 grants and 2 patents. A PhD program approved by Kuwait University Council would begin in 2016. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The role of general nuclear medicine in breast cancer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Greene, Lacey R, E-mail: lgreene@csu.edu.au; Wilkinson, Deborah; Faculty of Science, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales

The rising incidence of breast cancer worldwide has prompted many improvements to current care. Routine nuclear medicine is a major contributor to a full gamut of clinical studies such as early lesion detection and stratification; guiding, monitoring, and predicting response to therapy; and monitoring progression, recurrence or metastases. Developments in instrumentation such as the high-resolution dedicated breast device coupled with the diagnostic versatility of conventional cameras have reinserted nuclear medicine as a valuable tool in the broader clinical setting. This review outlines the role of general nuclear medicine, concluding that targeted radiopharmaceuticals and versatile instrumentation position nuclear medicine as amore » powerful modality for patients with breast cancer.« less

Nuclear medicine training and practice in Turkey.

PubMed

Ozcan, Zehra; Bozkurt, M Fani; Erbas, Belkıs; Durak, Hatice

2017-05-01

Nuclear medicine applications in Turkey started in the early 1950s, grew as an independent medical discipline and finally were recognized by the Ministry of Health in 1973. Later on, the professional organization of nuclear medicine physicians and other related professionals including radiopharmacists and technologists under the Turkish Society of Nuclear Medicine were established in 1975. Recently after completing more than a half century in Turkey, nuclear medicine has proved to be a strong and evolving medical field with more than 600 physicians serving for the changing needs of clinical practice throughout these years. This article describes past and present facts in this field and attempts to provide insights into the future which hopefully will be brighter than before.

Electrocardiography: A Technologist's Guide to Interpretation.

PubMed

Tso, Colin; Currie, Geoffrey M; Gilmore, David; Kiat, Hosen

2015-12-01

The nuclear medicine technologist works with electrocardiography when performing cardiac stress testing and gated cardiac imaging and when monitoring critical patients. To enhance patient care, basic electrocardiogram interpretation skills and recognition of key arrhythmias are essential for the nuclear medicine technologist. This article provides insight into the anatomy of an electrocardiogram trace, covers basic electrocardiogram interpretation methods, and describes an example case typical in the nuclear medicine environment. © 2015 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

Fundamentals of nuclear medicine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alazraki, N.P.; Mishkin, F.S.

1988-01-01

The book begins with basic science and statistics relevant to nuclear medicine, and specific organ systems are addressed in separate chapters. A section of the text also covers imaging of groups of disease processes (eg, trauma, cancer). The authors present a comparison between nuclear medicine techniques and other diagnostic imaging studies. A table is given which comments on sensitivities and specificities of common nuclear medicine studies. The sensitivities and specificities are categorized as very high, high, moderate, and so forth.

A Perspective of the future of nuclear medicine training and certification

PubMed Central

Arevalo-Perez, Julio; Paris, Manuel; Graham, Michael M.; Osborne, Joseph R.

2016-01-01

Nuclear Medicine has evolved from a medical subspecialty using quite basic tests to one using elaborate methods to image organ physiology and has truly become “Molecular Imaging”. Concurrently, there has also been a timely debate about who has to be responsible for keeping pace with all of the components of the developmental cycle; imaging, radiopharmaceuticals and instrumentation. Since the foundation of the ABNM, the practice of Nuclear Medicine and the process toward certification have undergone major revisions. At present, the debate is focused on the inevitable future convergence of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine. The potential for further cooperation or fusion of the American Board of Radiology (ABR) and the American Board of Nuclear Medicine (ABNM) is likely to bring about a new path for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging training. If the merger is done carefully, respecting the strengths of both partners equally, there is an excellent potential to create a hybrid Nuclear Medicine – Radiology specialty that combines Physiology and Molecular Biology with detailed anatomic imaging that will sustain the innovation that has been central to nuclear medicine residency and practice. Herein, we also introduce a few basic trends in imaging utilization in the United States. These trends do not predict future utilization, but highlight the need for an appropriately credentialed practitioner to interpret these examinations and provide value to the healthcare system. PMID:26687859

Müller glia: Stem cells for generation and regeneration of retinal neurons in teleost fish

PubMed Central

Lenkowski, Jenny R.; Raymond, Pamela A.

2014-01-01

Adult zebrafish generate new neurons in the brain and retina throughout life. Growth-related neurogenesis allows a vigorous regenerative response to damage, and fish can regenerate retinal neurons, including photoreceptors, and restore functional vision following photic, chemical, or mechanical destruction of the retina. Müller glial cells in fish function as radial-glial-like neural stem cells. During adult growth, Müller glial nuclei undergo sporadic, asymmetric, self-renewing mitotic divisions in the inner nuclear layer to generate a rod progenitor that migrates along the radial fiber of the Müller glia into the outer nuclear layer, proliferates, and differentiates exclusively into rod photoreceptors. When retinal neurons are destroyed, Müller glia in the immediate vicinity of the damage partially and transiently dedifferentiate, re-express retinal progenitor and stem cell markers, re-enter the cell cycle, undergo interkinetic nuclear migration (characteristic of neuroepithelial cells), and divide once in an asymmetric, self-renewing division to generate a retinal progenitor. This daughter cell proliferates rapidly to form a compact neurogenic cluster surrounding the Müller glia; these multipotent retinal progenitors then migrate along the radial fiber to the appropriate lamina to replace missing retinal neurons. Some aspects of the injury-response in fish Müller glia resemble gliosis as observed in mammals, and mammalian Müller glia exhibit some neurogenic properties, indicative of a latent ability to regenerate retinal neurons. Understanding the specific properties of fish Müller glia that facilitate their robust capacity to generate retinal neurons will inform and inspire new clinical approaches for treating blindness and visual loss with regenerative medicine. PMID:24412518

IAEA programs in empowering the nuclear medicine profession through online educational resources.

PubMed

Pascual, Thomas Nb; Dondi, Maurizio; Paez, Diana; Kashyap, Ravi; Nunez-Miller, Rodolfo

2013-05-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) programme in human health aims to enhance the capabilities in Member States to address needs related to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases through the application of nuclear techniques. It has the specific mission of fostering the application of nuclear medicine techniques as part of the clinical management of certain types of diseases. Attuned to the continuous evolution of this specialty as well as to the advancement and diversity of methods in delivering capacity building efforts in this digital age, the section of nuclear medicine of the IAEA has enhanced its program by incorporating online educational resources for nuclear medicine professionals into its repertoire of projects to further its commitment in addressing the needs of its Member States in the field of nuclear medicine. Through online educational resources such as the Human Health Campus website, e-learning modules, and scheduled interactive webinars, a validation of the commitment by the IAEA in addressing the needs of its Member States in the field of nuclear medicine is strengthened while utilizing the advanced internet and communications technology which is progressively becoming available worldwide. The Human Health Campus (www.humanhealth.iaea.org) is the online educational resources initiative of the Division of Human Health of the IAEA geared toward enhancing professional knowledge of health professionals in radiation medicine (nuclear medicine and diagnostic imaging, radiation oncology, and medical radiation physics), and nutrition. E-learning modules provide an interactive learning environment to its users while providing immediate feedback for each task accomplished. Webinars, unlike webcasts, offer the opportunity of enhanced interaction with the learners facilitated through slide shows where the presenter guides and engages the audience using video and live streaming. This paper explores the IAEA's available online educational resources programs geared toward the enhancement of the nuclear medicine profession as delivered by the section of nuclear medicine of the IAEA. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nanotechnology and nuclear medicine; research and preclinical applications.

PubMed

Assadi, Majid; Afrasiabi, Kolsoom; Nabipour, Iraj; Seyedabadi, Mohammad

2011-01-01

The birth of nanotechnology in human society was around 2000 years ago and soon found applications in various fields. In this article, we highlight the current status of research and preclinical applications and also future prospects of nanotechnology in medicine and in nuclear medicine. The most important field is cancer. A regular nanotechnology training program for nuclear medicine physicians may be welcome.

Source Book of Educational Materials for Nuclear Medicine.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pijar, Mary Lou, Comp.; Lewis, Jeannine T., Comp.

The contents of this sourcebook of educational materials are divided into the following sections: Anatomy and Physiology; Medical Terminology; Medical Ethics and Department Management; Patient Care and Medical Decision-Making; Basic Nuclear Medicine; Diagnostic in Vivo; Diagnostic in Vitro; Pediatric Nuclear Medicine; Radiation Detection and…

Nuclear Medicine in the Philippines: A Glance at the Past, a Gaze at the Present, and a Glimpse of the Future

PubMed Central

Bautista, Patricia A.; Luis, Teofilo O.L. San

2016-01-01

While the introduction of radioactive tracers in the study of metabolic pathways has been well-documented in clinical thyroidology as early as 1924, the widespread utilization in other clinical specialties has been hampered by slow developments in radiation-detecting devices and in the production of appropriate radiopharmaceuticals, in addition to the morbid fear of radiation. In the Philippines, the first radioisotope laboratory was established in 1956. Ten years later, the Philippine Society of Nuclear Medicine was formed. Through the years, challenges were overcome, foundations were laid down, growth was encouraged, friendships with other organizations were built, adjustments were made, and rules were enforced. To date, there are approximately 58 nuclear medicine centers randomly distributed from north to south of the Philippines, 7 accredited nuclear medicine training institutions, 95 board-certified nuclear medicine physicians (a few of whom are also internationally recognized), and a regionally-indexed Philippine Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Qualifying examinations for technologists were also recently instated. International relations are constantly strengthened by sending trainees abroad and accepting foreign trainees here, as well as participating in conferences and other endeavors. While the cost of putting up nuclear medicine centers in the Philippines is still prohibitive, it should not pose too much of a constraint as there are foreign and local parties willing to help. With appropriate instrumentation, targeting radiopharmaceuticals and trained human resources, nuclear medicine can indeed contribute much to health care delivery. PMID:27408901

Nuclear Medicine Technology: A Suggested Postsecondary Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Technical Education Research Center, Cambridge, MA.

The purpose of this curriculum guide is to assist administrators and instructors in establishing nuclear medicine technician programs that will meet the accreditation standards of the American Medical Association (AMA) Council on Medical Education. The guide has been developed to prepare nuclear medicine technicians (NMT's) in two-year…

42 CFR Appendix D to Part 75 - Standards for Accreditation of Educational Programs for Nuclear Medicine Technologists

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... technologist credentialed in nuclear medicine technology. 2. Instructional Staff—(a) Responsibilities. The...—Standards for Accreditation of Educational Programs for Nuclear Medicine Technologists A. Sponsorship 1... certificate documenting completion of the program. 2. Educational programs may be established in: (a...

42 CFR Appendix D to Part 75 - Standards for Accreditation of Educational Programs for Nuclear Medicine Technologists

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... technologist credentialed in nuclear medicine technology. 2. Instructional Staff—(a) Responsibilities. The...—Standards for Accreditation of Educational Programs for Nuclear Medicine Technologists A. Sponsorship 1... certificate documenting completion of the program. 2. Educational programs may be established in: (a...

42 CFR Appendix D to Part 75 - Standards for Accreditation of Educational Programs for Nuclear Medicine Technologists

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... technologist credentialed in nuclear medicine technology. 2. Instructional Staff—(a) Responsibilities. The...—Standards for Accreditation of Educational Programs for Nuclear Medicine Technologists A. Sponsorship 1... certificate documenting completion of the program. 2. Educational programs may be established in: (a...

42 CFR Appendix D to Part 75 - Standards for Accreditation of Educational Programs for Nuclear Medicine Technologists

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... technologist credentialed in nuclear medicine technology. 2. Instructional Staff—(a) Responsibilities. The...—Standards for Accreditation of Educational Programs for Nuclear Medicine Technologists A. Sponsorship 1... certificate documenting completion of the program. 2. Educational programs may be established in: (a...

42 CFR 75.3 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... in § 75.2 and who are not practitioners excepted by the Act. (2) Nuclear Medicine Technologist Standards apply to all individuals who are nuclear medicine technologists as defined in § 75.2, who perform in vivo nuclear medicine procedures, and who are not practitioners excepted by the Act. For purposes...

42 CFR 75.3 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... in § 75.2 and who are not practitioners excepted by the Act. (2) Nuclear Medicine Technologist Standards apply to all individuals who are nuclear medicine technologists as defined in § 75.2, who perform in vivo nuclear medicine procedures, and who are not practitioners excepted by the Act. For purposes...

42 CFR 75.3 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... in § 75.2 and who are not practitioners excepted by the Act. (2) Nuclear Medicine Technologist Standards apply to all individuals who are nuclear medicine technologists as defined in § 75.2, who perform in vivo nuclear medicine procedures, and who are not practitioners excepted by the Act. For purposes...

42 CFR 75.3 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... in § 75.2 and who are not practitioners excepted by the Act. (2) Nuclear Medicine Technologist Standards apply to all individuals who are nuclear medicine technologists as defined in § 75.2, who perform in vivo nuclear medicine procedures, and who are not practitioners excepted by the Act. For purposes...

42 CFR 75.3 - Applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... in § 75.2 and who are not practitioners excepted by the Act. (2) Nuclear Medicine Technologist Standards apply to all individuals who are nuclear medicine technologists as defined in § 75.2, who perform in vivo nuclear medicine procedures, and who are not practitioners excepted by the Act. For purposes...

Epidemiology for the nuclear medicine technologist.

PubMed

Bolus, N E

2001-09-01

The purpose of this article is to introduce the nuclear medicine technologist to the field of epidemiology. There are many applications of epidemiology in nuclear medicine, including research studies that deal with the causes of disease or ways to prevent disease from occurring and investigating the possible effects of ionizing radiation on occupational workers and the general public. One use of an epidemiologic study is to suggest ways to reduce the occurrence of a disease. After reading this article, the nuclear medicine technologist will be familiar with: a) the history and underlying assumptions of epidemiology, b) types of epidemiologic studies, c) what is a valid statistical association for an epidemiologic study, d) proper judgment of cause and effect relationships, e) definitions of epidemiologic terms, and f) an example of a nuclear medicine research study.

Will the Australian nuclear medicine technologist workforce meet anticipated health care demands?

PubMed

Adams, Edwina; Schofield, Deborah; Cox, Jennifer; Adamson, Barbara

2008-05-01

Determination of national nuclear medicine technologist workforce size was made from census data in 2001 and 1996 and from the professional body in 2004. A survey conducted by the authors in 2005 provided retention patterns in north-eastern Australia and suggested causes. Utilisation of nuclear medicine diagnostic services was established through the Medicare Benefits Schedule group statistics. More than half the nuclear medicine technologist workforce is under 35 years of age. Attrition commences from age 30, with very few workers over 55 years. In 2005 there was a 12% attrition of the survey workforce. In the past decade, service provision increased while workforce size decreased and the nuclear medicine technologist workforce is at risk of failing to meet the anticipated rise in health service needs.

IAEA support to medical physics in nuclear medicine.

PubMed

Meghzifene, Ahmed; Sgouros, George

2013-05-01

Through its programmatic efforts and its publications, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has helped define the role and responsibilities of the nuclear medicine physicist in the practice of nuclear medicine. This paper describes the initiatives that the IAEA has undertaken to support medical physics in nuclear medicine. In 1984, the IAEA provided guidance on how to ensure that the equipment used for detecting, imaging, and quantifying radioactivity is functioning properly (Technical Document [TECDOC]-137, "Quality Control of Nuclear Medicine Instruments"). An updated version of IAEA-TECDOC-137 was issued in 1991 as IAEA-TECDOC-602, and this included new chapters on scanner-computer systems and single-photon emission computed tomography systems. Nuclear medicine physics was introduced as a part of a project on radiation imaging and radioactivity measurements in the 2002-2003 IAEA biennium program in Dosimetry and Medical Radiation Physics. Ten years later, IAEA activities in this field have expanded to cover quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) of nuclear medicine equipment, education and clinical training, professional recognition of the role of medical physicists in nuclear medicine physics, and finally, the coordination of research and development activities in internal dosimetry. As a result of these activities, the IAEA has received numerous requests to support the development and implementation of QA or QC programs for radioactivity measurements in nuclear medicine in many Member States. During the last 5 years, support was provided to 20 Member States through the IAEA's technical cooperation programme. The IAEA has also supported education and clinical training of medical physicists. This type of support has been essential for the development and expansion of the Medical Physics profession, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The need for basic as well as specialized clinical training in medical physics was identified as a priority for healthcare providers in many countries. The IAEA's response to meet the increasing needs for training has been 2-folds. Through its regular program, a priority is given to the development of standardized syllabi and education and clinical training guides. Through its technical cooperation programme, support is given for setting up national medical physics education and clinical training programs in countries. In addition, fellowships are granted for professionals working in the field for specialized training, and workshops are organized at the national and regional level in specialized topics of nuclear medicine physics. So as to support on-the-job training, the IAEA has also setup a gamma camera laboratory in Seibersdorf, Austria. The laboratory is also equipped with QC tools and equipments, and radioisotopes are procured when training events are held. About 2-3 specialized courses are held every year for medical physicists at the IAEA gamma camera laboratory. In the area of research and development, the IAEA supports, through its coordinated research projects, new initiatives in quantitative nuclear medicine and internal dosimetry. The future of nuclear medicine is driven by advances in instrumentation, by the ever increasing availability of computing power and data storage, and by the development of new radiopharmaceuticals for molecular imaging and therapy. Future developments in nuclear medicine are partially driven by, and will influence, nuclear medicine physics and medical physics. To summarize, the IAEA has established a number of programs to support nuclear medicine physics and will continue to do so through its coordinated research activities, education and training in clinical medical physics, and through programs and meetings to promote standardization and harmonization of QA or QC procedures for imaging and treatment of patients. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comprehensive Auditing in Nuclear Medicine Through the International Atomic Energy Agency Quality Management Audits in Nuclear Medicine (QUANUM) Program. Part 1: the QUANUM Program and Methodology.

PubMed

Dondi, Maurizio; Torres, Leonel; Marengo, Mario; Massardo, Teresa; Mishani, Eyal; Van Zyl Ellmann, Annare; Solanki, Kishor; Bischof Delaloye, Angelika; Lobato, Enrique Estrada; Miller, Rodolfo Nunez; Paez, Diana; Pascual, Thomas

2017-11-01

An effective management system that integrates quality management is essential for a modern nuclear medicine practice. The Nuclear Medicine and Diagnostic Imaging Section of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has the mission of supporting nuclear medicine practice in low- and middle-income countries and of helping them introduce it in their health-care system, when not yet present. The experience gathered over several years has shown diversified levels of development and varying degrees of quality of practice, among others because of limited professional networking and limited or no opportunities for exchange of experiences. Those findings triggered the development of a program named Quality Management Audits in Nuclear Medicine (QUANUM), aimed at improving the standards of NM practice in low- and middle-income countries to internationally accepted standards through the introduction of a culture of quality management and systematic auditing programs. QUANUM takes into account the diversity of nuclear medicine services around the world and multidisciplinary contributions to the practice. Those contributions include clinical, technical, radiopharmaceutical, and medical physics procedures. Aspects of radiation safety and patient protection are also integral to the process. Such an approach ensures consistency in providing safe services of superior quality to patients. The level of conformance is assessed using standards based on publications of the IAEA and the International Commission on Radiological Protection, and guidelines from scientific societies such as Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) and European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM). Following QUANUM guidelines and by means of a specific assessment tool developed by the IAEA, auditors, both internal and external, will be able to evaluate the level of conformance. Nonconformances will then be prioritized and recommendations will be provided during an exit briefing. The same tool could then be applied to assess any improvement after corrective actions are taken. This is the first comprehensive audit program in nuclear medicine that helps evaluate managerial aspects, safety of patients and workers, clinical practice, and radiopharmacy, and, above all, keeps them under control all together, with the intention of continuous improvement. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Nuclear DNA as Predictor of Acute Kidney Injury in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Likhvantsev, Valery V; Landoni, Giovanni; Grebenchikov, Oleg A; Skripkin, Yuri V; Zabelina, Tatiana S; Zinovkina, Liudmila A; Prikhodko, Anastasia S; Lomivorotov, Vladimir V; Zinovkin, Roman A

2017-12-01

To measure the release of plasma nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and to assess the relationship between nuclear DNA level and acute kidney injury occurrence in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Cardiovascular anesthesiology and intensive care unit of a large tertiary-care university hospital. Prospective observational study. Fifty adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Nuclear DNA concentration was measured in the plasma. The relationship between the level of nuclear DNA and the incidence of acute kidney injury after coronary artery bypass grafting was investigated. Cardiac surgery leads to significant increase in plasma nuclear DNA with peak levels 12 hours after surgery (median [interquartile range] 7.0 [9.6-22.5] µg/mL). No difference was observed between off-pump and on-pump surgical techniques. Nuclear DNA was the only predictor of acute kidney injury between baseline and early postoperative risk factors. The authors found an increase of nuclear DNA in the plasma of patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting, with a peak after 12 hours and an association of nuclear DNA with postoperative acute kidney injury. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The 2011 nuclear medicine technology job analysis project of the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.

PubMed

Anderson, Dan; Hubble, William; Press, Bret A; Hall, Scott K; Michels, Ann D; Koenen, Roxanne; Vespie, Alan W

2010-12-01

The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) conducts periodic job analysis projects to update the content and eligibility requirements for all certification examinations. In 2009, the ARRT conducted a comprehensive job analysis project to update the content specifications and clinical competency requirements for the nuclear medicine technology examination. ARRT staff and a committee of volunteer nuclear medicine technologists designed a job analysis survey that was sent to a random sample of 1,000 entry-level staff nuclear medicine technologists. Through analysis of the survey data and judgments of the committee, the project resulted in changes to the nuclear medicine technology examination task list, content specifications, and clinical competency requirements. The primary changes inspired by the project were the introduction of CT content to the examination and the expansion of the content covering cardiac procedures.

A computer program for calculation of approximate embryo/fetus radiation dose in nuclear medicine applications.

PubMed

Bayram, Tuncay; Sönmez, Bircan

2012-04-01

In this study, we aimed to make a computer program that calculates approximate radiation dose received by embryo/fetus in nuclear medicine applications. Radiation dose values per MBq-1 received by embryo/fetus in nuclear medicine applications were gathered from literature for various stages of pregnancy. These values were embedded in the computer code, which was written in Fortran 90 program language. The computer program called nmfdose covers almost all radiopharmaceuticals used in nuclear medicine applications. Approximate radiation dose received by embryo/fetus can be calculated easily at a few steps using this computer program. Although there are some constraints on using the program for some special cases, nmfdose is useful and it provides practical solution for calculation of approximate dose to embryo/fetus in nuclear medicine applications. None declared.

Guidelines for radioiodinated MIBG scintigraphy in children.

PubMed

Olivier, Pierre; Colarinha, Paula; Fettich, Jure; Fischer, Sibylle; Frökier, Jörgen; Giammarile, Francesco; Gordon, Isky; Hahn, Klaus; Kabasakal, Levent; Mann, Mike; Mitjavila, Mercedes; Piepsz, Amy; Porn, Ute; Sixt, Rune; van Velzen, Jeannette

2003-05-01

These guidelines on the use of radioiodinated (99m)Tc-MIBG scintigraphy in children, which summarise the views of the Paediatric Committee of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine, provide a framework which may prove helpful to nuclear medicine teams in daily practice. They have been influenced by the conclusions of the "Consensus Guidelines for MIBG Scintigraphy" (Paris, November 6, 1997) of the European Neuroblastoma Group and by those of the Oncological Committee of the French Society of Nuclear Medicine. The guidelines should be taken in the context of "good practice" and any local/national rules which apply to nuclear medicine examinations.

New Trends and Possibilities in Nuclear Medicine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schmidt, H.A.E.; Csernay, L

New Trends and Possibilities in Nuclear Medicine provides an examination of the latest developments in the field of nuclear medicine. This volume reviews advances made in imaging techniques and presents a detailed overview of many new imaging procedures and their clinical applications, e.g.,the oncological applications of immunoscintigraphy. This book also elucidates the various diagnostic capabilities of nuclear imaging in a wide range of disciplines, including cardiology, neurology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, nephrology, oncology, and hematology.

Material science as basis for nuclear medicine: Holmium irradiation for radioisotopes production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usman, Ahmed Rufai; Khandaker, Mayeen Uddin; Haba, Hiromitsu; Otuka, Naohiko

2018-05-01

Material Science, being an interdisciplinary field, plays important roles in nuclear science. These applications are seen in weaponry, armoured vehicles, accelerator structure and development, semiconductor detectors, nuclear medicine and many more. Present study presents the applications of some metals in nuclear medicine (radioisotope production). The charged-particle-induced nuclear reactions by using cyclotrons or accelerators have become a very vital feature of the modern nuclear medicine. Realising the importance of excitation functions for the efficient production of medical radionuclides, some very high purity holmium metals are generally prepared or purchased for bombardment in nuclear accelerators. In the present work, various methods to obtain pure holmium for radioisotope production have been discussed while also presenting details of our present studies. From the experimental work of the present studies, some very high purity holmium foils have been used in the work for a comprehensive study of residual radionuclides production cross-sections. The study was performed using a stacked-foil activation technique combined with γ-ray spectrometry. The stack was bombarded with 50.4 MeV alpha particle beam from AVF cyclotron of RI Beam Factory, Nishina Centre for Accelerator-Based Science, RIKEN, Japan. The work produced thulium radionuclides useful in nuclear medicine.

[Management of iodine-131 ablation therapy for thyroid carcinoma in a patient on chronic hemodialysis].

PubMed

Zenasni, Nadia; Elkhayat, Salma; Taleb, Sara; Zamd, Mohammed; Medkouri, Ghizlaine; Benghanem Gharbi, Mohammed; Ramdani, Benyounes; Aschawa, Hind; Guensi, Amal

2015-04-01

Iodine-131 ablation therapy for thyroid cancer in the patient on chronic hemodialysis represents a real problem since the main route of elimination of radioiodine is urinary. There is no recommendation on the management of this treatment in the patient on hemodialysis. We report our experience of management of this treatment in a patient aged 38 years, undergoing hemodialysis for chronic renal failure, and who have been indicated the treatment with iodine-131 for papillary thyroid carcinoma high risk. After multidisciplinary discussions (nephrologists and specialists in nuclear medicine and radiation safety), it has been decided to treat the patient with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis therapy (CAPD). Because of the low but continuous elimination of iodine in the case of CAPD, the patient received a reduced ablative (131)I dose of 1850 MBq, which is 30% of the usual dose delivered in subjects with normal renal function. The patient was hospitalized for four days in nuclear medicine unit and the (131)I radioactivity emitted from him was 2.5 μSv/h at one meter at his hospital discharge. In conclusion, CAPD in relay of hemodialysis is a technique of renal replacement therapy that can be suggested to minimize exposure to radioactivity to the patient, his family and the medical staff. Copyright © 2015 Association Société de néphrologie. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

[Costing nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures].

PubMed

Markou, Pavlos

2005-01-01

To the Editor: Referring to a recent special report about the cost analysis of twenty-nine nuclear medicine procedures, I would like to clarify some basic aspects for determining costs of nuclear medicine procedure with various costing methodologies. Activity Based Costing (ABC) method, is a new approach in imaging services costing that can provide the most accurate cost data, but is difficult to perform in nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures. That is because ABC requires determining and analyzing all direct and indirect costs of each procedure, according all its activities. Traditional costing methods, like those for estimating incomes and expenses per procedure or fixed and variable costs per procedure, which are widely used in break-even point analysis and the method of ratio-of-costs-to-charges per procedure may be easily performed in nuclear medicine departments, to evaluate the variability and differences between costs and reimbursement - charges.

NMR clinical imaging and spectroscopy: Its impact on nuclear medicine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1990-02-02

This is a collection of four papers describing aspects of past and future use of nuclear magnetic resonance as a clinical diagnostic tool. The four papers are entitled (1) What Does NMR Offer that Nuclear Medicine Does Not by Jerry W. Froelich, (2) Oncological Imaging: Now, Future and Impact Jerry W. Froelich, (3) Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/Spectroscopic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine: Past, Present and Future by H. Cecil Charles, and (4) MR Cardiology: Now, Future and Impact by Robert J. Herfkens.

NMR clinical imaging and spectroscopy: Its impact on nuclear medicine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1990-02-02

This is a collection of four papers describing aspects of past and future use of nuclear magnetic resonance as a clinical diagnostic tool. The four papers are entitled (1) What Does NMR Offer that Nuclear Medicine Does Not? by Jerry W. Froelich, (2) Oncological Imaging: Now, Future and Impact Jerry W. Froelich, (3) Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/Spectroscopic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine: Past, Present and Future by H. Cecil Charles, and (4) MR Cardiology: Now, Future and Impact by Robert J. Herfkens.

Nuclear Medicine Physics: The Basics. 7th ed.

PubMed

Mihailidis, Dimitris

2012-10-01

Nuclear Medicine Physics: The Basics. 7th ed. Ramesh Chandra, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, a Wolters Kluwer Business. Philadelphia, 2012. Softbound, 224 pp. Price: $69.99. ISBN: 9781451109412. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Trends in radiation exposure from clinical nuclear medicine procedures in Shanghai, China.

PubMed

Yi, Yanling; Zheng, Junzheng; Zhuo, Weihai; Gao, Linfeng

2012-03-01

This study was designed to assess the trends in the frequencies of nuclear medicine procedures in Shanghai, China, and to determine their contributions to the per capita effective dose to the Shanghai population. The mean activities of radionuclides administered by nuclear medicine departments were compared with the Chinese national guidelines on diagnostic reference levels. On the basis of the three surveys carried out by Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 1996, 1998, and 2008, the typically administered radiopharmaceuticals, levels of activity, the number of procedures, and population were systematically analyzed to assess the frequencies of nuclear medicine procedures and the per capita effective dose. The frequencies were approximately 2.77, 3.46, and 6.63 per 1000 people in 1996, 1998, and 2008, respectively. The annual per capita doses from diagnostic nuclear medicine were estimated to be 0.016, 0.022, and 0.032 mSv in 1996, 1998, and 2008, respectively. The annual frequency of therapeutic nuclear medicine procedures increased from 0.131 to 0.430 per 1000 people in the intervening 12 years. In the 12 years before 2008, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in nuclear medicine in Shanghai increased continuously, and the annual per capita dose doubled. Increases in PET imaging and bone scans were the major contributors to the increasing frequency and magnitude of radiation exposure to the population. The activities administered for most diagnostic procedures were generally consistent with the designated reference levels.

The impact of functional imaging on radiation medicine.

PubMed

Sharma, Nidhi; Neumann, Donald; Macklis, Roger

2008-09-15

Radiation medicine has previously utilized planning methods based primarily on anatomic and volumetric imaging technologies such as CT (Computerized Tomography), ultrasound, and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). In recent years, it has become apparent that a new dimension of non-invasive imaging studies may hold great promise for expanding the utility and effectiveness of the treatment planning process. Functional imaging such as PET (Positron Emission Tomography) studies and other nuclear medicine based assays are beginning to occupy a larger place in the oncology imaging world. Unlike the previously mentioned anatomic imaging methodologies, functional imaging allows differentiation between metabolically dead and dying cells and those which are actively metabolizing. The ability of functional imaging to reproducibly select viable and active cell populations in a non-invasive manner is now undergoing validation for many types of tumor cells. Many histologic subtypes appear amenable to this approach, with impressive sensitivity and selectivity reported. For clinical radiation medicine, the ability to differentiate between different levels and types of metabolic activity allows the possibility of risk based focal treatments in which the radiation doses and fields are more tightly connected to the perceived risk of recurrence or progression at each location. This review will summarize many of the basic principles involved in the field of functional PET imaging for radiation oncology planning and describe some of the major relevant published data behind this expanding trend.

Recommendations for Nuclear Medicine Technologists Drawn from an Analysis of Errors Reported in Australian Radiation Incident Registers.

PubMed

Kearney, Nicole; Denham, Gary

2016-12-01

When a radiation incident occurs in nuclear medicine in Australia, the incident is reported to the relevant state or territory authority, which performs an investigation and sends its findings to the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency. The agency then includes these data in its Australian Radiation Incident Register and makes them available to the public as an annual summary report on its website. The aim of this study was to analyze the radiation incidents included in these annual reports and in the publically available state and territory registers, identify any recurring themes, and make recommendations to minimize future incidents. A multidisciplinary team comprising a nuclear medicine technologist, a radiation therapist, and a diagnostic radiographer analyzed all nuclear medicine technology-, radiation therapy-, and diagnostic radiography-related incidents recorded in the Australian Radiation Incident Register and in the registers of New South Wales, Western Australia, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania between 2003 and 2015. Each incident was placed into 1 of 18 categories, and each category was examined to determine any recurring causes of the incidents. We analyzed 209 nuclear medicine incidents. Their primary cause was failure to comply with time-out protocols (85.6%). By analyzing both the causes and the rates of radiation incidents, we were able to recommend ways to help prevent them from being repeated. Information drawn from the Australian Radiation Incident Register and 5 state registers has revealed steps that can be taken by any nuclear medicine department to prevent repetition of the incidents that have already occurred. © 2016 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

Knowledge about the availability of the pharmacist in the Nuclear Medicine Department: A questionnaire-based study among health-care professionals

PubMed Central

Parasuraman, Subramani; Mueen Ahmed, K.K.; Bin Hashim, Tin Soe @ Saifullah; Muralidharan, Selvadurai; Kumar, Kalaimani Jayaraja; Ping, Wu Yet; Syamittra, Balakrishnan; Dhanaraj, Sokkalingam Arumugam

2014-01-01

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the knowledge about the availability of the pharmacist in the nuclear medicine department among health-care professionals through a prospective cohort study. Methods: A total of 741 health-care professionals participated in the study by answering 10 simple questions about the role of the pharmacist in the nuclear medicine department and the availability of pharmacist in the nuclear medicine department. An online questionnaire system was used to conduct the study, and participants were invited to participate through personal communications and by promoting the study through social websites including Facebook, LinkedIn and Google (including Gmail and Google+). The study was conducted between April 2013 and March 2014 using the http://www.freeonlinesurveys.com/Webserver. Finally, the data provided by 621 participants was analyzed. Group frequency analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16 (SPSS Inc. USA). Results: The participants were from Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, UAE and Nepal. In total, 312 (50.2%) female health-care professionals and 309 (49.8%) male health-care professionals participated in the study. Of the 621 participants, 390 were working in hospitals, and 231 were not working in hospitals. Of the participants who were working in hospitals, 57.6% were pharmacists. The proportion of study participants who were aware of nuclear pharmacists was 55.39%. Awareness about the role of the pharmacist in nuclear medicine was poor. Conclusion: The role of the pharmacist in a nuclear medicine unit needs to be highlighted and promoted among health-care professionals and hence that the nuclear medicine team can provide better pharmaceutical care. PMID:25538467

Early In Vitro Differentiation of Mouse Definitive Endoderm Is Not Correlated with Progressive Maturation of Nuclear DNA Methylation Patterns

PubMed Central

Tajbakhsh, Jian; Gertych, Arkadiusz; Fagg, W. Samuel; Hatada, Seigo; Fair, Jeffrey H.

2011-01-01

The genome organization in pluripotent cells undergoing the first steps of differentiation is highly relevant to the reprogramming process in differentiation. Considering this fact, chromatin texture patterns that identify cells at the very early stage of lineage commitment could serve as valuable tools in the selection of optimal cell phenotypes for regenerative medicine applications. Here we report on the first-time use of high-resolution three-dimensional fluorescence imaging and comprehensive topological cell-by-cell analyses with a novel image-cytometrical approach towards the identification of in situ global nuclear DNA methylation patterns in early endodermal differentiation of mouse ES cells (up to day 6), and the correlations of these patterns with a set of putative markers for pluripotency and endodermal commitment, and the epithelial and mesenchymal character of cells. Utilizing this in vitro cell system as a model for assessing the relationship between differentiation and nuclear DNA methylation patterns, we found that differentiating cell populations display an increasing number of cells with a gain in DNA methylation load: first within their euchromatin, then extending into heterochromatic areas of the nucleus, which also results in significant changes of methylcytosine/global DNA codistribution patterns. We were also able to co-visualize and quantify the concomitant stochastic marker expression on a per-cell basis, for which we did not measure any correlation to methylcytosine loads or distribution patterns. We observe that the progression of global DNA methylation is not correlated with the standard transcription factors associated with endodermal development. Further studies are needed to determine whether the progression of global methylation could represent a useful signature of cellular differentiation. This concept of tracking epigenetic progression may prove useful in the selection of cell phenotypes for future regenerative medicine applications. PMID:21779341

Radiation exposure to sonographers from nuclear medicine patients: A review.

PubMed

Earl, Victoria Jean; Badawy, Mohamed Khaldoun

2018-06-01

Following nuclear medicine scans a patient can be a source of radiation exposure to the hospital staff, including sonographers. Sonographers are not routinely monitored for occupational radiation exposure as they do not commonly interact with radioactive patients or other sources of ionizing radiation. This review aims to find evidence relating to the risk and amount of radiation the sonographer is exposed to from nuclear medicine patients. It is established in the literature that the radiation exposure to the sonographer following diagnostic nuclear medicine studies is low and consequently the risk is not significant. Nevertheless, it is paramount that basic radiation safety principles are followed to ensure any exposure to ionizing radiation is kept as low as reasonably achievable. Practical recommendations are given to assist the sonographer in radiation protection. Nuclear medicine therapy procedures may place the sonographer at higher risk and as such consultation with a Radiation Safety Officer or Medical Physicist as to the extent of exposure is recommended. © 2018 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists.

NCRP report 160 and what it means for medical imaging and nuclear medicine.

PubMed

Bolus, Norman E

2013-12-01

The purpose of this paper is to briefly explain report 160 of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement and the significance of the report to medical imaging as a whole and nuclear medicine specifically. The implications of the findings of report 160 have had repercussions and will continue to affect all of ionizing radiation medical imaging. The nuclear medicine community should have an understanding of why and how report 160 is important. After reading this article, the nuclear medicine technologist will be familiar with the main focus of report 160, the significant change that has occurred since the 1980s in the ionizing radiation exposure of people in the United States, the primary background source of ionizing radiation in the United States, the primary medical exposure to ionizing radiation in the United States, trends in nuclear medicine procedures and patient exposure, and a comparison of population doses between 2006 and the early 1980s as outlined in report 160.

Estimated collective effective dose to the population from nuclear medicine examinations in Slovenia

PubMed Central

Skrk, Damijan; Zontar, Dejan

2013-01-01

Background A national survey of patient exposure from nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures was performed by Slovenian Radiation Protection Administration in order to estimate their contribution to the collective effective dose to the population of Slovenia. Methods A set of 36 examinations with the highest contributions to the collective effective dose was identified. Data about frequencies and average administered activities of radioisotopes used for those examinations were collected from all nuclear medicine departments in Slovenia. A collective effective dose to the population and an effective dose per capita were estimated from the collected data using dose conversion factors. Results The total collective effective dose to the population from nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures in 2011 was estimated to 102 manSv, giving an effective dose per capita of 0.05 mSv. Conclusions The comparison of results of this study with studies performed in other countries indicates that the nuclear medicine providers in Slovenia are well aware of the importance of patient protection measures and of optimisation of procedures. PMID:24133396

Guidelines for direct radionuclide cystography in children.

PubMed

Fettich, Jure; Colarinha, Paula; Fischer, Sibylle; Frökier, Jörgen; Gordon, Isky; Hahn, Klaus; Kabasakal, Levent; Mann, Mike; Mitjavila, Mercedes; Olivier, Pierre; Piepsz, Amy; Porn, Ute; Roca, Isabel; Sixt, Rune; van Velzen, Jeannette

2003-05-01

These guidelines, which summarise the views of the Paediatric Committee of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine, provide a framework which may prove helpful to nuclear medicine teams in daily practice. They contain information on the indications, acquisition, processing and interpretation of direct radioisotope cystography in children. The guidelines should be taken in the context of "good practice" and any local/national rules which apply to nuclear medicine examinations.

Comparative analysis of dosimetry parameters for nuclear medicine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Toohey, R.E.; Stabin, M.G.

For years many have employed the concept of ``total-body dose`` or ``whole-body dose,`` i.e., the total energy deposited in the body divided by the mass of the body, when evaluating the risks of different nuclear medicine procedures. The effective dose equivalent (H{sub E}), first described in ICRP Publication 26, has been accepted by some as a better quantity to use in evaluating the total risk of a procedure, but its use has been criticized by others primarily because the tissue weighting factors were intended for use in the radiation worker, rather than the nuclear medicine patient population. Nevertheless, in ICRPmore » Publication 52, the ICRP has suggested that the H{sub E} may be used in nuclear medicine. The ICRP also has published a compendium of dose estimates, including H{sub E} values, for various nuclear medicine procedures at various ages in ICRP Publication 53. The effective dose (E) of ICRP Publication 60 is perhaps more suitable for use in nuclear medicine, with tissue weighting factors based on the entire population. Other comparisons of H{sub E} and E have been published. The authors have used the program MIRDOSE 3.1 to compute total-body dose, H{sub E}, and E for 62 radiopharmaceutical procedures, based on the best current biokinetic data available.« less

PHARMACOLOGY PART 2: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACOKINETICS.

PubMed

Currie, Geoffrey M

2018-05-03

Pharmacology principles provide key understanding that underpins the clinical and research roles of nuclear medicine practitioners. This article is the second in a series of articles that aims to enhance the understanding of pharmacological principles relevant to nuclear medicine. This article will build on the introductory concepts, terminology and principles of pharmacodynamics explored in the first article in the series. Specifically, this article will focus on the basic principles associated with pharmacokinetics. Article 3 will outline pharmacology relevant to pharmaceutical interventions and adjunctive medications employed in general nuclear medicine, the fourth pharmacology relevant to pharmaceutical interventions and adjunctive medications employed in nuclear cardiology, the fifth the pharmacology related to contrast media associated with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the final article will address drugs in the emergency trolley. Copyright © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

Assessment of radiation safety awareness among nuclear medicine nurses: a pilot study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yunus, N. A.; Abdullah, M. H. R. O.; Said, M. A.; Ch'ng, P. E.

2014-11-01

All nuclear medicine nurses need to have some knowledge and awareness on radiation safety. At present, there is no study to address this issue in Malaysia. The aims of this study were (1) to determine the level of knowledge and awareness on radiation safety among nuclear medicine nurses at Putrajaya Hospital in Malaysia and (2) to assess the effectiveness of a training program provided by the hospital to increase the knowledge and awareness of the nuclear medicine nurses. A total of 27 respondents attending a training program on radiation safety were asked to complete a questionnaire. The questionnaire consists 16 items and were categorized into two main areas, namely general radiation knowledge and radiation safety. Survey data were collected before and after the training and were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired sample t-test. Respondents were scored out of a total of 16 marks with 8 marks for each area. The findings showed that the range of total scores obtained by the nuclear medicine nurses before and after the training were 6-14 (with a mean score of 11.19) and 13-16 marks (with a mean score of 14.85), respectively. Findings also revealed that the mean score for the area of general radiation knowledge (7.59) was higher than that of the radiation safety (7.26). Currently, the knowledge and awareness on radiation safety among the nuclear medicine nurses are at the moderate level. It is recommended that a national study be conducted to assess and increase the level of knowledge and awareness among all nuclear medicine nurses in Malaysia.

Trends of population radiation adsorbed dose from diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures in Iran: 1985-1989

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mohammadi, H.; Tabeie, F.; Saghari, M.

1995-04-01

In view of the rapid expansion of diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures in Iran, this study was undertaken to examine trends of nuclear medicine practice in the country and to determine the mean effective dose equivalent per patient and per capita. Comprehensive national data covering 93% of all nuclear medicine centers in 1985-1989 were obtained. The total number of nuclear medicine examinations inc teased by 42% during these years. The relative frequency of thyroid investigations was 84% followed by liver/spleen and bone procedures (7% and 6%, respectively). {sup 99m}Tc was the radionuclide of choice for 86% of investigation while {sup 131}Imore » alone accounted for 59% of collective effective dose equivalent. The annual average number of nuclear medicine procedures per 1,000 people was 1.9. For the thyroid, the highest number (48%) of patients investigated was in the 15-29 y age group and the lowest (3%) was in the >64 y age group. The male to female ratio of thyroid and cardiac patient was 0.18 and 3.64, respectively. The numbers of males and females studied for the remaining eight procedures were less frequent and about the same. The mean effective dose equivalent per patient and per capita was about 4.3 mSv and 8 {mu}Sv, respectively. {sup 131}I was responsible for most of collective effective dose equivalent produced by nuclear medicine. Therefore, future efforts should be concentrated on dose reduction for diagnostic {sup 131}I tests.« less

Examining Quality Management Audits in Nuclear Medicine Practice as a lifelong learning process: opportunities and challenges to the nuclear medicine professional and beyond.

PubMed

Pascual, Thomas N B

2016-08-01

This essay will explore the critical issues and challenges surrounding lifelong learning for professionals, initially exploring within the profession and organizational context of nuclear medicine practice. It will critically examine how the peer-review process called Quality Management Audits in Nuclear Medicine Practice (QUANUM) of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) can be considered a lifelong learning opportunity to instill a culture of quality to improve patient care and elevate the status of the nuclear medicine profession and practice within the demands of social changes, policy, and globalization. This will be explored initially by providing contextual background to the identity of the IAEA as an organization responsible for nuclear medicine professionals, followed by the benefits that QUANUM can offer. Further key debates surrounding lifelong learning, such as compulsification of lifelong learning and impact on professional change, will then be weaved through the discussion using theoretical grounding through a qualitative review of the literature. Keeping in mind that there is very limited literature focusing on the implications of QUANUM as a lifelong learning process for nuclear medicine professionals, this essay uses select narratives and observations of QUANUM as a lifelong learning process from an auditor's perspective and will further provide a comparative perspective of QUANUM on the basis of other lifelong learning opportunities such as continuing professional development activities and observe parallelisms on its benefits and challenges that it will offer to other professionals in other medical speciality fields and in the teaching profession.

Potential Ways to Address Shortage Situations of 99Mo/99mTc.

PubMed

Filzen, Leah M; Ellingson, Lacey R; Paulsen, Andrew M; Hung, Joseph C

2017-03-01

99m Tc, the most common radioisotope used in nuclear medicine, is produced in a nuclear reactor from the decay of 99 Mo. There are only a few aging nuclear reactors around the world that produce 99 Mo, and one of the major contributors, the National Research Universal (Canada), ceased production on October 31, 2016. The National Research Universal produced approximately 40% of the world's 99 Mo supply, so with its shut down, shortages of 99 Mo/ 99m Tc are expected. Methods: Nuclear pharmacies and nuclear medicine departments throughout the United States were contacted and asked to provide their strategies for coping with a shortage of 99 Mo/ 99m Tc. Each of these strategies was evaluated on the basis of its effectiveness for conserving 99m Tc while still meeting the needs of the patients. Results: From the responses, the following 6 categories of strategies, in order of importance, were compiled: contractual agreements with commercial nuclear pharmacies, alternative imaging protocols, changes in imaging schedules, software use, generator management, and reduction of ordered doses or elimination of backup doses. Conclusion: The supply chain of 99 Mo/ 99m Tc is quite fragile; therefore, being aware of the most appropriate coping strategies is crucial. It is essential to build a strong collaboration between the nuclear pharmacy and nuclear medicine department during a shortage situation. With both nuclear medicine departments and nuclear pharmacies implementing viable strategies, such as the ones proposed, the amount of 99m Tc available during a shortage situation can be maximized. © 2017 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

Nuclear medicine technologists are able to accurately determine when a myocardial perfusion rest study is necessary

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background In myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS), typically a stress and a rest study is performed. If the stress study is considered normal, there is no need for a subsequent rest study. The aim of the study was to determine whether nuclear medicine technologists are able to assess the necessity of a rest study. Methods Gated MPS using a 2-day 99mTc protocol for 121 consecutive patients were studied. Visual interpretation by 3 physicians was used as gold standard for determining the need for a rest study based on the stress images. All nuclear medicine technologists performing MPS had to review 82 training cases of stress MPS images with comments regarding the need for rest studies, and thereafter a test consisting of 20 stress MPS images. After passing this test, the nuclear medicine technologists in charge of a stress MPS study assessed whether a rest study was needed or not or if he/she was uncertain and wanted to consult a physician. After that, the physician in charge interpreted the images and decided whether a rest study was required or not. Results The nuclear medicine technologists and the physicians in clinical routine agreed in 103 of the 107 cases (96%) for which the technologists felt certain regarding the need for a rest study. In the remaining 14 cases the technologists were uncertain, i.e. wanted to consult a physician. The agreement between the technologists and the physicians in clinical routine was very good, resulting in a kappa value of 0.92. There was no statistically significant difference in the evaluations made by technicians and physicians (P = 0.617). Conclusions The nuclear medicine technologists were able to accurately determine whether a rest study was necessary. There was very good agreement between nuclear medicine technologists and physicians in the assessment of the need for a rest study. If the technologists can make this decision, the effectiveness of the nuclear medicine department will improve. PMID:22947251

A Training Manual for Nuclear Medicine Technologists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simmons, Guy H.; Alexander, George W.

This manual was prepared for a training program in Nuclear Medicine Technology at the University of Cincinnati. Instructional materials for students enrolled in these courses in the training program include: Nuclear Physics and Instrumentation, Radionuclide Measurements, Radiation Protection, and Tracer Methodology and Radiopharmaceuticals. (CS)

The National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelbke, C. Korad; Morrissey, D. J.; York, R. C.

1996-10-01

The National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) at Michigan State University has constructed and operates two superconducting cyclotrons for research in nuclear science, accelerator and instrumental physics. The K500, the world's first superconducting cyclotron, was commissioned in 1982 and the K1200, the world's most powerful cyclotron, was commissioned in 1988. Heavy-ion beams across the entire periodic table produced in a pair of ECR ion sources and accelerated to energies on the order of 100 MeV/A are delivered to a modern and versatile complement of experimental apparatus, including the new S800 high-resolution superconducting magnetic spectrograph now undergoing initial testing. The diverse variety of beams are used for studies of the quantum-statistical properties of hot nuclei, the liquid-gas phase transition in nuclear matter, and for nuclear structure research, particularly with radioactive ion beams from the A1200 fragment separator. The NSCL provides radioactive nuclear beams out to the limits of stability on both the neutron-rich and the proton-rich sides of the valley of stability. The laboratory is also used for multi-disciplinary research in astrophysics, condensed matter physics, geophysics, medicine, and biology. The NSCL has recently proposed a major upgrade of its facility based on coupled operation of the two cyclotrons. The upgrade will provide large increases in beam intensities for radioactive beam production and increased energies of the heaviest beams.

Mentoring and the Nuclear Medicine Technologist.

PubMed

Burrell, Lance

2018-06-08

The goal of this article is to give an overview of mentoring for nuclear medicine technologists (NMT). Mentoring is an integral part of the training and practice in the field of nuclear medicine technology. There is a great need for NMTs to continue involvement in mentorship so that we can develop and maintain the talent and leadership that the field needs. In this article, definitions of mentorship will be provided. Then, how mentoring can work; including different methods and techniques will be covered. Next, the benefits of mentoring will be discussed. Finally, advice for improved application will be presented. Throughout, this article will discuss how mentoring applies to the NMT. Copyright © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

The role of commercial nuclear pharmacy in the future practice of nuclear medicine.

PubMed

Callahan, R J

1996-04-01

It has been estimated that today 70% to 80% of all radiopharmaceutical doses are dispensed through commercial nuclear pharmacy channels. These services are provided by the approximately 250 facilities in the United States, with some multisite corporations dispensing in excess of 20,000 unit-dose prescriptions per day. As pressures mount within health care institutions to reduce manpower, increase cost-effectiveness, increase participation in managed care contracts, and to seek outside vendors for many services that were previously provided in-house, the future role of the commercial nuclear pharmacy in the practice of nuclear medicine will only continue to increase. The essence of nuclear pharmacy practice is the dispensing of a full range of high quality radiopharmaceuticals in patient-specific unit doses. These doses must be delivered in a timely and cost effective manner, without compromising quality or patient safety. Commercial nuclear pharmacies have expanded to provide such varied functions as radiation safety and waste management, as well as consultative and marketing activities directed towards clinicians within a nuclear medicine practitioners own facility. In-service continuing education programs directed towards physicians and technologists are frequently offered by many commercial nuclear pharmacies. Changes in health care economics, merging and down-sizing in the hospital industry, and the overall impact of managed care on the viability of hospitals in general has resulted in slow growth, or even a small decline in the number of institutionally based nuclear pharmacists. As a result, nuclear medicine practitioners will be looking to the commercial nuclear pharmacies to meet a larger portion of their radiopharmaceutical needs, as well as to value added services, such as education and research and development. Specialized practice settings, such as nuclear cardiology and free-standing nuclear medicine clinics, are especially well suited to the services provided by commercial nuclear pharmacies. Involvement in the distribution of positron-emission tomography radiopharmaceuticals will continue to increase regardless of the results of current regulatory debates on this issue. In the future, nuclear medicine practitioners will look to the commercial nuclear pharmacies for an increasing portion of their radiopharmaceutical needs and the industry should be ready and able to meet these demands in a safe, timely, and cost efficient manner.

Nuclear Forensics at Los Alamos National Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kinman, William Scott; Steiner, Robert Ernest; Lamont, Stephen Philip

Nuclear forensics assists in responding to any event where nuclear material is found outside of regulatory control; a response plan is presented and a nuclear forensics program is undergoing further development so that smugglers are sufficiently deterred.

American College of Nuclear Physics 1991 DOE day symposium: Aids and nuclear medicine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1991-12-31

Since first described in 1981, the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has become the medical dilemma of the century. AIDS retrovirus, and the economic consequences of this exposure are staggering. AIDS has been the topic of conferences and symposia worldwide. This symposium, to be held on January 25, 1991, at the 17th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the American College of Nuclear Physicians, will expose the Nuclear Medicine Physicians/Radiologists to their role in the diagnosis of AIDS, and will educate them on the socio-economic and ethical issues related to this problem. In addition, the Nuclear Medicine Physicians/Radiologists must be awaremore » of their role in the management of their departments in order to adequately protect the health care professionals working in their laboratories. Strategies are currently being developed to control the spread of bloodborne diseases within the health care setting, and it is incumbent upon the Nuclear Medicine community to be aware of such strategies.« less

A U.S. Multicenter Study of Recorded Occupational Radiation Badge Doses in Nuclear Medicine.

PubMed

Villoing, Daphnée; Yoder, R Craig; Passmore, Christopher; Bernier, Marie-Odile; Kitahara, Cari M

2018-05-01

Purpose To summarize occupational badge doses recorded for a sample of U.S. nuclear medicine technologists. Materials and Methods Nine large U.S. medical institutions identified 208 former and current nuclear medicine technologists certified after 1979 and linked these individuals to historic badge dose records maintained by a commercial dosimetry company (Landauer), yielding a total of 2618 annual dose records. The distributions of annual and cumulative occupational doses were described by using summary statistics. Results Between 1992 and 2015, the median annual personal dose equivalent per nuclear medicine technologist was 2.18 mSv (interquartile range [IQR], 1.25-3.47 mSv; mean, 2.69 mSv). Median annual personal dose equivalents remained relatively constant over this period (range, 1.40-3.30 mSv), while maximum values generally increased over time (from 8.00 mSv in 1992 to 13.9 mSv in 2015). The median cumulative personal dose equivalent was 32.9 mSv (IQR, 18.1-65.5 mSv; mean, 51.4 mSv) for 45 technologists who had complete information and remained employed through 2015. Conclusion Occupational radiation doses were well below the established occupational limits and were consistent with those observed for nuclear medicine technologists worldwide and were greater than those observed for nuclear and general medical workers in the United States These results should be informative for radiation monitoring and safety efforts in nuclear medicine departments. © RSNA, 2018 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

WE-AB-BRA-06: 4DCT-Ventilation: A Novel Imaging Modality for Thoracic Surgical Evaluation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vinogradskiy, Y; Jackson, M; Schubert, L

Purpose: The current standard-of-care imaging used to evaluate lung cancer patients for surgical resection is nuclear-medicine ventilation. Surgeons use nuclear-medicine images along with pulmonary function tests (PFT) to calculate percent predicted postoperative (%PPO) PFT values by estimating the amount of functioning lung that would be lost with surgery. 4DCT-ventilation is an emerging imaging modality developed in radiation oncology that uses 4DCT data to calculate lung ventilation maps. We perform the first retrospective study to assess the use of 4DCT-ventilation for pre-operative surgical evaluation. The purpose of this work was to compare %PPO-PFT values calculated with 4DCT-ventilation and nuclear-medicine imaging. Methods:more » 16 lung cancer patients retrospectively reviewed had undergone 4DCTs, nuclear-medicine imaging, and had Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second (FEV1) acquired as part of a standard PFT. For each patient, 4DCT data sets, spatial registration, and a density-change based model were used to compute 4DCT-ventilation maps. Both 4DCT and nuclear-medicine images were used to calculate %PPO-FEV1 using %PPO-FEV1=pre-operative FEV1*(1-fraction of total ventilation of resected lung). Fraction of ventilation resected was calculated assuming lobectomy and pneumonectomy. The %PPO-FEV1 values were compared between the 4DCT-ventilation-based calculations and the nuclear-medicine-based calculations using correlation coefficients and average differences. Results: The correlation between %PPO-FEV1 values calculated with 4DCT-ventilation and nuclear-medicine were 0.81 (p<0.01) and 0.99 (p<0.01) for pneumonectomy and lobectomy respectively. The average difference between the 4DCT-ventilation based and the nuclear-medicine-based %PPO-FEV1 values were small, 4.1±8.5% and 2.9±3.0% for pneumonectomy and lobectomy respectively. Conclusion: The high correlation results provide a strong rationale for a clinical trial translating 4DCT-ventilation to the surgical domain. Compared to nuclear-medicine, 4DCT-ventilation is cheaper, does not require a radioactive contrast agent, provides a faster imaging procedure, and has improved spatial resolution. 4DCT-ventilation can reduce the cost and imaging time for patients while providing improved spatial accuracy and quantitative results for surgeons. YV discloses grant from State of Colorado.« less

Radiation doses for pediatric nuclear medicine studies: comparing the North American consensus guidelines and the pediatric dosage card of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine.

PubMed

Grant, Frederick D; Gelfand, Michael J; Drubach, Laura A; Treves, S Ted; Fahey, Frederic H

2015-04-01

Estimated radiation dose is important for assessing and communicating the risks and benefits of pediatric nuclear medicine studies. Radiation dose depends on the radiopharmaceutical, the administered activity, and patient factors such as age and size. Most radiation dose estimates for pediatric nuclear medicine have not been based on administered activities of radiopharmaceuticals recommended by established practice guidelines. The dosage card of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) and the North American consensus guidelines each provide recommendations of administered activities of radiopharmaceuticals in children, but there are substantial differences between these two guidelines. For 12 commonly performed pediatric nuclear medicine studies, two established pediatric radiopharmaceutical administration guidelines were used to calculate updated radiation dose estimates and to compare the radiation exposure resulting from the recommendations of each of the guidelines. Estimated radiation doses were calculated for 12 common procedures in pediatric nuclear medicine using administered activities recommended by the dosage card of the EANM (version 1.5.2008) and the 2010 North American consensus guidelines for radiopharmaceutical administered activities in pediatrics. Based on standard models and nominal age-based weights, radiation dose was estimated for typical patients at ages 1, 5, 10 and 15 years and adult. The resulting effective doses were compared, with differences greater than 20% considered significant. Following either the EANM dosage card or the 2010 North American guidelines, the highest effective doses occur with radiopharmaceuticals labeled with fluorine-18 and iodine-123. In 24% of cases, following the North American consensus guidelines would result in a substantially higher radiation dose. The guidelines of the EANM dosage card would lead to a substantially higher radiation dose in 39% of all cases, and in 62% of cases in which patients were age 5 years or younger. For 12 commonly performed pediatric nuclear medicine studies, updated radiation dose estimates can guide efforts to reduce radiation exposure and provide current information for discussing radiation exposure and risk with referring physicians, patients and families. There can be substantial differences in radiation exposure for the same procedure, depending upon which of these two guidelines is followed. This discordance identifies opportunities for harmonization of the guidelines, which may lead to further reduction in nuclear medicine radiation doses in children.

Utilization of nuclear medicine scintigraphy in Taiwan, 1997-2009.

PubMed

Hung, Mao-Chin; Hsieh, Wanhua Annie; Chang, Peter Wushou; Hwang, Jeng-Jong

2011-12-01

To analyze the utilization of nuclear medicine scintigraphy in the Taiwanese population within the national health-care system between 1997 and 2009. Based on the Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database of 1997-2009, a retrospective population-based analysis was conducted. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were employed to analyze the frequencies and longitudinal trends in the utilization of diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures during the period. In addition, correlation analysis was applied to determine the correlated factors in the utility of nuclear medicine scintigraphy. The annual total nuclear medicine scintigraphy was estimated to be 256,389 on average in 1997-2009 and 11.7 per 1,000 population over the period. The frequency had increased by 67% over the years, from 8.2 per 1,000 population in 1997 to 13.7 per 1,000 population in 2009. The most frequently performed procedures were whole-body bone scans (33.4% of total) and myocardial perfusion scans (29.4% of total), with 4,615 and 5,620 increments per year, respectively. Most patients were in the age group of 41-65 years old when taking examinations. In addition, male subjects were slightly more than female patients (51.5 vs. 48.5%). Furthermore, the frequencies of whole-body bone scans and PET scans were proportional to the incidences of cancers (correlation coefficients were 0.96 and 0.94, respectively). The utilization of nuclear medicine scintigraphy with the National Health Insurance system in Taiwan has been changed considerably in the past 13 years. Both whole-body bone scan and myocardial perfusion scan were performed most often with significantly increases. The trend of nuclear medicine scintigraphy may have potential impact on making health-care policy in Taiwan.

Study of nuclear medicine practices in Portugal from an internal dosimetry perspective.

PubMed

Bento, J; Teles, P; Neves, M; Santos, A I; Cardoso, G; Barreto, A; Alves, F; Guerreiro, C; Rodrigues, A; Santos, J A M; Capelo, C; Parafita, R; Martins, B

2012-05-01

Nuclear medicine practices involve the handling of a wide range of pharmaceuticals labelled with different radionuclides, for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. This work intends to evaluate the potential risks of internal contamination of nuclear medicine staff in several Portuguese nuclear medicine services and to conclude about the requirement of a routine internal monitoring. A methodology proposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), providing a set of criteria to determine the need, or not, for an internal monitoring programme, was applied. The evaluation of the risk of internal contaminations in a given set of working conditions is based on the type and amount of radionuclides being handled, as well as the safety conditions with which they are manipulated. The application of the IAEA criteria showed that 73.1% of all the workers included in this study should be integrated in a routine monitoring programme for internal contaminations; more specifically, 100% of workers performing radioimmunoassay techniques should be monitored. This study suggests that a routine monitoring programme for internal exposures should be implemented in Portugal for most nuclear medicine workers.

Gallium scan

MedlinePlus

... material called gallium and is a type of nuclear medicine exam. A related test is gallium scan ... Brown ML, Forstrom LA, et al. Society of nuclear medicine procedure guideline for gallium scintigraphy in inflammation. ...

Applications of nuclear physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayes, A. C.

2017-02-01

Today the applications of nuclear physics span a very broad range of topics and fields. This review discusses a number of aspects of these applications, including selected topics and concepts in nuclear reactor physics, nuclear fusion, nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear-geophysics, and nuclear medicine. The review begins with a historic summary of the early years in applied nuclear physics, with an emphasis on the huge developments that took place around the time of World War II, and that underlie the physics involved in designs of nuclear explosions, controlled nuclear energy, and nuclear fusion. The review then moves to focus on modern applications of these concepts, including the basic concepts and diagnostics developed for the forensics of nuclear explosions, the nuclear diagnostics at the National Ignition Facility, nuclear reactor safeguards, and the detection of nuclear material production and trafficking. The review also summarizes recent developments in nuclear geophysics and nuclear medicine. The nuclear geophysics areas discussed include geo-chronology, nuclear logging for industry, the Oklo reactor, and geo-neutrinos. The section on nuclear medicine summarizes the critical advances in nuclear imaging, including PET and SPECT imaging, targeted radionuclide therapy, and the nuclear physics of medical isotope production. Each subfield discussed requires a review article unto itself, which is not the intention of the current review; rather, the current review is intended for readers who wish to get a broad understanding of applied nuclear physics.

Applications of nuclear physics

DOE PAGES

Hayes-Sterbenz, Anna Catherine

2017-01-10

Today the applications of nuclear physics span a very broad range of topics and fields. This review discusses a number of aspects of these applications, including selected topics and concepts in nuclear reactor physics, nuclear fusion, nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear-geophysics, and nuclear medicine. The review begins with a historic summary of the early years in applied nuclear physics, with an emphasis on the huge developments that took place around the time of World War II, and that underlie the physics involved in designs of nuclear explosions, controlled nuclear energy, and nuclear fusion. The review then moves to focus on modern applicationsmore » of these concepts, including the basic concepts and diagnostics developed for the forensics of nuclear explosions, the nuclear diagnostics at the National Ignition Facility, nuclear reactor safeguards, and the detection of nuclear material production and trafficking. The review also summarizes recent developments in nuclear geophysics and nuclear medicine. The nuclear geophysics areas discussed include geo-chronology, nuclear logging for industry, the Oklo reactor, and geo-neutrinos. The section on nuclear medicine summarizes the critical advances in nuclear imaging, including PET and SPECT imaging, targeted radionuclide therapy, and the nuclear physics of medical isotope production. Lastly, each subfield discussed requires a review article unto itself, which is not the intention of the current review; rather, the current review is intended for readers who wish to get a broad understanding of applied nuclear physics.« less

Applications of nuclear physics.

PubMed

Hayes, A C

2017-02-01

Today the applications of nuclear physics span a very broad range of topics and fields. This review discusses a number of aspects of these applications, including selected topics and concepts in nuclear reactor physics, nuclear fusion, nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear-geophysics, and nuclear medicine. The review begins with a historic summary of the early years in applied nuclear physics, with an emphasis on the huge developments that took place around the time of World War II, and that underlie the physics involved in designs of nuclear explosions, controlled nuclear energy, and nuclear fusion. The review then moves to focus on modern applications of these concepts, including the basic concepts and diagnostics developed for the forensics of nuclear explosions, the nuclear diagnostics at the National Ignition Facility, nuclear reactor safeguards, and the detection of nuclear material production and trafficking. The review also summarizes recent developments in nuclear geophysics and nuclear medicine. The nuclear geophysics areas discussed include geo-chronology, nuclear logging for industry, the Oklo reactor, and geo-neutrinos. The section on nuclear medicine summarizes the critical advances in nuclear imaging, including PET and SPECT imaging, targeted radionuclide therapy, and the nuclear physics of medical isotope production. Each subfield discussed requires a review article unto itself, which is not the intention of the current review; rather, the current review is intended for readers who wish to get a broad understanding of applied nuclear physics.

Applications of nuclear physics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hayes-Sterbenz, Anna Catherine

Today the applications of nuclear physics span a very broad range of topics and fields. This review discusses a number of aspects of these applications, including selected topics and concepts in nuclear reactor physics, nuclear fusion, nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear-geophysics, and nuclear medicine. The review begins with a historic summary of the early years in applied nuclear physics, with an emphasis on the huge developments that took place around the time of World War II, and that underlie the physics involved in designs of nuclear explosions, controlled nuclear energy, and nuclear fusion. The review then moves to focus on modern applicationsmore » of these concepts, including the basic concepts and diagnostics developed for the forensics of nuclear explosions, the nuclear diagnostics at the National Ignition Facility, nuclear reactor safeguards, and the detection of nuclear material production and trafficking. The review also summarizes recent developments in nuclear geophysics and nuclear medicine. The nuclear geophysics areas discussed include geo-chronology, nuclear logging for industry, the Oklo reactor, and geo-neutrinos. The section on nuclear medicine summarizes the critical advances in nuclear imaging, including PET and SPECT imaging, targeted radionuclide therapy, and the nuclear physics of medical isotope production. Lastly, each subfield discussed requires a review article unto itself, which is not the intention of the current review; rather, the current review is intended for readers who wish to get a broad understanding of applied nuclear physics.« less

The use of nuclear medicine techniques in the emergency department

PubMed Central

McGlone, B; Balan, K

2001-01-01

Nuclear medicine techniques have received little attention in the practice of emergency medicine, yet radionuclide imaging can provide valuable and unique information in the management of acutely ill patients. In this review, emphasis is placed on the role of these techniques in patients with bone injuries, non-traumatic bone pain and in those with pleuritic chest pain. New developments such as single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in myocardial infarction are outlined and older techniques such as scrotal scintigraphy are reviewed. Radionuclide techniques are discussed in a clinical context and in relation to alternative imaging modalities or strategies that may be available to the emergency medicine physician. Aspects of a 24 hour nuclear medicine service are considered. PMID:11696487

BioChroma – A New and Patented Technology for Processing Radioactive Wastewater from Nuclear Medicine Therapy Facilities in Hospitals and Clinics

PubMed Central

Rodríguez, José Canga

2012-01-01

After undergoing radionuclide therapy, patients generate wastewater with a considerable amount of radioactivity, which can reach levels of as much as 90% of the administered dose. Due to the risk of accumulation after discharge into the sewer, it is advisable to collect this effluent for its treatment prior to final discharge. Delay and decay (natural decomposition of the isotope) is the most commonly used technical method of abating radioactive iodine, but it is frequently criticized as being complex and very expensive. BioChroma is a technology that has been developed as an alternative to these complicated and expensive systems. This paper describes this new technology and presents, as an example, a system that was installed and successfully commissioned in the middle of 2008 in a nuclear medicine ward with 12 beds in Stuttgart (Germany). Based on existing legislation, the responsible authorities and the company that operated the hospital agreed on a maximum activity level of 5 Bq/l. If a typical delay and decay system would have been installed, the 180 m3 treatment plant that was already available in the hospital cellar would have to be extended by additional 150 m3. By implementing the patented BioChroma process, the space requirements were reduced by 75%. For instance, since the new system was integrated into the existing installation, tanks accounting for 120 m³ could be used as buffering volume in the new wastewater treatment plant. The operation of the referred plant is currently producing very good results with values below the specified limit of 5 Bq/l for the isotope 131I. In addition, 90Y has been reported to be eliminated at the same time. Over the past 2 years of operation, the wastewater treatment plant has been able to achieve a maximum processing capacity of more than 2,000 l/day, which equates to a nuclear medicine ward with approx. 20 beds. The highest level recorded during the test period (of 180 days after start-up) was a peak of nearly 2,800 l/day. PMID:22942776

Dose equivalent rate constants and barrier transmission data for nuclear medicine facility dose calculations and shielding design.

PubMed

Kusano, Maggie; Caldwell, Curtis B

2014-07-01

A primary goal of nuclear medicine facility design is to keep public and worker radiation doses As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA). To estimate dose and shielding requirements, one needs to know both the dose equivalent rate constants for soft tissue and barrier transmission factors (TFs) for all radionuclides of interest. Dose equivalent rate constants are most commonly calculated using published air kerma or exposure rate constants, while transmission factors are most commonly calculated using published tenth-value layers (TVLs). Values can be calculated more accurately using the radionuclide's photon emission spectrum and the physical properties of lead, concrete, and/or tissue at these energies. These calculations may be non-trivial due to the polyenergetic nature of the radionuclides used in nuclear medicine. In this paper, the effects of dose equivalent rate constant and transmission factor on nuclear medicine dose and shielding calculations are investigated, and new values based on up-to-date nuclear data and thresholds specific to nuclear medicine are proposed. To facilitate practical use, transmission curves were fitted to the three-parameter Archer equation. Finally, the results of this work were applied to the design of a sample nuclear medicine facility and compared to doses calculated using common methods to investigate the effects of these values on dose estimates and shielding decisions. Dose equivalent rate constants generally agreed well with those derived from the literature with the exception of those from NCRP 124. Depending on the situation, Archer fit TFs could be significantly more accurate than TVL-based TFs. These results were reflected in the sample shielding problem, with unshielded dose estimates agreeing well, with the exception of those based on NCRP 124, and Archer fit TFs providing a more accurate alternative to TVL TFs and a simpler alternative to full spectral-based calculations. The data provided by this paper should assist in improving the accuracy and tractability of dose and shielding calculations for nuclear medicine facility design.

Nuclear Medicine | RadTown USA | US EPA

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

2018-05-01

>Nuclear medicine procedures can help detect and treat disease by using a small amount of radioactive material, called a radiopharmaceutical. Some radiopharmaceuticals are used with imaging equipment to detect diseases.

A list of nuclear medicine radionuclides and potential contaminants for operators of in-vivo counters.

PubMed

Stabin, M; Schlafke-Stelson, A

1991-09-01

Operators of in-vivo counters often encounter unusual photopeaks, some of which may be attributed to nuclear medicine radiopharmaceuticals recently received by the subject. This article lists the most common radiopharmaceuticals used in nuclear medicine, their common uses, their half-lives and principal decay energies, and the half-lives and decay energies of any contaminants or daughter products they may contain. The purpose is to help the in-vivo counter operator track down and eliminate causes of such unusual photopeaks.

Pregnancy and Radiation Protection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerogiannis, J.; Stefanoyiannis, A. P.

2010-01-01

Several modalities are currently utilized for diagnosis and therapy, by appropriate application of x-rays. In diagnostic radiology, interventional radiology, radiotherapy, interventional cardiology, nuclear medicine and other specialties radiation protection of a pregnant woman as a patient, as well as a member of the operating personnel, is of outmost importance. Based on radiation risk, the termination of pregnancy is not justified if foetal doses are below 100 mGy. For foetal doses between 100 and 500 mGy, a decision is reached on a case by case basis. In Diagnostic Radiology, when a pregnant patient takes an abdomen CT, then an estimation of the foetus' dose is necessary. However, it is extremely rare for the dose to be high enough to justify an abortion. Radiographs of the chest and extremities can be done at any period of pregnancy, provided that the equipment is functioning properly. Usually, the radiation risk is lower than the risk of not undergoing a radiological examination. Radiation exposure in uterus from diagnostic radiological examinations is unlikely to result in any deleterious effect on the child, but the possibility of a radiation-induced effect can not be entirely ruled out. The effects of exposure to radiation on the foetus depend on the time of exposure, the date of conception and the absorbed dose. Finally, a pregnant worker can continue working in an x-ray department, as long as there is reasonable assurance that the foetal dose can be kept below 1 mGy during the pregnancy. Nuclear Medicine diagnostic examinations using short-lived radionuclides can be used for pregnant patient. Irradiation of the foetus results from placental transfer and distribution of radiopharmaceuticals in the foetal tissues, as well as from external irradiation from radioactivity in the mother's organ and tissues. As a rule, a pregnant patient should not undergo therapy with radionuclide, unless it is crucial for her life. In Radiotherapy, the patient, treating oncologist, other team and family members should carefully discuss for the decision of abortion. Important factors must be considered such as the stage and aggressiveness of the tumour, the location of the tumour, the stage of pregnancy, various therapies etc.

Pregnancy and Radiation Protection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gerogiannis, J.; Stefanoyiannis, A. P.

Several modalities are currently utilized for diagnosis and therapy, by appropriate application of x-rays. In diagnostic radiology, interventional radiology, radiotherapy, interventional cardiology, nuclear medicine and other specialties radiation protection of a pregnant woman as a patient, as well as a member of the operating personnel, is of outmost importance. Based on radiation risk, the termination of pregnancy is not justified if foetal doses are below 100 mGy. For foetal doses between 100 and 500 mGy, a decision is reached on a case by case basis. In Diagnostic Radiology, when a pregnant patient takes an abdomen CT, then an estimation ofmore » the foetus' dose is necessary. However, it is extremely rare for the dose to be high enough to justify an abortion. Radiographs of the chest and extremities can be done at any period of pregnancy, provided that the equipment is functioning properly. Usually, the radiation risk is lower than the risk of not undergoing a radiological examination. Radiation exposure in uterus from diagnostic radiological examinations is unlikely to result in any deleterious effect on the child, but the possibility of a radiation-induced effect can not be entirely ruled out. The effects of exposure to radiation on the foetus depend on the time of exposure, the date of conception and the absorbed dose. Finally, a pregnant worker can continue working in an x-ray department, as long as there is reasonable assurance that the foetal dose can be kept below 1 mGy during the pregnancy. Nuclear Medicine diagnostic examinations using short-lived radionuclides can be used for pregnant patient. Irradiation of the foetus results from placental transfer and distribution of radiopharmaceuticals in the foetal tissues, as well as from external irradiation from radioactivity in the mother's organ and tissues. As a rule, a pregnant patient should not undergo therapy with radionuclide, unless it is crucial for her life. In Radiotherapy, the patient, treating oncologist, other team and family members should carefully discuss for the decision of abortion. Important factors must be considered such as the stage and aggressiveness of the tumour, the location of the tumour, the stage of pregnancy, various therapies etc.« less

A preliminary study for the production of high specific activity radionuclides for nuclear medicine obtained with the isotope separation on line technique.

PubMed

Borgna, F; Ballan, M; Corradetti, S; Vettorato, E; Monetti, A; Rossignoli, M; Manzolaro, M; Scarpa, D; Mazzi, U; Realdon, N; Andrighetto, A

2017-09-01

Radiopharmaceuticals represent a fundamental tool for nuclear medicine procedures, both for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The present work aims to explore the Isotope Separation On-Line (ISOL) technique for the production of carrier-free radionuclides for nuclear medicine at SPES, a nuclear physics facility under construction at INFN-LNL. Stable ion beams of strontium, yttrium and iodine were produced using the SPES test bench (Front-End) to simulate the production of 89 Sr, 90 Y, 125 I and 131 I and collected with good efficiency on suitable targets. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Get the Facts about Radiation

MedlinePlus

... through the other side. Another imaging method called nuclear medicine uses compounds that emit radiation, which can ... potentially riskier to not get the scan or nuclear medicine procedure than to get it.” Sgouros and ...

In Vitro Evaluation of Molecular Tumor Targets in Nuclear Medicine: Immunohistochemistry Is One Option, but Under Which Conditions?

PubMed

Reubi, Jean Claude

2017-12-01

The identification of new molecular targets for diagnostic and therapeutic applications using in vitro methods is an important challenge in nuclear medicine. One such method is immunohistochemistry, increasingly popular because it is easy to perform. This review presents the case for conducting receptor immunohistochemistry to evaluate potential molecular targets in human tumor tissue sections. The focus is on the immunohistochemistry of G-protein-coupled receptors, one of the largest families of cell surface proteins, representing a major class of drug targets and thus playing an important role in nuclear medicine. This review identifies common pitfalls and challenges and provides guidelines on performing such immunohistochemical studies. An appropriate validation of the target is a prerequisite for developing robust and informative new molecular probes. © 2017 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

Joint CDRH (Center for Devices and Radiological Health) and state quality-assurance surveys in nuclear medicine: Phase 2 - radiopharmaceuticals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hamilton, D.R.; Evans, C.D.

The report discusses survey results on aspects of the quality assurance of radio-pharmaceuticals from 180 nuclear-medicine facilities in the United States. Data were collected from facilities in 8 states. Demographic information about nuclear-medicine operations and quality-assurance programs was gathered by state radiation-control-program personnel. The data collected from the survey show an incomplete acceptance of quality-assurance practices for radiopharmaceuticals. Most of the facilities in the survey indicated that, because an inferior radiopharmaceutical was prepared so infrequently, they did not believe it was cost-effective to perform extensive quality-assurance testing. The Center for Devices and Radiological Health hopes that the information from themore » survey will stimulate nuclear-medicine professionals and their organizations to encourage appropriate testing of all radiopharmaceuticals.« less

A profile of Australian nuclear medicine technologist practice.

PubMed

Adams, Edwina J; Cox, Jennifer M; Adamson, Barbara J; Schofield, Deborah J

2008-01-01

Nuclear medicine in Australia has encountered significant change over the past 30 years, with a move to privately owned practices, technological advances and the transfer of education of the nuclear medicine technologist (NMT) from technical college apprenticeships to university degrees. Currently, shortages of nuclear medicine technologists are reported in some states of Australia. It is not known whether changes in NMT practice or the type of centre in which an NMT works have an influence on retention of staff. The primary objective of this survey was to establish a profile of NMT practice in Australia, with the aim of producing baseline data that could be used in further research to establish levels of retention and job satisfaction. Chief technologists in three states of Australia were invited to respond to a written questionnaire. The questionnaire included data about staffing levels, imaging modalities, procedures performed, and movement of staff. Findings presented will relate to the profile of practice data only. Forty-eight (54%) chief technologists responded to the questionnaire with 73% working in privately owned practices. The majority of centres employ up to two full-time equivalent nuclear medicine technologists and have two gamma cameras and one full-time equivalent nuclear medicine physician. Most centres perform a limited range of studies with bone scans predominating. More than half the centres make some use of a centralized radiopharmacy service. Further research is required to determine how these changes may impact on workplace satisfaction and in turn, on retention.

Converting energy to medical progress [nuclear medicine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

2001-04-01

For over 50 years the Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) of the United States Department of Energy (DOE) has been investing to advance environmental and biomedical knowledge connected to energy. The BER Medical Sciences program fosters research to develop beneficial applications of nuclear technologies for medical diagnosis and treatment of many diseases. Today, nuclear medicine helps millions of patients annually in the United States. Nearly every nuclear medicine scan or test used today was made possible by past BER-funded research on radiotracers, radiation detection devices, gamma cameras, PET and SPECT scanners, and computer science. The heart of biologicalmore » research within BER has always been the pursuit of improved human health. The nuclear medicine of tomorrow will depend greatly on today's BER-supported research, particularly in the discovery of radiopharmaceuticals that seek specific molecular and genetic targets, the design of advanced scanners needed to create meaningful images with these future radiotracers, and the promise of new radiopharmaceutical treatments for cancers and genetic diseases.« less

Converting Energy to Medical Progress [Nuclear Medicine

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

2001-04-01

For over 50 years the Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) of the United States Department of Energy (DOE) has been investing to advance environmental and biomedical knowledge connected to energy. The BER Medical Sciences program fosters research to develop beneficial applications of nuclear technologies for medical diagnosis and treatment of many diseases. Today, nuclear medicine helps millions of patients annually in the United States. Nearly every nuclear medicine scan or test used today was made possible by past BER-funded research on radiotracers, radiation detection devices, gamma cameras, PET and SPECT scanners, and computer science. The heart of biological research within BER has always been the pursuit of improved human health. The nuclear medicine of tomorrow will depend greatly on today's BER-supported research, particularly in the discovery of radiopharmaceuticals that seek specific molecular and genetic targets, the design of advanced scanners needed to create meaningful images with these future radiotracers, and the promise of new radiopharmaceutical treatments for cancers and genetic diseases.

General Nuclear Medicine

MedlinePlus

... The special camera and imaging techniques used in nuclear medicine include the gamma camera and single-photon emission-computed tomography (SPECT). The gamma camera, also called a scintillation camera, detects radioactive energy that is emitted from the patient's body and ...

Characterizing nuclear and mitochondrial DNA in spent embryo culture media: genetic contamination identified.

PubMed

Hammond, Elizabeth R; McGillivray, Brent C; Wicker, Sophie M; Peek, John C; Shelling, Andrew N; Stone, Peter; Chamley, Larry W; Cree, Lynsey M

2017-01-01

To characterize nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in spent culture media from normally developing blastocysts to determine whether it could be used for noninvasive genetic assessment. Prospective embryo cohort study. Academic center and private in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinic. Seventy patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and 227 blastocysts. Culture media assessment, artificial blastocoele fluid collapse and DNA analysis using digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR), long-range PCR, quantitative PCR (qPCR), and DNA fingerprinting. Presence of nuclear and mtDNA in three different commercial culture media from Vitrolife and Irvine Scientific, spent embryo media assessment at the cleavage and blastocyst stages of development, and analysis of the internal media controls for each patient that had been exposed to identical conditions as embryo media but did not come into contact with embryos. Higher levels of nuclear and mtDNA were observed in the culture media that had been exposed to embryos compared with the internal media controls. Nuclear DNA (∼4 copies) and mtDNA (∼600 copies) could be detected in spent media, and the levels increased at the blastocyst stage. No increase in DNA was detected after artificial blastocoele fluid collapse. Mixed sex chromosome DNA was detected. This originated from contamination in the culture media and from maternal (cumulus) cells. Due to the limited amount of template, the presence of embryonic nuclear DNA could not be confirmed by DNA fingerprinting analysis. Currently DNA from culture media cannot be used for genetic assessment because embryo-associated structures release DNA into the culture medium and the DNA is of mixed origin. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Guidelines on nuclear medicine imaging in neuroblastoma.

PubMed

Bar-Sever, Zvi; Biassoni, Lorenzo; Shulkin, Barry; Kong, Grace; Hofman, Michael S; Lopci, Egesta; Manea, Irina; Koziorowski, Jacek; Castellani, Rita; Boubaker, Ariane; Lambert, Bieke; Pfluger, Thomas; Nadel, Helen; Sharp, Susan; Giammarile, Francesco

2018-06-25

Nuclear medicine has a central role in the diagnosis, staging, response assessment and long-term follow-up of neuroblastoma, the most common solid extracranial tumour in children. These EANM guidelines include updated information on 123 I-mIBG, the most common study in nuclear medicine for the evaluation of neuroblastoma, and on PET/CT imaging with 18 F-FDG, 18 F-DOPA and 68 Ga-DOTA peptides. These PET/CT studies are increasingly employed in clinical practice. Indications, advantages and limitations are presented along with recommendations on study protocols, interpretation of findings and reporting results.

Position of nuclear medicine techniques in the diagnostic work-up of neuroendocrine tumors.

PubMed

Bombardieri, E; Seregni, E; Villano, C; Chiti, A; Bajetta, E

2004-06-01

In recent years nuclear medicine has contributed to the impressive development of the knowledge of neuroendocrine tumors in terms of biology (receptor scintigraphy), pharmacology (development of new tracers), and therapy (radiometabolic therapy). At present, it is impossible to plan the management of a patient affected by a neuroendocrine tumor without performing nuclear medicine examinations. The contribution of nuclear medicine had affected and improved the management of these patients by offering various important options that are part of the modern diagnosis and treatment protocols. The clinical experience and the literature confirm that, among the wide variety of tracers and nuclear medicine modalities available today, metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) and DTPA-D-Phe-octreotide (pentetreotide) are the radiopharmaceuticals of current clinical use. Several new somatostatin analogues are under investigation. Positron emission tomography (PET) supplies a range of labelled compounds to be used for the visualization of tumor biochemistry. In addition to the first routinely used PET tracer in oncology, 18F-labelled deoxyglucose (FDG), a number of radiopharmaceuticals based on different precursors such as fluorodopamine and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) are going to gain a clinical role. Of course, the diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumors has to be based on integrated information derived from different examinations including nuclear medicine studies. The clinical presentation of neuroendocrine tumors is highly variable: sometimes they manifest typical or atypical symptoms but they may also be detected by chance during an X-ray or ultrasound examination carried out for other reasons. At disease presentation nuclear medicine modalities are sometimes able to direct physicians towards the clinical diagnosis thanks to the specificity of their imaging mechanisms. They also play a role in disease staging and restaging, patient follow-up and treatment monitoring. In addition, the biological characterisation of neuroendocrine tissues (receptor status, glucose metabolism, differentiation, etc.) allows the interpretation of radiopharmaceutical uptake as a prognostic parameter and sometimes as a predictor of the response to treatment.

Future and applications of cloning.

PubMed

Trounson, Alan O

2006-01-01

The birth of viable offspring from somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in mammals caused a major re-examination of the understanding of the commitment of cells to specific tissue lineages during differentiation. The questions of whether cells undergo dedifferentiation or transdifferentiation during the development of offspring and how these changes are controlled is a source of ongoing debate that is yet to be resolved. Irrespective of the outcome of this debate, it is clear that cloning using SCNT has a place and purpose in the future of research and animal breeding. The future uses of SCNT could include the production of transgenic mice, the production of transgenic livestock and assisting with the re-establishment of endangered species. Human medicine also would benefit from future use of SCNT because it would allow the production of patient-specific embryonic stem cells.

TH-E-9A-01: Medical Physics 1.0 to 2.0, Session 4: Computed Tomography, Ultrasound and Nuclear Medicine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Samei, E; Nelson, J; Hangiandreou, N

Medical Physics 2.0 is a bold vision for an existential transition of clinical imaging physics in face of the new realities of value-based and evidencebased medicine, comparative effectiveness, and meaningful use. It speaks to how clinical imaging physics can expand beyond traditional insular models of inspection and acceptance testing, oriented toward compliance, towards team-based models of operational engagement, prospective definition and assurance of effective use, and retrospective evaluation of clinical performance. Organized into four sessions of the AAPM, this particular session focuses on three specific modalities as outlined below. CT 2.0: CT has been undergoing a dramatic transition in themore » last few decades. While the changes in the technology merits discussions of their own, an important question is how clinical medical physicists are expected to effectively engage with the new realities of CT technology and practice. Consistent with the upcoming paradigm of Medical Physics 2.0, this CT presentation aims to provide definitions and demonstration of the components of the new clinical medical physics practice pertaining CT. The topics covered include physics metrics and analytics that aim to provide higher order clinicallyrelevant quantification of system performance as pertains to new (and not so new) technologies. That will include the new radiation and dose metrics (SSDE, organ dose, risk indices), image quality metrology (MTF/NPS/d’), task-based phantoms, and the effect of patient size. That will follow with a discussion of the testing implication of new CT hardware (detectors, tubes), acquisition methods (innovative helical geometries, AEC, wide beam CT, dual energy, inverse geometry, application specialties), and image processing and analysis (iterative reconstructions, quantitative CT, advanced renditions). The presentation will conclude with a discussion of clinical and operational aspects of Medical Physics 2.0 including training and communication, use optimization (dose and technique factors), automated analysis and data management (automated QC methods, protocol tracking, dose monitoring, issue tracking), and meaningful QC considerations. US 2.0: Ultrasound imaging is evolving at a rapid pace, adding new imaging functions and modes that continue to enhance its clinical utility and benefits to patients. The ultrasound talk will look ahead 10–15 years and consider how medical physicists can bring maximal value to the clinical ultrasound practices of the future. The roles of physics in accreditation and regulatory compliance, image quality and exam optimization, clinical innovation, and education of staff and trainees will all be considered. A detailed examination of expected technology evolution and impact on image quality metrics will be presented. Clinical implementation of comprehensive physics services will also be discussed. Nuclear Medicine 2.0: Although the basic science of nuclear imaging has remained relatively unchanged since its inception, advances in instrumentation continue to advance the field into new territories. With a great number of these advances occurring over the past decade, the role and testing strategies of clinical nuclear medicine physicists must evolve in parallel. The Nuclear Medicine 2.0 presentation is designed to highlight some of the recent advances from a clinical medical physicist perspective and provide ideas and motivation for designing better evaluation strategies. Topics include improvement of traditional physics metrics and analytics, testing implications of hybrid imaging and advanced detector technologies, and strategies for effective implementation into the clinic. Learning Objectives: Become familiar with new physics metrics and analytics in nuclear medicine, CT, and ultrasound. To become familiar with the major new developments of clinical physics support. To understand the physics testing implications of new technologies, hardware, software, and applications. Identify approaches for implementing comprehensive medical physics services in future imaging practices.« less

Nuclear Medicine at Berkeley Lab: From Pioneering Beginnings to Today (LBNL Summer Lecture Series)

ScienceCinema

Budinger, Thomas [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Nuclear Medicine & Functional Imaging

2018-01-23

Summer Lecture Series 2006: Thomas Budinger, head of Berkeley Lab's Center for Functional Imaging, discusses Berkeley Lab's rich history pioneering the field of nuclear medicine, from radioisotopes to medical imaging.

Theranostics in nuclear medicine practice.

PubMed

Yordanova, Anna; Eppard, Elisabeth; Kürpig, Stefan; Bundschuh, Ralph A; Schönberger, Stefan; Gonzalez-Carmona, Maria; Feldmann, Georg; Ahmadzadehfar, Hojjat; Essler, Markus

2017-01-01

The importance of personalized medicine has been growing, mainly due to a more urgent need to avoid unnecessary and expensive treatments. In nuclear medicine, the theranostic approach is an established tool for specific molecular targeting, both for diagnostics and therapy. The visualization of potential targets can help predict if a patient will benefit from a particular treatment. Thanks to the quick development of radiopharmaceuticals and diagnostic techniques, the use of theranostic agents has been continually increasing. In this article, important milestones of nuclear therapies and diagnostics in the context of theranostics are highlighted. It begins with a well-known radioiodine therapy in patients with thyroid cancer and then progresses through various approaches for the treatment of advanced cancer with targeted therapies. The aim of this review was to provide a summary of background knowledge and current applications, and to identify the advantages of targeted therapies and imaging in nuclear medicine practices.

Theranostics in nuclear medicine practice

PubMed Central

Yordanova, Anna; Eppard, Elisabeth; Kürpig, Stefan; Bundschuh, Ralph A; Schönberger, Stefan; Gonzalez-Carmona, Maria; Feldmann, Georg; Ahmadzadehfar, Hojjat; Essler, Markus

2017-01-01

The importance of personalized medicine has been growing, mainly due to a more urgent need to avoid unnecessary and expensive treatments. In nuclear medicine, the theranostic approach is an established tool for specific molecular targeting, both for diagnostics and therapy. The visualization of potential targets can help predict if a patient will benefit from a particular treatment. Thanks to the quick development of radiopharmaceuticals and diagnostic techniques, the use of theranostic agents has been continually increasing. In this article, important milestones of nuclear therapies and diagnostics in the context of theranostics are highlighted. It begins with a well-known radioiodine therapy in patients with thyroid cancer and then progresses through various approaches for the treatment of advanced cancer with targeted therapies. The aim of this review was to provide a summary of background knowledge and current applications, and to identify the advantages of targeted therapies and imaging in nuclear medicine practices. PMID:29042793

Pediatric nuclear medicine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1986-01-01

This symposium presented the latest techniques and approaches to the proper medical application of radionuclides in pediatrics. An expert faculty, comprised of specialists in the field of pediatric nuclear medicine, discussed the major indications as well as the advantages and potential hazards of nuclear medicine procedures compared to other diagnostic modalities. In recent years, newer radiopharmaceuticals labeled with technetium-99m and other short-lived radionuclides with relatively favorable radiation characteristics have permitted a variety of diagnostic studies that are very useful clinically and carry a substantially lower radiation burden then many comparable X-ray studies. This new battery of nuclear medicine procedures ismore » now widely available for diagnosis and management of pediatric patients. Many recent research studies in children have yielded data concerning the effacacy of these procedures, and current recommendations will be presented by those involved in conducting such studies. Individual papers are processed separately for the Energy Data Base.« less

Perspectives in molecular imaging through translational research, human medicine, and veterinary medicine.

PubMed

Berry, Clifford R; Garg, Predeep

2014-01-01

The concept of molecular imaging has taken off over the past 15 years to the point of the renaming of the Society of Nuclear Medicine (Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging) and Journals (European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging) and offering of medical fellowships specific to this area of study. Molecular imaging has always been at the core of functional imaging related to nuclear medicine. Even before the phrase molecular imaging came into vogue, radionuclides and radiopharmaceuticals were developed that targeted select physiological processes, proteins, receptor analogs, antibody-antigen interactions, metabolites and specific metabolic pathways. In addition, with the advent of genomic imaging, targeted genomic therapy, and theranostics, a number of novel radiopharmaceuticals for the detection and therapy of specific tumor types based on unique biological and cellular properties of the tumor itself have been realized. However, molecular imaging and therapeutics as well as the concept of theranostics are yet to be fully realized. The purpose of this review article is to present an overview of the translational approaches to targeted molecular imaging with application to some naturally occurring animal models of human disease. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Current research in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging in Italy: highlights of the 10th National Congress of the Italian Association of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

PubMed

Cuocolo, A

2011-06-01

The 10th National Congress of the Italian Association of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (AIMN) took place in Rimini on March 18-21, 2011 under the chairmanship of Professor Stefano Fanti. The program was of excellent quality and put a further step for the settlement of the standardized AIMN congress structure. A large industrial exhibition demonstrated the latest technological innovations and developments within the field. The congress was a great success with more than 1100 total participants and more than 360 abstracts received. Of these, 40 abstracts were accepted for oral and 285 for poster presentations. The original investigations presented were related to different areas of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, with particular focus on advances in instrumentation and data processing, progress in radiochemistry and pharmacy, novel diagnostics and therapeutics, and new insights in well established areas of clinical application, such as oncology, cardiology, neurology, psychiatry, endocrinology, paediatrics, and infection and inflammation. Noteworthy, several presentations at this congress, focusing on quantitative interpretation of the imaging data and on pragmatic endpoints, such as adverse outcomes, identified when nuclear medicine procedures achieved clinical effectiveness for patient care and patient management and further demonstrated that nuclear medicine plays a crucial role in the contemporary medical scenario. This highlights lecture is only a brief summary of the large amount of data presented and discussed, which can be found in much greater detail in the congress abstract book, published as volume 55, supplement 1 of the Q J Nucl Med Mol Imaging in April 2011.

Curriculum for education and training of medical physicists in nuclear medicine: recommendations from the EANM Physics Committee, the EANM Dosimetry Committee and EFOMP.

PubMed

Del Guerra, Alberto; Bardies, Manuel; Belcari, Nicola; Caruana, Carmel J; Christofides, Stelios; Erba, Paola; Gori, Cesare; Lassmann, Michael; Lonsdale, Markus Nowak; Sattler, Bernhard; Waddington, Wendy

2013-03-01

To provide a guideline curriculum covering theoretical and practical aspects of education and training for Medical Physicists in Nuclear Medicine within Europe. National training programmes of Medical Physics, Radiation Physics and Nuclear Medicine physics from a range of European countries and from North America were reviewed and elements of best practice identified. An independent panel of experts was used to achieve consensus regarding the content of the curriculum. Guidelines have been developed for the specialist theoretical knowledge and practical experience required to practice as a Medical Physicist in Nuclear Medicine in Europe. It is assumed that the precondition for the beginning of the training is a good initial degree in Medical Physics at master level (or equivalent). The Learning Outcomes are categorised using the Knowledge, Skill and Competence approach along the lines recommended by the European Qualifications Framework. The minimum level expected in each topic in the theoretical knowledge and practical experience sections is intended to bring trainees up to the requirements expected of a Medical Physicist entering the field of Nuclear Medicine. This new joint EANM/EFOMP European guideline curriculum is a further step to harmonise specialist training of Medical Physicists in Nuclear Medicine within Europe. It provides a common framework for national Medical Physics societies to develop or benchmark their own curricula. The responsibility for the implementation and accreditation of these standards and guidelines resides within national training and regulatory bodies. Copyright © 2012 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Micronuclei and other nuclear anomalies in normal human buccal mucosa cells of oral cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy: a field effect.

PubMed

Tak, A; Metgud, R; Astekar, M; Tak, M

2014-08-01

We evaluated micronuclei and other nuclear anomalies in exfoliated epithelial cells of the oral cavity on the side opposite the lesion targeted by radiotherapy and correlated them with radiation doses. Buccal smears were obtained from oral cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy with a cumulative dose of at least 1000 rad for 3 weeks and from controls matched for age, gender and habits. The exfoliated cells from the mucosa were collected using a cytobrush; smears were prepared, fixed in 80% methanol and stained using the Feulgen plus fast green method. The mean number of micronuclei and other nuclear anomalies/1000 cells was significantly greater in patients undergoing radiotherapy treatment, but the differences were not significant compared to radiation doses. It appears that radiotherapy has a potent clastogenic effect on buccal mucosal cells of oral cancer patients.

Nuclear medicine. Bibliography from Nuclear Science Abstracts, Volumes 31--33

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1976-12-01

References to 4362 publications related to nuclear medicine announced in Nuclear Science Abstracts (NSA) volumes 31(Jan.--June 1975), 32(July--Dec. 1975), and 33(Jan.--June 1976) are contained in this bibliography. References are arranged in order by the original NSA abstract number which approximately places them in chronological order. Sequence numbers appear beside each reference, and the indexes refer to these sequence numbers. Indexes included are: Corporate, Personal Author, Subject, and Report Number.

75 FR 4879 - Juan E. Pérez Monté, M.D.; Confirmatory Order Modifying License (Effective Immediately)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-29

... the Health Physics Society, and the Journal of Nuclear Medicine; and, 2. Dr. P[eacute]rez will also... national meetings of the Health Physics Society and the Society of Nuclear Medicine. If the request to make... following: Galenus (Puerto Rico), the Journal of the Health Physics Society, and the Journal of Nuclear...

Radiation Exposure in X-Ray and CT Examinations

MedlinePlus

... disease. See the X-ray, Interventional Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Radiation Safety page for more information. top of page ... and Radiation Safety X-ray, Interventional Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Radiation Safety Videos related to Radiation Dose in X- ...

Nuclear medicine and imaging research (quantitative studies in radiopharmaceutical science). Progress report, January 1, 1984-December 31, 1984

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beck, R.N.; Cooper, M.D.

1984-09-01

This report presents progress in the areas of cardiac nuclear medicine, other imaging studies, investigations with biomolecules, and assessment of risks associated with the clinical use of radiopharmaceuticals. (ACR)

The American College of nuclear physicians 18th annual meeting and scientific sessions DOE day: Substance abuse and nuclear medicine abstracts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-02-01

Despite the enormous personal and social cost Of substance abuse, there is very little knowledge with respect to the mechanisms by which these drugs produce addiction as well as to the mechanisms of toxicity. Similarly, there is a lack of effective therapeutic intervention to treat the drug abusers. In this respect, nuclear medicine could contribute significantly by helping to gather information using brain imaging techniques about mechanisms of drug addiction which, in turn, could help design better therapeutic interventions, and by helping in the evaluation and diagnosis of organ toxicity from the use of drugs of abuse. This volume containsmore » six short descriptions of presentations made at the 18th Meeting of the American College of Nuclear Physicians -- DOE Day: Substance Abuse and Nuclear Medicine.« less

TU-G-213-03: IEC Subcommittee 62C (Equipment for Radiotherapy, Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Dosimetry): Recent and Active Projects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Culberson, W.

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) writes standards that manufacturers of electrical equipment must comply with. Medical electrical equipment, such as medical imaging, radiation therapy, and radiation dosimetry devices, fall under Technical Committee 62. Of particular interest to medical physicists are the standards developed within Subcommittees (SC) 62B, which addresses diagnostic radiological imaging equipment, and 62C, which addresses equipment for radiation therapy, nuclear medicine and dosimetry. For example, a Working Group of SC 62B is responsible for safety and quality assurance standards for CT scanners and a Working Group of SC 62C is responsible for standards that set requirements for dosimetricmore » safety and accuracy of linacs and proton accelerators. IEC standards thus have an impact on every aspect of a medical physicist’s job, including equipment testing, shielding design, room layout, and workflow. Consequently, it is imperative that US medical physicists know about existing standards, as well as have input on those under development or undergoing revision. The structure of the IEC and current standards development work will be described in detail. The presentation will explain how US medical physicists can learn about IEC standards and contribute to their development. Learning Objectives: Learn about the structure of the IEC and the influence that IEC standards have on the design of equipment for radiology and radiation therapy. Learn about the mechanisms by which the US participates in the development and revision of standards. Understand the specific requirements of several standards having direct relevance to diagnostic and radiation therapy physicists.« less

What is the purpose of emission computed tomography in nuclear medicine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Phelps, M.E.

1977-01-01

ECT is a mathematical and physical concept, an instrument, a radionuclide tracer technique, a research procedure and it is certainly both an old (Kuhl began his work in the late fifties) and a new concept. It also has great and unique potential as a diagnostic technique. It is interesting that the basic principles of medical CT were exemplified and developed in Nuclear Medicine by Kuhl and coworkers and the concept of ''physiologic or function tomography'' provides a technique to advance the original charter of Nuclear Medicine in the use of radionuclides for the measure of metabolism and physiologic function.

Sources and magnitude of occupational and public exposures from nuclear medicine procedures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

This Report addresses the sources of exposures incurred in the practice of nuclear medicine and provides the necessary data to evaluate the magnitude of exposures to those directly associated with that practice and to those who provide nursing care to the patients containing radiopharmaceuticals. Exposure to members of the public are also addressed. The primary emphasis of this Report is on these individuals and not on the patient, since the patient receives the direct benefit from the nuclear medicine procedure. It is recognized that the patient also receives the bulk of any potential radiation decrement.

Quality assurance in nuclear medicine facilities; availability of final recommendations--FDA. Notice.

PubMed

1985-05-13

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of final recommendations prepared by its Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) on quality assurance programs in nuclear medicine facilities. The final recommendations include the agency's rationale for the recommendations as well as references that can be used as well as references that can be used as guides in conducting quality control monitoring. These final recommendations are available as a technical report in CDRH's radiation recommendations series. They are intended to encourage and promote the development of voluntary quality assurance programs in nuclear medicine facilities.

Development of RadRob15, A Robot for Detecting Radioactive Contamination in Nuclear Medicine Departments.

PubMed

Shafe, A; Mortazavi, S M J; Joharnia, A; Safaeyan, Gh H

2016-09-01

Accidental or intentional release of radioactive materials into the living or working environment may cause radioactive contamination. In nuclear medicine departments, radioactive contamination is usually due to radionuclides which emit high energy gamma photons and particles. These radionuclides have a broad range of energies and penetration capabilities. Rapid detection of radioactive contamination is very important for efficient removing of the contamination without spreading the radionuclides. A quick scan of the contaminated area helps health physicists locate the contaminated area and assess the level of activity. Studies performed in IR Iran shows that in some nuclear medicine departments, areas with relatively high levels of activity can be found. The highest contamination level was detected in corridors which are usually used by patients. To monitor radioactive contamination in nuclear medicine departments, RadRob15, a contamination detecting robot was developed in the Ionizing and Non-ionizing Radiation Protection Research Center (INIRPRC). The motor vehicle scanner and the gas radiation detector are the main components of this robot. The detection limit of this robot has enabled it to detect low levels of radioactive contamination. Our preliminary tests show that RadRob15 can be easily used in nuclear medicine departments as a device for quick surveys which identifies the presence or absence of radioactive contamination.

[Correction of respiratory movement using ultrasound for cardiac nuclear medicine examinations: fundamental study using an X-ray TV machine].

PubMed

Yoda, Kazushige; Umeda, Tokuo; Hasegawa, Tomoyuki

2003-11-01

Organ movements that occur naturally as a result of vital functions such as respiration and heartbeat cause deterioration of image quality in nuclear medicine imaging. Among these movements, respiration has a large effect, but there has been no practical method of correcting for this. In the present study, we examined a method of correction that uses ultrasound images to correct baseline shifts caused by respiration in cardiac nuclear medicine examinations. To evaluate the validity of this method, simulation studies were conducted with an X-ray TV machine instead of a nuclear medicine scanner. The X-ray TV images and ultrasound images were recorded as digital movies and processed with public domain software (Scion Image). Organ movements were detected in the ultrasound images of the subcostal four-chamber view mode using slit regions of interest and were measured on a two-dimensional image coordinate. Then translational shifts were applied to the X-ray TV images to correct these movements by using macro-functions of the software. As a result, respiratory movements of about 20.1 mm were successfully reduced to less than 2.6 mm. We conclude that this correction technique is potentially useful in nuclear medicine cardiology.

Hospital Nuclear Pharmacy Survey: Preliminary Aspects In Brazil

PubMed Central

Brasil, Marcelo Pau; de Barros, Marcio Paes; Antunes, Leila Jorge; Santos-Oliveira, Ralph

2012-01-01

Radiopharmaceuticals are special drugs that in the composition preserve one or more radionuclides which can be used as diagnostic or therapeutic tools in Nuclear Medicine Units. This study evaluated hospitals and clinics which have nuclear medicines services at the city of Rio de Janeiro from August to November 2010. The data were obtained through a longitudinal research. The results showed that most of the hospitals (>80%) did not have pharmacist and all them (100%) considered that a pharmacist in the nuclear pharmacy is not required. PMID:23493051

A nuclear chocolate box: the periodic table of nuclear medicine.

PubMed

Blower, Philip J

2015-03-21

Radioisotopes of elements from all parts of the periodic table find both clinical and research applications in radionuclide molecular imaging and therapy (nuclear medicine). This article provides an overview of these applications in relation to both the radiological properties of the radionuclides and the chemical properties of the elements, indicating past successes, current applications and future opportunities and challenges for inorganic chemistry.

Blood banking and transfusion medicine for the nephrologist.

PubMed

Wehrli, Gay

2012-01-01

Therapeutic Apheresis Medicine Services work closely with Blood Banking and Transfusion Medicine Services (BBTMS). The BBTMS performs patient testing and provides blood components for patients undergoing therapeutic apheresis procedures. This article will provide an overview of blood component descriptions, patient testing, and blood component options and preparations for therapeutic apheresis procedures. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Two signs indicative of successful access in nuclear medicine cerebrospinal fluid diversionary shunt studies.

PubMed

Bermo, Mohammed S; Khalatbari, Hedieh; Parisi, Marguerite T

2018-05-08

Successful shunt access is the first step in a properly performed nuclear medicine cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt study. To determine the significance of the radiotracer configuration at the injection site during initial nuclear medicine CSF shunt imaging and the lack of early systemic radiotracer activity as predictors of successful shunt access. With Institutional Review Board approval, three nuclear medicine physicians performed a retrospective review of all consecutive CSF shunt studies performed in children at our institution in 2015. Antecedent nuclear medicine CSF shunt studies in these patients were also assessed and included in the review. The appearance of the reservoir site immediately after radiotracer injection was classified as either figure-of-eight or round/ovoid configuration. The presence or absence of early systemic distribution of the tracer on the 5-min static images was noted and separately evaluated. A total of 98 nuclear medicine ventriculoperitoneal CSF shunt studies were evaluated. Figure-of-eight configuration was identified in 87% of studies and, when present, had 93% sensitivity, 78% specificity, 92% accuracy, 98% positive predictive value (PPV) and 54% negative predictive value (NPV) as a predictor of successful shunt access. Early systemic activity was absent in 89 of 98 studies. Lack of early systemic distribution of the radiotracer had 98% sensitivity, 78% specificity, 96% accuracy, 98% PPV and 78% NPV as a predictor of successful shunt access. Figure-of-eight configuration in conjunction with the absence of early systemic tracer activity had 99% PPV for successful shunt access. Figure-of-eight configuration at the injection site or lack of early systemic radiotracer activity had moderate specificity for successful shunt access. Specificity and PPV significantly improved when both signs were combined in assessment.

Effective Dose in Nuclear Medicine Studies and SPECT/CT: Dosimetry Survey Across Quebec Province.

PubMed

Charest, Mathieu; Asselin, Chantal

2018-06-01

The aims of the current study were to draw a portrait of the delivered dose in selected nuclear medicine studies in Québec province and to assess the degree of change between an earlier survey performed in 2010 and a later survey performed in 2014. Methods: Each surveyed nuclear medicine department had to complete 2 forms: the first, about the administered activity in selected nuclear medicine studies, and the second, about the CT parameters used in SPECT/CT imaging, if available. The administered activities were converted into effective doses using the most recent conversion factors. Diagnostic reference levels were computed for each imaging procedure to obtain a benchmark for comparison. Results: The distributions of administered activity in various nuclear medicine studies, along with the corresponding distribution of the effective doses, were determined. Excluding 131 I for thyroid studies, 67 Ga-citrate for infectious workups, and combined stress and rest myocardial perfusion studies, the remainder of the 99m Tc-based studies delivered average effective doses clustered below 10 mSv. Between the 2010 survey and the 2014 survey, there was a statistically significant decrease in delivered dose from 18.3 to 14.5 mSv. 67 Ga-citrate studies for infectious workups also showed a significant decrease in delivered dose from 31.0 to 26.2 mSv. The standardized CT portion of SPECT/CT studies yielded a mean effective dose 14 times lower than the radiopharmaceutical portion of the study. Conclusion: Between 2010 and 2014, there was a significant decrease in the delivered effective dose in myocardial perfusion and 67 Ga-citrate studies. The CT portions of the surveyed SPECT/CT studies contributed a relatively small fraction of the total delivered effective dose. © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

Nuclear medicine in cancer diagnosis and therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chernov, V.; Zeltchan, R.; Medvedeva, A.; Sinilkin, I.; Bragina, O.

2017-09-01

Early cancer diagnosis remains one of the most actual problems of medicine, since it allows using the most effective methods of cancer treating. Unlike most diagnostic methods used in oncology, the methods of nuclear medicine allow assessing not so much the anatomic changes in the organ as the disturbance of metabolic processes in tumors and surrounding tissues. The authors describe the main radiopharmaceuticals used for diagnose and radiotherapy of malignant tumors.

Survey of physician requirements in six specialties: manpower needs in anesthesiology, neurology, nuclear medicine, pathology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, radiology. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wills, J.

1980-07-01

This report was prepared to assist the Graduate Medical Education National Advisory Committee (GMENAC) in its efforts to model physician manpower requirements in six specialties: anesthesiology, neurology, nuclear medicine, pathology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and radiology. The purpose of this report is to (1) survey and present the existing literature on manpower requirements in each of these six specialties, and (2) discuss the special problems present in each specialty in modeling manpower requirements, and where possible, suggest possible avenues of resolution.

Assessment of OEP health's risk in nuclear medicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santacruz-Gomez, K.; Manzano, C.; Melendrez, R.; Castaneda, B.; Barboza-Flores, M.; Pedroza-Montero, M.

2012-10-01

The use of ionizing radiation has been increased in recent years within medical applications. Nuclear Medicine Department offers both treatment and diagnosis of diseases using radioisotopes to controlled doses. Despite the great benefits to the patient, there is an inherent risk to workers which remains in contact with radiation sources for long periods. These personnel must be monitored to avoid deterministic effects. In this work, we retrospectively evaluated occupationally exposed personnel (OEP) to ionizing radiation in nuclear medicine during the last five years. We assessed both area and personal dosimetry of this department in a known Clinic in Sonora. Our results show an annual equivalent dose average of 4.49 ± 0.70 mSv in OEP without showing alarming changes in clinical parameters analyzed. These results allow us to conclude that health of OEP in nuclear medicine of this clinic has not been at risk during the evaluated period. However, we may suggest the use of individual profiles based on specific radiosensitivity markers.

Accuracy and Precision of Radioactivity Quantification in Nuclear Medicine Images

PubMed Central

Frey, Eric C.; Humm, John L.; Ljungberg, Michael

2012-01-01

The ability to reliably quantify activity in nuclear medicine has a number of increasingly important applications. Dosimetry for targeted therapy treatment planning or for approval of new imaging agents requires accurate estimation of the activity in organs, tumors, or voxels at several imaging time points. Another important application is the use of quantitative metrics derived from images, such as the standard uptake value commonly used in positron emission tomography (PET), to diagnose and follow treatment of tumors. These measures require quantification of organ or tumor activities in nuclear medicine images. However, there are a number of physical, patient, and technical factors that limit the quantitative reliability of nuclear medicine images. There have been a large number of improvements in instrumentation, including the development of hybrid single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography and PET/computed tomography systems, and reconstruction methods, including the use of statistical iterative reconstruction methods, which have substantially improved the ability to obtain reliable quantitative information from planar, single-photon emission computed tomography, and PET images. PMID:22475429

Assessment of OEP health's risk in nuclear medicine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Santacruz-Gomez, K.; Manzano, C.; Melendrez, R.

The use of ionizing radiation has been increased in recent years within medical applications. Nuclear Medicine Department offers both treatment and diagnosis of diseases using radioisotopes to controlled doses. Despite the great benefits to the patient, there is an inherent risk to workers which remains in contact with radiation sources for long periods. These personnel must be monitored to avoid deterministic effects. In this work, we retrospectively evaluated occupationally exposed personnel (OEP) to ionizing radiation in nuclear medicine during the last five years. We assessed both area and personal dosimetry of this department in a known Clinic in Sonora. Ourmore » results show an annual equivalent dose average of 4.49 {+-} 0.70 mSv in OEP without showing alarming changes in clinical parameters analyzed. These results allow us to conclude that health of OEP in nuclear medicine of this clinic has not been at risk during the evaluated period. However, we may suggest the use of individual profiles based on specific radiosensitivity markers.« less

The effectiveness of wastewater treatment in nuclear medicine: Performance data and radioecological considerations.

PubMed

Sudbrock, F; Schomäcker, K; Drzezga, A

2017-01-01

For planned and ongoing storage of liquid radioactive waste in a designated plant for a nuclear medicine therapy ward (decontamination system/decay system), detailed knowledge of basic parameters such as the amount of radioactivity and the necessary decay time in the plant is required. The design of the plant at the Department of Nuclear Medicine of the University of Cologne, built in 2001, was based on assumptions about the individual discharge of activity from patients, which we can now retrospectively validate. The decontamination factor of the plant is at present in the order of 10 -9 for 131 I. The annual discharges have been continuously reduced over the period of operation and are now in the region of a few kilobecquerels. This work emphasizes the high efficacy of the decontamination plant to reduce the amount of radioactivity released from the nuclear medicine ward into the environment to almost negligible levels. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nuclear Medicine and Resources for Patients: How Complex are Online Patient Educational Materials?

PubMed

Hansberry, David R; Shah, Kush; Agarwal, Nitin; Kim, Sung M; Intenzo, Charles M

2018-02-02

The Internet is a major source of healthcare information for patients. The American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health recommend that consumer healthcare websites be written between a 3rd and 7th grade level. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the level of readability of patient education websites pertaining to nuclear medicine. Methods: Ten search terms were Googled and the top 10 links for each term were collected and analyzed for their level of readability using 10 well-established readability scales. Results: Collectively the 99 articles were written at an 11.8 grade level (standard deviation of 3.4). Only 5 of the 99 articles were written at the NIH and AMA recommended 3rd to 7th grade. Conclusion: There is a clear discordance between the readability level of nuclear medicine related imaging terms with the NIH and AMA guidelines. This disconnect may negatively impact patient understanding contributing to poor health outcomes. Copyright © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

The Importance of Quality in Ventilation-Perfusion Imaging.

PubMed

Mann, April; DiDea, Mario; Fournier, France; Tempesta, Daniel; Williams, Jessica; LaFrance, Norman

2018-06-01

As the health care environment continues to change and morph into a system focusing on increased quality and evidence-based outcomes, nuclear medicine technologists must be reminded that they play a critical role in achieving high-quality, interpretable images used to drive patient care, treatment, and best possible outcomes. A survey performed by the Quality Committee of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Technologist Section demonstrated that a clear knowledge gap exists among technologists regarding their understanding of quality, how it is measured, and how it should be achieved by all practicing technologists regardless of role and education level. Understanding of these areas within health care, in conjunction with the growing emphasis on evidence-based outcomes, quality measures, and patient satisfaction, will ultimately elevate the role of nuclear medicine technologists today and into the future. The nuclear medicine role now requires technologists to demonstrate patient assessment skills, practice safety procedures with regard to staff and patients, provide patient education and instruction, and provide physicians with information to assist with the interpretation and outcome of the study. In addition, the technologist must be able to evaluate images by performing technical analysis, knowing the demonstrated anatomy and pathophysiology, and assessing overall quality. Technologists must also be able to triage and understand the disease processes being evaluated and how nuclear medicine diagnostic studies may drive care and treatment. Therefore, it is imperative that nuclear medicine technologists understand their role in the achievement of a high-quality, interpretable study by applying quality principles and understanding and using imaging techniques beyond just basic protocols for every type of disease or system being imaged. This article focuses on quality considerations related to ventilation-perfusion imaging. It provides insight on appropriate imaging techniques and protocols, true imaging variants and tracer distributions versus artifacts that may result in a lower-quality or misinterpreted study, and the use of SPECT and SPECT/CT as an alternative providing a high-quality, interpretable study with better diagnostic accuracy and fewer nondiagnostic procedures than historical planar imaging. © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

Iodinated contrast media and their adverse reactions.

PubMed

Singh, Jagdish; Daftary, Aditya

2008-06-01

Cross-use of technology between nuclear medicine and radiology technologists is expanding. The growth of PET/CT and the increasing use of intravenous contrast agents during these procedures bring the nuclear medicine technologist into direct contact with these agents and their associated complications. A basic understanding of the occurrence, risk factors, clinical features, and management of these procedures is of increasing importance to the nuclear medicine technologist. After reading this article, the technologist will be able to list the factors that increase the risk of contrast reactions; understand ways to minimize the occurrence of contrast reactions; and develop a plan to identify, treat, and manage the reactions effectively.

(Cardiology and nuclear medicine)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Knapp, F.F. Jr.

1988-10-27

The traveler was invited to serve as an external examiner for a doctoral thesis entitled Analysis of Myocardial Time-Activity Curves Related to Radiolabeled Free Fatty Acid Metabolism'' in the Cardiology Department at the Free University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The traveler also visited the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Nuclear Medicine in Bonn, West Germany, the Department of Nuclear Medicine in Aachen, West Germany, and the Cyclotron Research Center in Liege, Belgium. He led discussions, reviewed data, and coordinated further collaboration on the preclinical studies and clinical testing of radiopharmaceuticals being developed by the traveler's research group at the Oakmore » Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).« less

Stochastic online appointment scheduling of multi-step sequential procedures in nuclear medicine.

PubMed

Pérez, Eduardo; Ntaimo, Lewis; Malavé, César O; Bailey, Carla; McCormack, Peter

2013-12-01

The increased demand for medical diagnosis procedures has been recognized as one of the contributors to the rise of health care costs in the U.S. in the last few years. Nuclear medicine is a subspecialty of radiology that uses advanced technology and radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. Procedures in nuclear medicine require the use of radiopharmaceuticals, are multi-step, and have to be performed under strict time window constraints. These characteristics make the scheduling of patients and resources in nuclear medicine challenging. In this work, we derive a stochastic online scheduling algorithm for patient and resource scheduling in nuclear medicine departments which take into account the time constraints imposed by the decay of the radiopharmaceuticals and the stochastic nature of the system when scheduling patients. We report on a computational study of the new methodology applied to a real clinic. We use both patient and clinic performance measures in our study. The results show that the new method schedules about 600 more patients per year on average than a scheduling policy that was used in practice by improving the way limited resources are managed at the clinic. The new methodology finds the best start time and resources to be used for each appointment. Furthermore, the new method decreases patient waiting time for an appointment by about two days on average.

Determining the pregnancy status of patients before diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures: the Australian experience.

PubMed

James, Daphne J; Cardew, Paul; Warren-Forward, Helen M

2011-09-01

Ionizing radiation used in diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures has the potential to have biologic effects on a fetus. Nuclear medicine technologists (NMTs) therefore have a responsibility to ensure that they question all patients of childbearing age about their pregnancy status before starting any procedure, to avoid unnecessary fetal irradiation. In Australia, there are no clearly defined practice guidelines to assist NMTs in determining whom to question or how to question their patients. Semistructured interviews were conducted with chief NMTs and staff NMTs in 8 nuclear medicine departments in Australia. Questions were based around 5 areas: regulations and policy, fetal radiation exposure, questioning of the patient, difficulties in determining pregnancy status, and the impact of the use of hybrid imaging. Audio files of the interviews were transcribed and coded. Topics were coded into 5 themes: policy and awareness of guidelines, questioning the patient, radiation knowledge, decisions and assumptions made by NMTs, and the use of pregnancy testing. There was a wide variation in practice between and within departments. NMTs demonstrated a lack of knowledge and awareness of the possible biologic effects of radiation. This study identified a need in Australia for nuclear medicine to arrive at a consensus approach to verifying a patient's pregnancy status so that NMTs can successfully question patients about their pregnancy status. Continuing education programs are also required to keep NMTs up to date in their knowledge.

Intraoperative Injection of Technetium-99m Sulfur Colloid for Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Breast Cancer Patients: A Single Institution Experience.

PubMed

Berrocal, Julian; Saperstein, Lawrence; Grube, Baiba; Horowitz, Nina R; Chagpar, Anees B; Killelea, Brigid K; Lannin, Donald R

2017-01-01

Background . Most institutions require a patient undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsy to go through nuclear medicine prior to surgery to be injected with radioisotope. This study describes the long-term results using intraoperative injection of radioisotope. Methods . Since late 2002, all patients undergoing a sentinel lymph node biopsy at the Yale-New Haven Breast Center underwent intraoperative injection of technetium-99m sulfur colloid. Endpoints included number of sentinel and nonsentinel lymph nodes obtained and number of positive sentinel and nonsentinel lymph nodes. Results . At least one sentinel lymph node was obtained in 2,333 out of 2,338 cases of sentinel node biopsy for an identification rate of 99.8%. The median number of sentinel nodes found was 2 and the mean was 2.33 (range: 1-15). There were 512 cases (21.9%) in which a sentinel node was positive for metastatic carcinoma. Of the patients with a positive sentinel lymph node who underwent axillary dissection, there were 242 cases (54.2%) with no additional positive nonsentinel lymph nodes. Advantages of intraoperative injection included increased comfort for the patient and simplification of scheduling. There were no radiation related complications. Conclusion . Intraoperative injection of technetium-99m sulfur colloid is convenient, effective, safe, and comfortable for the patient.

Considerations for setting up an order entry system for nuclear medicine tests.

PubMed

Hara, Narihiro; Onoguchi, Masahisa; Nishida, Toshihiko; Honda, Minoru; Houjou, Osamu; Yuhi, Masaru; Takayama, Teruhiko; Ueda, Jun

2007-12-01

Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise-Japan (IHE-J) was established in Japan in 2001 and has been working to standardize health information and make it accessible on the basis of the fundamental Integrating Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) specifications. However, because specialized operations are used in nuclear medicine tests, online sharing of patient information and test order information from the order entry system as shown by the scheduled workflow (SWF) is difficult, making information inconsistent throughout the facility and uniform management of patient information impossible. Therefore, we examined the basic design (subsystem design) for order entry systems, which are considered an important aspect of information management for nuclear medicine tests and needs to be consistent with the system used throughout the rest of the facility. There are many items that are required by the subsystem when setting up an order entry system for nuclear medicine tests. Among these items, those that are the most important in the order entry system are constructed using exclusion settings, because of differences in the conditions for using radiopharmaceuticals and contrast agents and appointment frame settings for differences in the imaging method and test items. To establish uniform management of patient information for nuclear medicine tests throughout the facility, it is necessary to develop an order entry system with exclusion settings and appointment frames as standard features. Thereby, integration of health information with the Radiology Information System (RIS) or Picture Archiving Communication System (PACS) based on Digital Imaging Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standards and real-time health care assistance can be attained, achieving the IHE agenda of improving health care service and efficiently sharing information.

Team effort: the nuclear medicine decision making process. Part II.

PubMed

Tsuchiyama, S

1991-06-01

This two part article examines the nuclear medicine purchase of Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, the largest private hospital in the nation. Part I (May 1991) focused on what their needs were. This concluding installment looks at the committee mechanism itself and the reasoning that went behind their decisions.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vogt, J R

A total of 75 papers were presented on nuclear methods for analysis of environmental and biological samples. Sessions were devoted to software and mathematical methods; nuclear methods in atmospheric and water research; nuclear and atomic methodology; nuclear methods in biology and medicine; and nuclear methods in energy research.

Nuclear medicine technologist training in European countries.

PubMed

Lass, Piotr

2002-08-01

This article overviews the training of nuclear medicine technologists in chosen European countries, the United States and Canada. There are basically two types of training: at medical schools following secondary school, without any university degree, usually on a 2- or 3-year basis, or else as a university course, leading to a BSc degree after 3 years, and in some countries to an MSc degree after an additional 2 years. In the United States both systems coexist, while in Europe the picture varies from country to country. The number of hours devoted to nuclear medicine also varies between curricula. Some efforts are being made to unify this system by transition to the university model of education in many European countries.

DICOM image quantification secondary capture (DICOM IQSC) integrated with numeric results, regions, and curves: implementation and applications in nuclear medicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Xinhua; Xu, Xiaoyin; Voss, Stephan

2017-03-01

In this paper, we describe an enhanced DICOM Secondary Capture (SC) that integrates Image Quantification (IQ) results, Regions of Interest (ROIs), and Time Activity Curves (TACs) with screen shots by embedding extra medical imaging information into a standard DICOM header. A software toolkit of DICOM IQSC has been developed to implement the SC-centered information integration of quantitative analysis for routine practice of nuclear medicine. Primary experiments show that the DICOM IQSC method is simple and easy to implement seamlessly integrating post-processing workstations with PACS for archiving and retrieving IQ information. Additional DICOM IQSC applications in routine nuclear medicine and clinic research are also discussed.

EC Project 'GUIDELINES ON MPE': proposed qualification and curriculum frameworks and the MPE in nuclear medicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caruana, C. J.

2011-09-01

The objectives of EC project 'Guidelines on Medical Physics Expert' are to provide for improved implementation of the provisions relating to the Medical Physics Expert within Council Directive 97/43/EURATOM and the proposed recast Basic Safety Standards directive. This includes harmonisation of the mission statement for Medical Physics Services as well as the education and training of the MPE. It also includes detailed knowledge-skills-competence inventories for the Medical Physics Expert in each of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy. This paper presents the proposed Qualification and Curriculum Frameworks and their application to the Medical Physics Expert in Nuclear Medicine.

Current global and Korean issues in radiation safety of nuclear medicine procedures.

PubMed

Song, H C

2016-06-01

In recent years, the management of patient doses in medical imaging has evolved as concern about radiation exposure has increased. Efforts and techniques to reduce radiation doses are focussed not only on the basis of patient safety, but also on the fundamentals of justification and optimisation in cooperation with international organisations such as the International Commission on Radiological Protection, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the World Health Organization. The Image Gently campaign in children and Image Wisely campaign in adults to lower radiation doses have been initiated in the USA. The European Association of Nuclear Medicine paediatric dosage card, North American consensus guidelines, and Nuclear Medicine Global Initiative have recommended the activities of radiopharmaceuticals that should be administered in children. Diagnostic reference levels (DRLs), developed predominantly in Europe, may be an important tool to manage patient doses. In Korea, overexposure to radiation, even from the use of medical imaging, has become a public issue, particularly since the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. As a result, the Korean Nuclear Safety and Security Commission revised the technical standards for radiation safety management in medical fields. In parallel, DRLs for nuclear medicine procedures have been collected on a nationwide scale. Notice of total effective dose from positron emission tomography-computed tomography for cancer screening has been mandatory since mid-November 2014. © The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics.

42 CFR Appendix F to Part 75 - Standards for Licensing Radiographers, Nuclear Medicine Technologists, and Radiation Therapy...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... THE ACCREDITATION OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR AND THE CREDENTIALING OF RADIOLOGIC PERSONNEL Pt. 75... radiography, nuclear medicine technology, or radiation therapy technology. 2. Special eligibility to take the... excess of, those of a graduate of an accredited educational program. C. Examination A criterion...

42 CFR Appendix D to Part 75 - Standards for Accreditation of Educational Programs for Nuclear Medicine Technologists

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standards for Accreditation of Educational Programs for Nuclear Medicine Technologists D Appendix D to Part 75 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES QUARANTINE, INSPECTION, LICENSING STANDARDS FOR THE ACCREDITATION OF...

Dictionary/handbook of nuclear medicine and clinical imaging

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Iturralde, M.P.

This book covers the following topics: Fundamentals of English medical etymology, Abbreviations, acronyms, symbols, denotations, and signs commonly used or defined in the dictionary, Characteristics of the elements, Characteristics of practicable radioisotopes and of selected radionuclides commonly used in nuclear medicine, Properties and production of radionuclides, Radioactive decay, Radiopharmaceuticals, and Radiation dosimetry.

Pulmonary nuclear medicine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Loken, M.K.

1987-01-01

This book contains 19 chapters. Some of the titles are: Pulmonary Nuclear Medicine; Radionuclide Venography as an Adjunct to V-P Imaging in the Assessment of Thromboembolic Disease; Assessment of Mucous Transport in the Respiratory Tract by Radioisotopic Techniques; Radiolabeled Blood Cells and Tracers in the Study of Acute Pulmonary Injury and ARDS; and Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Lungs.

The standardization methods of radioactive sources (125I, 131I, 99mTc, and 18F) for calibrating nuclear medicine equipment in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wurdiyanto, G.; Candra, H.

2016-03-01

The standardization of radioactive sources (125I, 131I, 99mTc and 18F) to calibrate the nuclear medicine equipment had been carried out in PTKMR-BATAN. This is necessary because the radioactive sources used in the field of nuclear medicine has a very short half-life in other that to obtain a quality measurement results require special treatment. Besides that, the use of nuclear medicine techniques in Indonesia develop rapidly. All the radioactive sources were prepared by gravimetric methods. Standardization of 125I has been carried out by photon- photon coincidence methods, while the others have been carried out by gamma spectrometry methods. The standar sources are used to calibrate a Capintec CRC-7BT radionuclide calibrator. The results shows that calibration factor for Capintec CRC-7BT dose calibrator is 1,03; 1,02; 1,06; and 1,04 for 125I, 131I, 99mTc and 18F respectively, by about 5 to 6% of the expanded uncertainties.

Cumulative radiation dose caused by radiologic studies in critically ill trauma patients.

PubMed

Kim, Patrick K; Gracias, Vicente H; Maidment, Andrew D A; O'Shea, Michael; Reilly, Patrick M; Schwab, C William

2004-09-01

Critically ill trauma patients undergo many radiologic studies, but the cumulative radiation dose is unknown. The purpose of this study was to estimate the cumulative effective dose (CED) of radiation resulting from radiologic studies in critically ill trauma patients. The study group was composed of trauma patients at an urban Level I trauma center with surgical intensive care unit length of stay (LOS) greater than 30 days. The radiology records were reviewed. A typical effective dose per study for each type of plain film radiograph, computed tomographic scan, fluoroscopic study, and nuclear medicine study was used to calculate CED. Forty-six patients met criteria. The mean surgical intensive care unit and hospital LOS were 42.7 +/- 14.0 and 59.5 +/- 28.5 days, respectively. The mean Injury Severity Score was 32.2 +/- 15.0. The mean number of studies per patient was 70.1 +/- 29.0 plain film radiographs, 7.8 +/- 4.1 computed tomographic scans, 2.5 +/- 2.6 fluoroscopic studies, and 0.065 +/- 0.33 nuclear medicine study. The mean CED was 106 +/- 59 mSv per patient (range, 11-289 mSv; median, 104 mSv). Among age, mechanism, Injury Severity Score, and LOS, there was no statistically significant predictor of high CED. The mean CED in the study group was 30 times higher than the average yearly radiation dose from all sources for individuals in the United States. The theoretical additional morbidity attributable to radiologic studies was 0.78%. From a radiobiologic perspective, risk-to-benefit ratios of radiologic studies are favorable, given the importance of medical information obtained. Current practice patterns regarding use of radiologic studies appear to be acceptable.

The Effect of the Presence of EEG Leads on Image Quality in Cerebral Perfusion SPECT and FDG PET/CT.

PubMed

Zhang, Lulu; Yen, Stephanie P; Seltzer, Marc A; Thomas, George P; Willis, Kristen; Siegel, Alan

2018-06-08

Rationale: Cerebral perfusion SPECT and 18 F-FDG PET/CT are commonly performed diagnostic procedures for patients suffering from epilepsy. Individuals receiving these tests are often in-patients undergoing examinations with EEG leads. We have routinely removed these leads before these tests due to concerns that they would lead to imaging artifacts. The leads would then be replaced at the conclusion of the scan. The goal of our study was to determine if the EEG leads actually do cause artifacts that could lead to erroneous scan interpretation or make the scan uninterpretable. Methods: PET/CT with 18 F-FDG and SPECT with technetium-99m ECD were performed on a two dimensional brain phantom. The phantom was scanned with standard leads, CT/MR compatible leads and with no leads. The scans were interpreted by three experienced nuclear medicine physicians who were asked to rank the images by quality and then to determine if they could differentiate each of the scans from a scan in which it was indicated that no leads were present. Results: No differences could be detected between SPECT or PET scans performed without leads or with either set of leads. The standard EEG leads did create an artifact in the CT portion of the PET/CT while the CT/MR compatible leads did not. Conclusion: This phantom study suggest that EEG leads, standard or CT/MR compatible do not need to be removed for SPECT or for PET. Further study evaluating the effect on patients scan would be of value to support this conclusion. Copyright © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

Development of departmental standard for traceability of measured activity for I-131 therapy capsules used in nuclear medicine.

PubMed

Ravichandran, Ramamoorthy; Binukumar, Jp

2011-01-01

International Basic Safety Standards (International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA) provide guidance levels for diagnostic procedures in nuclear medicine indicating the maximum usual activity for various diagnostic tests in terms of activities of injected radioactive formulations. An accuracy of ± 10% in the activities of administered radio-pharmaceuticals is being recommended, for expected outcome in diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine procedures. It is recommended that the long-term stability of isotope calibrators used in nuclear medicine is to be checked periodically for their performance using a long-lived check source, such as Cs-137, of suitable activity. In view of the un-availability of such a radioactive source, we tried to develop methods to maintain traceability of these instruments, for certifying measured activities for human use. Two re-entrant chambers [(HDR 1000 and Selectron Source Dosimetry System (SSDS)] with I-125 and Ir-192 calibration factors in the Department of Radiotherapy were used to measure Iodine-131 (I-131) therapy capsules to establish traceability to Mark V isotope calibrator of the Department of Nuclear Medicine. Special nylon jigs were fabricated to keep I-131 capsule holder in position. Measured activities in all the chambers showed good agreement. The accuracy of SSDS chamber in measuring Ir-192 activities in the last 5 years was within 0.5%, validating its role as departmental standard for measuring activity. The above method is adopted because mean energies of I-131 and Ir-192 are comparable.

Emp is a component of the nuclear matrix of mammalian cells and undergoes dynamic rearrangements during cell division

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bala, Shashi; Kumar, Ajay; Soni, Shivani

2006-04-21

Emp, originally detected in erythroblastic islands, is expressed in numerous cell types and tissues suggesting a functionality not limited to hematopoiesis. To study the function of Emp in non-hematopoietic cells, an epitope-tagged recombinant human Emp was expressed in HEK cells. Preliminary studies revealed that Emp partitioned into both the nuclear and Triton X-100-insoluble cytoskeletal fractions in approximately a 4:1 ratio. In this study, we report investigations of Emp in the nucleus. Sequential extractions of interphase nuclei showed that recombinant Emp was present predominantly in the nuclear matrix. Immunofluorescence microscopy showed that Emp was present in typical nuclear speckles enriched withmore » the spliceosome assembly factor SC35 and partially co-localized with actin staining. Coimmunoprecipitation and GST-pull-down assays confirmed the apparent close association of Emp with nuclear actin. During mitosis, Emp was detected at the mitotic spindle/spindle poles, as well as in the contractile ring during cytokinesis. These results suggest that Emp undergoes dynamic rearrangements within the nuclear architecture that are correlated with cell division.« less

Emp is a component of the nuclear matrix of mammalian cells and undergoes dynamic rearrangements during cell division.

PubMed

Bala, Shashi; Kumar, Ajay; Soni, Shivani; Sinha, Sudha; Hanspal, Manjit

2006-04-21

Emp, originally detected in erythroblastic islands, is expressed in numerous cell types and tissues suggesting a functionality not limited to hematopoiesis. To study the function of Emp in non-hematopoietic cells, an epitope-tagged recombinant human Emp was expressed in HEK cells. Preliminary studies revealed that Emp partitioned into both the nuclear and Triton X-100-insoluble cytoskeletal fractions in approximately a 4:1 ratio. In this study, we report investigations of Emp in the nucleus. Sequential extractions of interphase nuclei showed that recombinant Emp was present predominantly in the nuclear matrix. Immunofluorescence microscopy showed that Emp was present in typical nuclear speckles enriched with the spliceosome assembly factor SC35 and partially co-localized with actin staining. Coimmunoprecipitation and GST-pull-down assays confirmed the apparent close association of Emp with nuclear actin. During mitosis, Emp was detected at the mitotic spindle/spindle poles, as well as in the contractile ring during cytokinesis. These results suggest that Emp undergoes dynamic rearrangements within the nuclear architecture that are correlated with cell division.

A little something from physics for medicine (Scientific session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 23 April 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2014-12-01

A scientific session of the Physical Sciences Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), entitled "A little something from physics for medicine", was held on 23 April 2014 at the conference hall of the Lebedev Physical Institute, RAS. The agenda posted on the website of the Physical Sciences Division, RAS, http://www.gpad.ac.ru, included the following reports: (1) Rumyantsev S A (D Rogachev Federal Research and Clinical Center of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Immunology, Moscow) "Translational medicine as a basis of progress in hematology/oncology"; (2) Akulinichev S V (Institute for Nuclear Research, RAS, Moscow) "Promising nuclear medicine research at the INR, RAS"; (3) Nikitin P P (Prokhorov General Physics Institute, RAS, Moscow) "Biosensorics: new possibilities provided by marker-free optical methods and magnetic nanoparticles for medical diagnostics"; (4) Alimpiev S S, Nikiforov S M, Grechnikov A A (Prokhorov General Physics Institute, RAS, Moscow) "New approaches in laser mass-spectrometry of organic objects". The publication of the article based on the oral report No. 2 is presented below. • Promising nuclear medicine research in the Institute for Nuclear Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, V V Akulinichev Physics-Uspekhi, 2014, Volume 57, Number 12, Pages 1239-1243

Radiochemistry Research and Training, UC Davis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sutcliffe, Julie

2012-08-01

The report contains a summary of the accomplishments made during the R2@UCDavis proposal. In brief we proposed to develop new and highly innovative radiotracer methods and to enhance training opportunities to ensure the future availability of human resources for highly specialized fields of radiotracer development chemistry and clinical nuclear medicine research and allied disciplines. The overall scientific objectives of this proposal were to utilize “click” chemistry to facilitate fast and site-specific radiolabeling. Progress was made on all initial goals presented. This funding has to date resulted in publications in high impact journals such as Acta Biomaterialia, Molecular Imaging and Biology,more » Nuclear Medicine and Biology and most recently Environmental Science and technology, and it is anticipated that through the collaborations established during the time course of this funding that future research will be published in clinically relevant journals such as Science Translational Medicine and the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Trainees involved in this proposal have gone on to further their careers in both academia, industry and the private sector. The collaborative forums established during the time course of this funding will ensure the future availability of human resources for highly specialized fields of radiotracer development chemistry and clinical nuclear medicine research and allied disciplines.« less

Monte-Carlo based assessment of MAGIC, MAGICAUG, PAGATUG and PAGATAUG polymer gel dosimeters for ovaries and uterus organ dosimetry in brachytherapy, nuclear medicine and Tele-therapy.

PubMed

Adinehvand, Karim; Rahatabad, Fereidoun Nowshiravan

2018-06-01

Calculation of 3D dose distribution during radiotherapy and nuclear medicine helps us for better treatment of sensitive organs such as ovaries and uterus. In this research, we investigate two groups of normoxic dosimeters based on meta-acrylic acid (MAGIC and MAGICAUG) and polyacrylamide (PAGATUG and PAGATAUG) for brachytherapy, nuclear medicine and Tele-therapy in their sensitive and critical role as organ dosimeters. These polymer gel dosimeters are compared with soft tissue while irradiated by different energy photons in therapeutic applications. This comparison has been simulated by Monte-Carlo based MCNPX code. ORNL phantom-Female has been used to model the critical organs of kidneys, ovaries and uterus. Right kidney is proposed to be the source of irradiation and another two organs are exposed to this irradiation. Effective atomic numbers of soft tissue, MAGIC, MAGICAUG, PAGATUG and PAGATAUG are 6.86, 7.07, 6.95, 7.28, and 7.07 respectively. Results show the polymer gel dosimeters are comparable to soft tissue for using in nuclear medicine and Tele-therapy. Differences between gel dosimeters and soft tissue are defined as the dose responses. This difference is less than 4.1%, 22.6% and 71.9% for Tele-therapy, nuclear medicine and brachytherapy respectively. The results approved that gel dosimeters are the best choice for ovaries and uterus in nuclear medicine and Tele-therapy respectively. Due to the slight difference between the effective atomic numbers of these polymer gel dosimeters and soft tissue, these polymer gels are not suitable for brachytherapy since the dependence of photon interaction to atomic number, for low energy brachytherapy, had been so effective. Also this dependence to atomic number, decrease for photoelectric and increase for Compton. Therefore polymer gel dosimeters are not a good alternative to soft tissue replacement in brachytherapy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic reference level: an important tool for reducing radiation doses in adult and pediatric nuclear medicine procedures in Brazil.

PubMed

Willegaignon, José; Braga, Luis F E F; Sapienza, Marcelo T; Coura-Filho, George B; Cardona, Marissa A R; Alves, Carlos E R; Gutterres, Ricardo F; Buchpiguel, Carlos A

2016-05-01

This study aimed to establish a concise method for determining a diagnostic reference level (DRL) for adult and pediatric nuclear medicine patients on the basis of diagnostic procedures and administered radioisotope as a means of controlling medical exposure. A screening was carried out in all Brazilian Nuclear Medicine Service (NMS) establishments to support this study by collecting the average activities administered during adult diagnostic procedures and the rules applied to adjust these according to the patient's age and body mass. Percentile 75 was used in all the activities administered as a means of establishing DRL for adult patients, with additional correction factors for pediatric patients. Radiation doses from nuclear medicine procedures on the basis of average administered activity were calculated for all diagnostic exams. A total of 107 NMSs in Brazil agreed to participate in the project. From the 64 nuclear medicine procedures studied, bone, kidney, and parathyroid scans were found to be used in more than 85% of all the NMSs analyzed. There was a large disparity among the activities administered, when applying the same procedures, this reaching, in some cases, more than 20 times between the lowest and the highest. Diagnostic exams based on Ga, Tl, and I radioisotopes proved to be the major exams administering radiation doses to patients. On introducing the DRL concept into clinical routine, the minimum reduction in radiation doses received by patients was about 15%, the maximum was 95%, and the average was 50% compared with the previously reported administered activities. Variability in the available diagnostic procedures as well as in the amount of activities administered within the same procedure was appreciable not only in Brazil, but worldwide. Global efforts are needed to establish a concise DRL that can be applied in adult and pediatric nuclear medicine procedures as the application of DRL in clinical routine has been proven to be an important tool for controlling and reducing radiation doses received by patients in medical exposure.

Population radiation dose from diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures in the Tehran population in 1999-2003: striking changes in only one decade.

PubMed

Tabeie, Faraj; Mohammadi, Hooshang; Asli, Isa Neshandar

2013-02-01

Use of unsealed radiopharmaceuticals in Iran's nuclear medicine centers has expanded rapidly in the last decade. As part of a nationwide survey, this study was undertaken to estimate the radiation risk due to the diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures performed in Tehran in 1999-2003. During the five years of the study, the data of 101,540 yearly examinations of diagnostic nuclear medicine were obtained for 34 (out of 40) active nuclear medicine centers in Tehran. The patients studied were aged 1 y, 5 y, 10 y, 15 y, and adults (>15 y). Compared to an earlier investigation in 1989 (which was published in 1995), striking changes were found to be occurring in the trends of nuclear medicine in Tehran in a matter of a decade. The frequency of cardiac examinations increased from less than 1% in 1989 to 43.2% (mean of 5 y) in 2003; thyroid examinations, with the relative frequency of higher than 80% in 1989, decreased to 26.7% in the current investigation (averaged for 2001); and the number of overall examinations per 1,000 population of Tehran increased from 1.9 in 1989 to 8.8 in this study (about fourfold). The decrease in relative frequency of thyroid examinations could be attributed to the lower referral policy (mainly by specialists), decreased incidence of goiter due to implementation of programs for iodine enrichment diets, introduction of fine needle aspiration (FNA), and sonography techniques for diagnosis of thyroid disease. The large increase in relative frequency of cardiac examinations could be due to the increase in the number of single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) systems in recent years as compared to 1989 in Tehran. The collective effective dose increased from 400 (person-Sv) in 1999 to 529 (person-Sv) in 2003, and the effective dose per capita increased from 34.80 μSv in 1999 to 44.06 μSv in 2003 (average, 35.60 μSv).

Strengthening radiopharmacy practice in IAEA Member States.

PubMed

Duatti, Adriano; Bhonsle, Uday

2013-05-01

Radiopharmaceuticals are essential components of nuclear medicine procedures. Without radiopharmaceuticals nuclear medicine procedures cannot be performed. Therefore it could be said that 'No radiopharmaceutical-no nuclear medicine.' A good radiopharmacy practice supports nuclear medicine activities by producing radiopharmaceuticals that are safe and are of the required quality in a consistent way. As with any medicinal product, radiopharmaceuticals are required to be produced under carefully controlled conditions and are tested for their quality, prior to the administration to patients, using validated standard operating procedures. These procedures are based on the principles of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). The GMP principles are based on scientific knowledge and applicable regulatory requirements and guidance related to radiopharmaceutical productions and use. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is committed to promote, in the Member States (MS), a rational and practical approach for the implementation of GMP for compounding or manufacturing of diagnostic or therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. To pursue this goal the IAEA has developed various mechanisms and collaborations with individual experts in the field and with relevant national and international institutions or organizations. IAEA's activities in promoting radiopharmaceutical science include commissioning expert advice in the form of publications on radiopharmaceutical production, quality control and usage, producing technical guidance on production and regulatory aspects related to new radiopharmaceuticals, creating guidance documentation for self or internal audits of radiopharmaceutical production facilities, producing guidance on implementation of Quality Management System and GMP in radiopharmacy, assisting in creation of specific radiopharmaceutical monographs for the International Pharmacopoeia, and developing radiopharmacy-related human resource capabilities in MS through individual and regional training courses and education programs. IAEA strongly supports development of clinical nuclear medicine services by assisting MS in setting up reliable Radiopharmaceutical production facilities for single photon emission computed tomography, positron emission tomography, and for therapeutic applications. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Radiation dose to technologists per nuclear medicine examination and estimation of annual dose.

PubMed

Bayram, Tuncay; Yilmaz, A Hakan; Demir, Mustafa; Sonmez, Bircan

2011-03-01

Conventional diagnostic nuclear medicine applications have been continuously increasing in most nuclear medicine departments in Turkey, but to our knowledge no one has studied the doses to technologists who perform nuclear medicine procedures. Most nuclear medicine laboratories do not have separate control rooms for technologists, who are quite close to the patient during data acquisition. Technologists must therefore stay behind lead shields while performing their task if they are to reduce the radiation dose received. The aim of this study was to determine external radiation doses to technologists during nuclear medicine procedures with and without a lead shield. Another aim was to investigate the occupational annual external radiation doses to Turkish technologists. This study used a Geiger-Müller detector to measure dose rates to technologists at various distances from patients (0.25, 0.50, 1, and 2 m and behind a lead shield) and determined the average time spent by technologists at these distances. Deep-dose equivalents to technologists were obtained. The following conventional nuclear medicine procedures were considered: thyroid scintigraphy performed using (99m)Tc pertechnetate, whole-body bone scanning performed using (99m)Tc-methylene diphosphonate, myocardial perfusion scanning performed using (99m)Tc-methoxyisobutyl isonitrile, and (201)Tl (thallous chloride) and renal scanning performed using (99m)Tc-dimercaptosuccinic acid. The measured deep-dose equivalent to technologists per procedure was within the range of 0.13 ± 0.05 to 0.43 ± 0.17 μSv using a lead shield and 0.21 ± 0.07 to 1.01 ± 0.46 μSv without a lead shield. Also, the annual individual dose to a technologist performing only a particular scintigraphic procedure throughout a year was estimated. For a total of 95 clinical cases (71 patients), effective external radiation doses to technologists were found to be within the permissible levels. This study showed that a 2-mm lead shield markedly reduced the external dose to technologists. The doses to technologists varied significantly for different diagnostic applications. Consequently, the estimated annual dose to a technologist performing only a particular scintigraphic procedure is very different from one type of procedure to another. The results of this study should help in determining the rotation time of technologists in different procedures and differences in their individual techniques.

Java-based remote viewing and processing of nuclear medicine images: toward "the imaging department without walls".

PubMed

Slomka, P J; Elliott, E; Driedger, A A

2000-01-01

In nuclear medicine practice, images often need to be reviewed and reports prepared from locations outside the department, usually in the form of hard copy. Although hard-copy images are simple and portable, they do not offer electronic data search and image manipulation capabilities. On the other hand, picture archiving and communication systems or dedicated workstations cannot be easily deployed at numerous locations. To solve this problem, we propose a Java-based remote viewing station (JaRViS) for the reading and reporting of nuclear medicine images using Internet browser technology. JaRViS interfaces to the clinical patient database of a nuclear medicine workstation. All JaRViS software resides on a nuclear medicine department server. The contents of the clinical database can be searched by a browser interface after providing a password. Compressed images with the Java applet and color lookup tables are downloaded on the client side. This paradigm does not require nuclear medicine software to reside on remote computers, which simplifies support and deployment of such a system. To enable versatile reporting of the images, color tables and thresholds can be interactively manipulated and images can be displayed in a variety of layouts. Image filtering, frame grouping (adding frames), and movie display are available. Tomographic mode displays are supported, including gated SPECT. The time to display 14 lung perfusion images in 128 x 128 matrix together with the Java applet and color lookup tables over a V.90 modem is <1 min. SPECT and PET slice reorientation is interactive (<1 s). JaRViS could run on a Windows 95/98/NT or a Macintosh platform with Netscape Communicator or Microsoft Intemet Explorer. The performance of Java code for bilinear interpolation, cine display, and filtering approaches that of a standard imaging workstation. It is feasible to set up a remote nuclear medicine viewing station using Java and an Internet or intranet browser. Images can be made easily and cost-effectively available to referring physicians and ambulatory clinics within and outside of the hospital, providing a convenient alternative to film media. We also find this system useful in home reporting of emergency procedures such as lung ventilation-perfusion scans or dynamic studies.

131I INTERNAL CONTAMINATION AND COMMITTED DOSE ASSESSMENT AMONG NUCLEAR MEDICINE MEDICAL PERSONNEL.

PubMed

Brudecki, K; Kluczewska-Galka, A; Mróz, T; Jarzab, B; Zagrodzki, P; Janowski, P

2018-05-01

This study presents 131I thyroid activity measurements of 56 employees of the Department of Nuclear Medicine and Endocrine Oncology, Centre for Oncology in Gliwice. The research instrument was a whole-body spectrometer. In 44 out of 56 examined staff members, the determined 131I activity was found to be above the detection limit. The measured activities ranged from 6 ± 2 to 457 ± 118 Bq. The maximum estimated committed effective dose reached was 1.5 mSv/y. The results were compared with previous measurements conducted in another Polish nuclear medical unit. From this comparison, we can see that radiological safety among nuclear medicine personnel can be improved by appropriate work organisation. Reducing exposure of workers can be achieved by properly organised turnovers concerning the most vulnerable worksites. In addition, to lower the radiation risk, it is essential to comply strictly with the isolation regime for the patients.

Nucleocytoplasmic trafficking of Nipah virus W protein involves multiple discrete interactions with the nuclear import and export machinery.

PubMed

Audsley, Michelle D; Jans, David A; Moseley, Gregory W

2016-10-21

Paramyxoviruses replicate in the cytoplasm with no obvious requirement to interact with the nucleus. Nevertheless, the W protein of the highly lethal bat-borne paramyxovirus Nipah virus (NiV) is known to undergo specific targeting to the nucleus, mediated by a single nuclear localisation signal (NLS) within the C-terminal domain. Here, we report for the first time that additional sites modulate nucleocytoplasmic localisation of W. We show that the N-terminal domain interacts with importin α1 and contributes to nuclear accumulation of W, indicative of a novel N-terminal NLS. We also find that W undergoes exportin-1 mediated nuclear export, dependent on a leucine at position 174. Together, these data enable significant revision of the generally accepted model of W trafficking, with implications for understanding of the mechanisms of NiV immune evasion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Emergency medicine in Dubai, UAE.

PubMed

Partridge, Robert; Abbo, Michael; Virk, Alamjit

2009-08-18

Dubai has rapidly risen to prominence in the Persian Gulf region as a center of global commerce and tourism and as a cultural crossroad between East and West. The health-care infrastructure has undergone rapid development. Collaborations with academic medical centers now exist to advance clinical care, teaching and research. Emergency medicine has also advanced and is undergoing dynamic change. Dubai may soon emerge as a regional leader in emergency medicine training and practice.

The necessity of nuclear reactors for targeted radionuclide therapies.

PubMed

Krijger, Gerard C; Ponsard, Bernard; Harfensteller, Mark; Wolterbeek, Hubert T; Nijsen, Johannes W F

2013-07-01

Nuclear medicine has been contributing towards personalized therapies. Nuclear reactors are required for the working horses of both diagnosis and treatment, i.e., Tc-99m and I-131. In fact, reactors will remain necessary to fulfill the demand for a variety of radionuclides and are essential in the expanding field of targeted radionuclide therapies for cancer. However, the main reactors involved in the global supply are ageing and expected to shut down before 2025. Therefore, the fields of (nuclear) medicine, nuclear industry and politics share a global responsibility, faced with the task to secure future access to suitable nuclear reactors. At the same time, alternative production routes should be industrialized. For this, a coordinating entity should be put into place. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nuclear medicine in clinical urology and nephrology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tauxe, W.N.; Dubousky, E.V.

This book presents explanations of current procedures involving the kidney with information of the performance of each test, its rationale, and interpretation. The information covers all currently used radiopharmaceuticals, radiation dosimetry, instrumentation, test protocols, and mathematical principles of pathophysiology as they relate to nuclear medicine studies. Information is provided on which radiopharmaceutical, instrument, or computer application to use, and when.

MAGIC-f Gel in Nuclear Medicine Dosimetry: study in an external beam of Iodine-131

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwarcke, M.; Marques, T.; Garrido, C.; Nicolucci, P.; Baffa, O.

2010-11-01

MAGIC-f gel applicability in Nuclear Medicine dosimetry was investigated by exposure to a 131I source. Calibration was made to provide known absorbed doses in different positions around the source. The absorbed dose in gel was compared with a Monte Carlo Simulation using PENELOPE code and a thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD). Using MRI analysis for the gel a R2-dose sensitivity of 0.23 s-1Gy-1was obtained. The agreement between dose-distance curves obtained with Monte Carlo simulation and TLD was better than 97% and for MAGIC-f and TLD was better than 98%. The results show the potential of polymer gel for application in nuclear medicine where three dimensional dose distribution is demanded.

UK nuclear medicine survey, 1992-93.

PubMed

Elliott, A T; Elliott, F M; Shields, R A

1996-01-01

A postal survey of UK nuclear medicine departments was undertaken to collate information on equipment, numbers of procedures and staffing levels for the years 1992 and 1993. It was estimated that there are 235 sites undertaking nuclear medicine, the total number of procedures performed being some 490,000 in 1993 compared with 430,000 in 1989. Informal investigation suggests that the increase is due to greater usage of myocardial perfusion and lung ventilation/perfusion studies. Wide variations were noted in staffing levels, with only 22% of departments having medical cover of half-time equivalent or better: over 30% of departments have less than one consultant session per week. Approximately 20% of departments claimed to have no physics input, with a further 20% having less than one session per week.

75 FR 13598 - Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes; Renewal Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-22

...-scientific disciplines including nuclear medicine; nuclear cardiology; radiation therapy; medical physics; nuclear pharmacy; State medical regulation; patient's rights and care; health care administration; and...

Healing a Sick World: Psychiatric Medicine and the Atomic Age.

PubMed

Zwigenberg, Ran

2018-01-01

The onset of nuclear warfare in Hiroshima and Nagasaki had far-reaching implications for the world of medicine. The study of the A-bomb and its implications led to the launching of new fields and avenues of research, most notably in genetics and radiation studies. Far less understood and under-studied was the impact of nuclear research on psychiatric medicine. Psychological research, however, was a major focus of post-war military and civilian research into the bomb. This research and the perceived revolutionary impact of atomic energy and warfare on society, this paper argues, played an important role in the global development of post-war psychiatry. Focusing on psychiatrists in North America, Japan and the United Nations, this paper examines the reaction of the profession to the nuclear age from the early post-war period to the mid 1960s. The way psychiatric medicine related to atomic issues, I argue, shifted significantly between the immediate post-war period and the 1960s. While the early post-war psychiatrists sought to help society deal with and adjust to the new nuclear reality, later psychiatrists moved towards a more radical position that sought to resist the establishment's efforts to normalise the bomb and nuclear energy. This shift had important consequences for research into the psychological trauma suffered by victims of nuclear warfare, which, ultimately, together with other research into the impact of war and systematic violence, led to our current understanding of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Healing a Sick World: Psychiatric Medicine and the Atomic Age

PubMed Central

Zwigenberg, Ran

2018-01-01

The onset of nuclear warfare in Hiroshima and Nagasaki had far-reaching implications for the world of medicine. The study of the A-bomb and its implications led to the launching of new fields and avenues of research, most notably in genetics and radiation studies. Far less understood and under-studied was the impact of nuclear research on psychiatric medicine. Psychological research, however, was a major focus of post-war military and civilian research into the bomb. This research and the perceived revolutionary impact of atomic energy and warfare on society, this paper argues, played an important role in the global development of post-war psychiatry. Focusing on psychiatrists in North America, Japan and the United Nations, this paper examines the reaction of the profession to the nuclear age from the early post-war period to the mid 1960s. The way psychiatric medicine related to atomic issues, I argue, shifted significantly between the immediate post-war period and the 1960s. While the early post-war psychiatrists sought to help society deal with and adjust to the new nuclear reality, later psychiatrists moved towards a more radical position that sought to resist the establishment’s efforts to normalise the bomb and nuclear energy. This shift had important consequences for research into the psychological trauma suffered by victims of nuclear warfare, which, ultimately, together with other research into the impact of war and systematic violence, led to our current understanding of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PMID:29199929

21 CFR 892.1350 - Nuclear scanning bed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Nuclear scanning bed. 892.1350 Section 892.1350...) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.1350 Nuclear scanning bed. (a) Identification. A nuclear scanning bed is an adjustable bed intended to support a patient during a nuclear medicine...

21 CFR 892.1350 - Nuclear scanning bed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Nuclear scanning bed. 892.1350 Section 892.1350...) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.1350 Nuclear scanning bed. (a) Identification. A nuclear scanning bed is an adjustable bed intended to support a patient during a nuclear medicine...

21 CFR 892.1350 - Nuclear scanning bed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Nuclear scanning bed. 892.1350 Section 892.1350...) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.1350 Nuclear scanning bed. (a) Identification. A nuclear scanning bed is an adjustable bed intended to support a patient during a nuclear medicine...

21 CFR 892.1350 - Nuclear scanning bed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Nuclear scanning bed. 892.1350 Section 892.1350...) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.1350 Nuclear scanning bed. (a) Identification. A nuclear scanning bed is an adjustable bed intended to support a patient during a nuclear medicine...

21 CFR 892.1350 - Nuclear scanning bed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Nuclear scanning bed. 892.1350 Section 892.1350...) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.1350 Nuclear scanning bed. (a) Identification. A nuclear scanning bed is an adjustable bed intended to support a patient during a nuclear medicine...

Evaluation of an internet-based e-learning module to introduce nuclear medicine to medical students: a feasibility study.

PubMed

Diessl, Stefanie; Verburg, Frederik A; Hoernlein, Alexander; Schumann, Martin; Luster, Markus; Reiners, Christoph

2010-12-01

The advent of electronic learning, the so-called e-learning, offers new possibilities for instruction in addition to the traditional face-to-face teaching in the education of medical students. To evaluate the additional educational value of a voluntary e-learning module in a nuclear medicine course for third-year medical students. Twenty exemplary nuclear medicine patient cases from our department were developed for e-learning purposes and presented on the internet using the web-based training program ‘CaseTrain’. Subsequently, three selected test cases were handled and evaluated by an unselected population of third-year medical students. One hundred and twenty-eight students studied the three patient cases and filled out the evaluation questionnaire completely. The most important result is that both the interest in and the subjective feeling of the knowledge level regarding the specialized field of nuclear medicine had increased significantly after working through the three e-learning cases. Ninety-seven percent of the evaluating students considered the use of computer-based learning useful. The subjective grading of the content of the cases and the handling of the software were graded with high marks by the participants, 1.9 and 2.0, respectively, on a linear scale with 1 being the best and 6 being the worst. The addition of e-learning to face-to-face teaching as a form of ‘blended learning’ is highly appreciated by medical students, and will provide an effective medium for bringing better understanding of nuclear medicine to future colleagues.

A study of professional radiation hazards in CT scan and nuclear medicine workers using GTG-banding and solid stain.

PubMed

Changizi, Vahid; Alizadeh, Mohammad Hossein; Mousavi, Akbar

2015-01-01

CT scan and nuclear medicine exams deliver a great part of medical exposures. This study examined professional radiation hazards in CT scan and nuclear medicine workers. In a cross sectional study 30 occupationally exposed workers and 7 controls (all from personnel of a laboratory) were selected. Physical dosimetry was performed for exposed workers. Blood samples were obtained from the experimental and control groups. Three culture mediums for each one were prepared in due to routine chromosome analysis using G-banding and solid stain. There were significant increased incidence of chromatid gap (ctg) and chromatid break (ctb) with mean±SD frequencies of 3±0.84 and 3.1±1.40 per 100 cells respectively in the nuclear medicine workers versus controls with mean±SD frequencies of 1.9±0.69 and 1.3±0.84 for ctg and ctb, respectively. Chromosome gaps (chrg) were higher significantly in the nuclear medicine population (2.47±0.91) than in controls (1.4±0.9) (p< 0.05). In CT scan group the ctg and ctb were increased with a mean±SD frequency of 2.7±0.79 and 2.6±0.91 per 100 cells respectively compared with control group. The mean±SD frequencies of the chrb were 2.0±0.75 and 0.86±0.690 per 100 cells for exposed workers and control group, respectively. This study showed chromosome aberrations in peripheral lymphocytes using solid stain method are reasonable biomarker reflecting personnel radiation damage.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use and Symptom Burden in Women Undergoing Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer in Malaysia.

PubMed

Chui, Ping Lei; Abdullah, Khatijah Lim; Wong, Li Ping; Taib, Nur Aishah

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is commonly used for cancer- and chemotherapy-related symptoms. Nurses are likely to encounter many CAM users in their practice. The aims of this study were to assess CAM use and examine the symptom burden of CAM and non-CAM users among patients with breast cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy. A CAM use questionnaire and the Side-Effect Burden Scale were administered to 546 patients. Complementary and alternative medicine use was categorized as mind-body practices (MBPs), natural products (NPs), or traditional medicine (TM). We identified 386 CAM users (70.7%) in this study. The CAM users reported a higher marginal mean total symptom burden score (40.39 ± 2.6) than non-CAM users (36.93 ± 3.21), although this difference was not statistically significant (P = .09). Triple-modality (MBP-NP-TM) CAM users had a significantly higher marginal mean total symptom burden score (47.44 ± 4.12) than single-modality (MBP) users (34.09 ± 4.43). The risk of having a high total symptom burden score was 12.9-fold higher among the MBP-NP-TM users than among the MBP users. Complementary and alternative medicine use is common among Malaysian patients who are undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. However, CAM and non-CAM users reported similar symptom burdens, although single-modality use of MBP is likely associated with a lower symptom burden. Nurses should keep abreast of current developments and trends in CAM use. Understanding CAM use and the related symptom burden will allow nurses to initiate open discussion and guide their patients in seeking additional information or referrals for a particular therapy.

Application for internal dosimetry using biokinetic distribution of photons based on nuclear medicine images.

PubMed

Leal Neto, Viriato; Vieira, José Wilson; Lima, Fernando Roberto de Andrade

2014-01-01

This article presents a way to obtain estimates of dose in patients submitted to radiotherapy with basis on the analysis of regions of interest on nuclear medicine images. A software called DoRadIo (Dosimetria das Radiações Ionizantes [Ionizing Radiation Dosimetry]) was developed to receive information about source organs and target organs, generating graphical and numerical results. The nuclear medicine images utilized in the present study were obtained from catalogs provided by medical physicists. The simulations were performed with computational exposure models consisting of voxel phantoms coupled with the Monte Carlo EGSnrc code. The software was developed with the Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Service Pack and the project template Windows Presentation Foundation for C# programming language. With the mentioned tools, the authors obtained the file for optimization of Monte Carlo simulations using the EGSnrc; organization and compaction of dosimetry results with all radioactive sources; selection of regions of interest; evaluation of grayscale intensity in regions of interest; the file of weighted sources; and, finally, all the charts and numerical results. The user interface may be adapted for use in clinical nuclear medicine as a computer-aided tool to estimate the administered activity.

Air contamination measurements for the evaluation of internal dose to workers in nuclear medicine departments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Massimi, B.; Bianchini, D.; Sarnelli, A.; D'Errico, V.; Marcocci, F.; Mezzenga, E.; Mostacci, D.

2017-11-01

Radionuclides handled in nuclear medicine departments are often characterized by high volatility and short half-life. It is generally difficult to monitor directly the intake of these short-lived radionuclides in hospital staff: this makes measuring air contamination of utmost interest. The aim of the present work is to provide a method for the evaluation of internal doses to workers in nuclear medicine, by means of an air activity sampling detector, to ensure that the limits prescribed by the relevant legislation are respected. A continuous air sampling system measures isotope concentration with a Nal(TI) detector. Energy efficiency of the system was assessed with GEANT4 and with known activities of 18F. Air is sampled in a number of areas of the nuclear medicine department of the IRST-IRCCS hospital (Meldola- Italy). To evaluate committed doses to hospital staff involved (doctors, technicians, nurses) different exposure situations (rooms, times, radionuclides etc) were considered. After estimating the intake, the committed effective dose has been evaluated, for the different radionuclides, using the dose coefficients mandated by the Italian legislation. Error propagation for the estimated intake and personal dose has been evaluated, starting from measurement statistics.

SU-E-I-24: Design and Fabrication of a Multi-Functional Neck and Thyroid Phantom for Medical Dosimetry and Calibration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mehdizadeh, S; Sina, S; Karimipourfard, M

Purpose: The purpose of this study is the design and fabrication of a multipurpose anthropomorphic neck and thyroid phantom for use in medical applications (i.e. quality control of images in nuclear medicine, and dosimetry). Methods: The designed neck phantom is composed of seven elliptic cylindrical slices with semi-major axis of 14 and semi-minor axis of 12.5 cm, each having the thickness of 2cm. Thyroid gland, bony part of the neck, and the wind pipe were also built inside the neck phantom. Results: The phantom contains some removable plugs,inside and at its surface to accommodate the TLD chips with different shapesmore » and dimensions, (i.e. rod, cylindrical and cubical TLD chips)for the purpose of medical dosimetry (i.e. in radiology, radiotherapy, and nuclear medicine). For the purpose of quality control of images in nuclear medicine, the removable thyroid gland was built to accommodate the radioactive iodine. The female and male thyroid glands were built in two sizes separately. Conclusion: The designed phantom is a multi-functional phantom which is applicable for dosimetry in diagnostic radiology, radiotherapy, and quality control of images in nuclear medicine.« less

Impact of Improved Combat Casualty Care on Combat Wounded Undergoing Exploratory Laparotomy and Massive Transfusion

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-01

given to evidence - based medicine in the 20th century has not only allowed improved dissemination of information to civilian providers but has also...limiting the amount of crystalloid used to resuscitate patients by 61%. This is further confirmation that evidence - based medicine changes in practice are at

Short- and long-term responses to molybdenum-99 shortages in nuclear medicine.

PubMed

Ballinger, J R

2010-11-01

Most nuclear medicine studies use (99)Tc(m), which is the decay product of (99)Mo. The world supply of (99)Mo comes from only five nuclear research reactors and availability has been much reduced in recent times owing to problems at the largest reactors. In the short-term there are limited actions that can be taken owing to capacity issues on alternative imaging modalities. In the long-term, stability of (99)Mo supply will rely on a combination of replacing conventional reactors and developing new technologies.

Short- and long-term responses to molybdenum-99 shortages in nuclear medicine

PubMed Central

Ballinger, J R

2010-01-01

Most nuclear medicine studies use 99Tcm, which is the decay product of 99Mo. The world supply of 99Mo comes from only five nuclear research reactors and availability has been much reduced in recent times owing to problems at the largest reactors. In the short-term there are limited actions that can be taken owing to capacity issues on alternative imaging modalities. In the long-term, stability of 99Mo supply will rely on a combination of replacing conventional reactors and developing new technologies. PMID:20965898

Redundant array of independent disks: practical on-line archiving of nuclear medicine image data.

PubMed

Lear, J L; Pratt, J P; Trujillo, N

1996-02-01

While various methods for long-term archiving of nuclear medicine image data exist, none support rapid on-line search and retrieval of information. We assembled a 90-Gbyte redundant array of independent disks (RAID) system using 10-, 9-Gbyte disk drives. The system was connected to a personal computer and software was used to partition the array into 4-Gbyte sections. All studies (50,000) acquired over a 7-year period were archived in the system. Based on patient name/number and study date, information could be located within 20 seconds and retrieved for display and analysis in less than 5 seconds. RAID offers a practical, redundant method for long-term archiving of nuclear medicine studies that supports rapid on-line retrieval.

Highlights lecture EANM 2016: "Embracing molecular imaging and multi-modal imaging: a smart move for nuclear medicine towards personalized medicine".

PubMed

Aboagye, Eric O; Kraeber-Bodéré, Françoise

2017-08-01

The 2016 EANM Congress took place in Barcelona, Spain, from 15 to 19 October under the leadership of Prof. Wim Oyen, chair of the EANM Scientific Committee. With more than 6,000 participants, this congress was the most important European event in nuclear medicine, bringing together a multidisciplinary community involved in the different fields of nuclear medicine. There were over 600 oral and 1,200 poster or e-Poster presentations with an overwhelming focus on development and application of imaging for personalized care, which is timely for the community. Beyond FDG PET, major highlights included progress in the use of PSMA and SSTR receptor-targeted radiopharmaceuticals and associated theranostics in oncology. Innovations in radiopharmaceuticals for imaging pathologies of the brain and cardiovascular system, as well as infection and inflammation, were also highlighted. In the areas of physics and instrumentation, multimodality imaging and radiomics were highlighted as promising areas of research.

Nuclear ARP2/3 drives DNA break clustering for homology-directed repair.

PubMed

Schrank, Benjamin R; Aparicio, Tomas; Li, Yinyin; Chang, Wakam; Chait, Brian T; Gundersen, Gregg G; Gottesman, Max E; Gautier, Jean

2018-06-20

DNA double-strand breaks repaired by non-homologous end joining display limited DNA end-processing and chromosomal mobility. By contrast, double-strand breaks undergoing homology-directed repair exhibit extensive processing and enhanced motion. The molecular basis of this movement is unknown. Here, using Xenopus laevis cell-free extracts and mammalian cells, we establish that nuclear actin, WASP, and the actin-nucleating ARP2/3 complex are recruited to damaged chromatin undergoing homology-directed repair. We demonstrate that nuclear actin polymerization is required for the migration of a subset of double-strand breaks into discrete sub-nuclear clusters. Actin-driven movements specifically affect double-strand breaks repaired by homology-directed repair in G2 cell cycle phase; inhibition of actin nucleation impairs DNA end-processing and homology-directed repair. By contrast, ARP2/3 is not enriched at double-strand breaks repaired by non-homologous end joining and does not regulate non-homologous end joining. Our findings establish that nuclear actin-based mobility shapes chromatin organization by generating repair domains that are essential for homology-directed repair in eukaryotic cells.

Intraoperative Injection of Technetium-99m Sulfur Colloid for Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Breast Cancer Patients: A Single Institution Experience

PubMed Central

Berrocal, Julian; Saperstein, Lawrence; Grube, Baiba; Horowitz, Nina R.; Chagpar, Anees B.

2017-01-01

Background. Most institutions require a patient undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsy to go through nuclear medicine prior to surgery to be injected with radioisotope. This study describes the long-term results using intraoperative injection of radioisotope. Methods. Since late 2002, all patients undergoing a sentinel lymph node biopsy at the Yale-New Haven Breast Center underwent intraoperative injection of technetium-99m sulfur colloid. Endpoints included number of sentinel and nonsentinel lymph nodes obtained and number of positive sentinel and nonsentinel lymph nodes. Results. At least one sentinel lymph node was obtained in 2,333 out of 2,338 cases of sentinel node biopsy for an identification rate of 99.8%. The median number of sentinel nodes found was 2 and the mean was 2.33 (range: 1–15). There were 512 cases (21.9%) in which a sentinel node was positive for metastatic carcinoma. Of the patients with a positive sentinel lymph node who underwent axillary dissection, there were 242 cases (54.2%) with no additional positive nonsentinel lymph nodes. Advantages of intraoperative injection included increased comfort for the patient and simplification of scheduling. There were no radiation related complications. Conclusion. Intraoperative injection of technetium-99m sulfur colloid is convenient, effective, safe, and comfortable for the patient. PMID:28492062

Nuclear Medicine Technologists' Perception and Current Assessment of Quality: A Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Technologist Section Survey.

PubMed

Mann, April; Farrell, Mary Beth; Williams, Jessica; Basso, Danny

2017-06-01

In 2015, the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Technologist Section (SNMMI-TS) launched a multiyear quality initiative to help prepare the technologist workforce for an evidence-based health-care delivery system that focuses on quality. To best implement the quality strategy, the SNMMI-TS first surveyed technologists to ascertain their perception of quality and current measurement of quality indicators. Methods: An internet survey was sent to 27,989 e-mail contacts. Questions related to demographic data, perceptions of quality, quality measurement, and opinions on the minimum level of education are discussed in this article. Results: A total of 4,007 (14.3%) responses were received. When asked to list 3 words or phrases that represent quality, there were a plethora of different responses. The top 3 responses were image quality, quality control, and technologist education or competency. Surveying patient satisfaction was the most common quality measure (80.9%), followed by evaluation of image quality (78.2%). Evaluation of image quality (90.3%) and equipment functionality (89.4%) were considered the most effective measures. Technologists' differentiation between quality, quality improvement, quality control, quality assurance, and quality assessment seemed ambiguous. Respondents were confident in their ability to assess and improve quality at their workplace (91.9%) and agreed their colleagues were committed to delivering quality work. Of note, 70.7% of respondents believed that quality is directly related to the technologist's level of education. Correspondingly, respondents felt there should be a minimum level of education (99.5%) and that certification or registry should be required (74.4%). Most respondents (59.6%) felt that a Bachelor's degree should be the minimum level of education, followed by an Associate's degree (40.4%). Conclusion: To best help nuclear medicine technologists provide quality care, the SNMMI-TS queried technologists to discern perceptions of quality in nuclear medicine. The results show that technologists believe image quality and quality control are the most important determinants. Most respondents felt that quality is directly related to the level of education of the technologist acquiring the scan. However, the responses obtained also demonstrated variation in perception of what represents quality. The SNMMI-TS can use the results of the study as a benchmark of current technologists' knowledge and performance of quality measures and target educational programs to improve the quality of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. © 2017 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

Self-assessment of current knowledge in nuclear medicine (second edition)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Selby, J.B.; Frey, G.D.; Cooper, J.F.

1981-01-01

In this updated second edition, the order of contents of the textbook has been reorganized. It has been divided into main parts: Basic Science and Clinical Nuclear Medicine. Basic Science, Part I, encompasses basic physics, radiation protection, interaction of radiation with matter and radiation detection, imaging, nuclear pharmacy, and radiation biology. Part II, Clinical Nuclear Medicine, covers the central nervous system, bone, gastroenterology (liver/spleen), cardiovascular system, pulmonary system, genitourinary system, thyroid and endocrine systems, gallium studies, radioassay, hematology, and therapy. The total number of pages of the current edition is increased to 250 from the 213 of the first editionmore » but there are fewer questions because those in the basic science area have been carefully selected to 60 of the original 98 questions. Compared with the previous edition, there are two advantages in the current one: (1) the addition of explanatory answers; and (2) the inclusion of up-to-date scintiphotos replacing rectilinear scan illustrations.« less

Using Nuclear Medicine Imaging Wisely in Diagnosing Infectious Diseases

PubMed Central

Censullo, Andrea

2017-01-01

Abstract In recent years, there has been an increasing emphasis on efficient and accurate diagnostic testing, exemplified by the American Board of Internal Medicine’s “Choosing Wisely” campaign. Nuclear imaging studies can provide early and accurate diagnoses of many infectious disease syndromes, particularly in complex cases where the differential remains broad. This review paper offers clinicians a rational, evidence-based guide to approaching nuclear medicine tests, using an example case of methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bacteremia in a patient with multiple potential sources. Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) with computed tomography (CT) and sulfur colloid imaging with tagged white blood cell (WBC) scanning offer the most promise in facilitating rapid and accurate diagnoses of endovascular graft infections, vertebral osteomyelitis (V-OM), diabetic foot infections, and prosthetic joint infections (PJIs). However, radiologists at different institutions may have varying degrees of expertise with these modalities. Regardless, infectious disease consultants would benefit from knowing what nuclear medicine tests to order when considering patients with complex infectious disease syndromes. PMID:28480283

1986 Nuclear Science Symposium, 33rd, and 1986 Symposium on Nuclear Power Systems, 18th, Washington, DC, Oct. 29-31, 1986, Proceedings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stubblefield, F. W. (Editor)

1987-01-01

Papers are presented on space, low-energy physics, and general nuclear science instrumentations. Topics discussed include data acquisition systems and circuits, nuclear medicine imaging and tomography, and nuclear radiation detectors. Consideration is given to high-energy physics instrumentation, reactor systems and safeguards, health physics instrumentation, and nuclear power systems.

The Role of Nuclear Medicine in the Staging and Management of Human Immune Deficiency Virus Infection and Associated Diseases.

PubMed

Ankrah, Alfred O; Glaudemans, Andor W J M; Klein, Hans C; Dierckx, Rudi A J O; Sathekge, Mike

2017-06-01

Human immune deficiency virus (HIV) is a leading cause of death. It attacks the immune system, thereby rendering the infected host susceptible to many HIV-associated infections, malignancies and neurocognitive disorders. The altered immune system affects the way the human host responds to disease, resulting in atypical presentation of these disorders. This presents a diagnostic challenge and the clinician must use all diagnostic avenues available to diagnose and manage these conditions. The advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has markedly reduced the mortality associated with HIV infection but has also brought in its wake problems associated with adverse effects or drug interaction and may even modulate some of the HIV-associated disorders to the detriment of the infected human host. Nuclear medicine techniques allow non-invasive visualisation of tissues in the body. By using this principle, pathophysiology in the body can be targeted and the treatment of diseases can be monitored. Being a functional imaging modality, it is able to detect diseases at the molecular level, and thus it has increased our understanding of the immunological changes in the infected host at different stages of the HIV infection. It also detects pathological changes much earlier than conventional imaging based on anatomical changes. This is important in the immunocompromised host as in some of the associated disorders a delay in diagnosis may have dire consequences. Nuclear medicine has played a huge role in the management of many HIV-associated disorders in the past and continues to help in the diagnosis, prognosis, staging, monitoring and assessing the response to treatment of many HIV-associated disorders. As our understanding of the molecular basis of disease increases nuclear medicine is poised to play an even greater role. In this review we highlight the functional basis of the clinicopathological correlation of HIV from a metabolic view and discuss how the use of nuclear medicine techniques, with particular emphasis of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose, may have impact in the setting of HIV. We also provide an overview of the role of nuclear medicine techniques in the management of HIV-associated disorders.

Nuclear Medicine in Pediatric Cardiology.

PubMed

Milanesi, Ornella; Stellin, Giovanni; Zucchetta, Pietro

2017-03-01

Accurate cardiovascular imaging is essential for the successful management of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). Echocardiography and angiography have been for long time the most important imaging modalities in pediatric cardiology, but nuclear medicine has contributed in many situations to the comprehension of physiological consequences of CHD, quantifying pulmonary blood flow symmetry or right-to-left shunting. In recent times, remarkable improvements in imaging equipments, particularly in multidetector computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, have led to the progressive integration of high resolution modalities in the clinical workup of children affected by CHD, reducing the role of diagnostic angiography. Technology has seen a parallel evolution in the field of nuclear medicine, with the advent of hybrid machines, as SPECT/CT and PET/CT scanners. Improved detectors, hugely increased computing power, and new reconstruction algorithms allow for a significant reduction of the injected dose, with a parallel relevant decrease in radiation exposure. Nuclear medicine retains its distinctive capability of exploring at the tissue level many functional aspects of CHD in a safe and reproducible way. The lack of invasiveness, the limited need for sedation, the low radiation burden, and the insensitivity to body habitus variations make nuclear medicine an ideal complement of echocardiography. This is particularly true during the follow-up of patients with CHD, whose increasing survival represent a great medical success and a challenge for the health system in the next decades. Metabolic imaging using 18 FDG PET/CT has expanded its role in the management of infection and inflammation in adult patients, particularly in cardiology. The same expansion is observed in pediatric cardiology, with an increasing rate of studies on the use of FDG PET for the evaluation of children with vasculitis, suspected valvular infection or infected prosthetic devices. The introduction in the clinical practice of the first integrated PET/MR scanners and the development of new radiopharmaceuticals, as fluorinated compounds for the study of myocardial perfusion, open new perspectives in the use of nuclear medicine techniques in pediatric cardiology, offering the potential of a detailed noninvasive morphofunctional characterization in many types of CHD. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Study of a new design of p-N semiconductor detector array for nuclear medicine imaging by monte carlo simulation codes.

PubMed

Hajizadeh-Safar, M; Ghorbani, M; Khoshkharam, S; Ashrafi, Z

2014-07-01

Gamma camera is an important apparatus in nuclear medicine imaging. Its detection part is consists of a scintillation detector with a heavy collimator. Substitution of semiconductor detectors instead of scintillator in these cameras has been effectively studied. In this study, it is aimed to introduce a new design of P-N semiconductor detector array for nuclear medicine imaging. A P-N semiconductor detector composed of N-SnO2 :F, and P-NiO:Li, has been introduced through simulating with MCNPX monte carlo codes. Its sensitivity with different factors such as thickness, dimension, and direction of emission photons were investigated. It is then used to configure a new design of an array in one-dimension and study its spatial resolution for nuclear medicine imaging. One-dimension array with 39 detectors was simulated to measure a predefined linear distribution of Tc(99_m) activity and its spatial resolution. The activity distribution was calculated from detector responses through mathematical linear optimization using LINPROG code on MATLAB software. Three different configurations of one-dimension detector array, horizontal, vertical one sided, and vertical double-sided were simulated. In all of these configurations, the energy windows of the photopeak were ± 1%. The results show that the detector response increases with an increase of dimension and thickness of the detector with the highest sensitivity for emission photons 15-30° above the surface. Horizontal configuration array of detectors is not suitable for imaging of line activity sources. The measured activity distribution with vertical configuration array, double-side detectors, has no similarity with emission sources and hence is not suitable for imaging purposes. Measured activity distribution using vertical configuration array, single side detectors has a good similarity with sources. Therefore, it could be introduced as a suitable configuration for nuclear medicine imaging. It has been shown that using semiconductor P-N detectors such as P-NiO:Li, N-SnO2 :F for gamma detection could be possibly applicable for design of a one dimension array configuration with suitable spatial resolution of 2.7 mm for nuclear medicine imaging.

Pregnancy screening strategies for diagnostic nuclear medicine: survey results from Australia and New Zealand.

PubMed

James, Daphne J; Cardew, Paul; Warren-Forward, Helen M

2013-09-01

The ionizing radiation used in diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures has the potential to cause biologic harm to a fetus. Although the risks are relatively small, it is recommended that all female patients of childbearing age be questioned regarding their pregnancy status before administration of the radiopharmaceutical. This can be a sensitive situation especially for certain types of patients, such as teenagers. Currently, there are no guidelines that detail how to question the patient. Previous studies have revealed the lack of a consistent approach in this area. The aim of this study was to investigate current practice for pregnancy screening before diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures in Australia and New Zealand and to determine whether a standardized practice guideline is required. An online survey was administered via SurveyMonkey from October to December 2011. Members of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine were invited to participate. The survey consisted of 30 questions divided into 4 sections: demographics, policy and regulations, current practice, and open-ended clinical scenarios. Three hundred thirty-five responses were recorded from participants in all states and territories of Australia and New Zealand; 90% were nuclear medicine technologists. Participants reported a low awareness of radiation policy and regulations but demonstrated good knowledge of the relative risk to the fetus from commonly performed procedures. The most common minimum and maximum age to question patients was 12 y (32%) and 55 y (42%), respectively, although the range was from 10 to 60 y. Verbal questioning (44%) was the most commonly used approach. Pregnancy testing was used by 72%, usually if the patient indicated she was unsure of her pregnancy status. Responses to clinical scenarios were varied, and these will be discussed in a subsequent paper. The survey revealed a lack of awareness of government regulations and departmental policy regarding radiation protection. The study demonstrated wide variety in pregnancy screening strategies used to determine the pregnancy status of patients before diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures, indicating that a standardized practice guideline is required for Australia and New Zealand.

77 FR 62538 - Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes: Call for Nominations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-15

...) nuclear medicine physicist; (d) therapy medical physicist; (e) radiation safety officer; (f) nuclear... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes: Call for Nominations AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Call for nominations. SUMMARY: The U.S...

Attitudes of Patients With Cancer About Personalized Medicine and Somatic Genetic Testing

PubMed Central

Gray, Stacy W.; Hicks-Courant, Katherine; Lathan, Christopher S.; Garraway, Levi; Park, Elyse R.; Weeks, Jane C.

2012-01-01

Purpose: Dramatic advances in genomic technology stand to revolutionize cancer care; however, little is known about patients' understanding and acceptance of personalized medicine and widespread genetic testing (GT). Patients and Methods: We conducted a formative, semi-structured interview study with a random sample of patients with lung, colorectal, and breast cancers to assess awareness of personalized medicine and GT and attitudes about somatic GT. Willingness to undergo GT was elicited through hypothetic scenarios. Results: Sixty-nine patients participated; 71% were women; 42% were black; median age was 59 years; and 42% had an education level ≥ college. We found that a majority of patients either were not aware of the term “personalized medicine” or defined it in unexpected ways. Although many patients identified relevant benefits of somatic testing (eg, informs treatment), many patients also expressed significant concerns (ie, psychological harm and discrimination). A majority of patients expressed a willingness to undergo somatic (predictive, 96%, prognostic, 93%) and germline (cancer risk without incidental information, 87%; cancer risk with incidental information, 81%; pharmacogenetic, 91%) testing; however, far fewer patients expressed a willingness to undergo full genome sequencing (62%). Reluctance was attributed to concerns over incidental findings, information overload, and the lack of a clear benefit. Conclusion: Many patients relayed misunderstandings about somatic testing and a reluctance to undergo full sequencing; oncologists must carefully consider how they present testing to patients so that concerns over discrimination and psychological harm do not hinder test uptake. More work is needed to identify effective ways to communicate complex genomic concepts to patients and research participants. PMID:23598841

Identification of a nuclear-localized nuclease from wheat cells undergoing programmed cell death that is able to trigger DNA fragmentation and apoptotic morphology on nuclei from human cells

PubMed Central

Domínguez, Fernando; Cejudo, Francisco J.

2006-01-01

PCD (programmed cell death) in plants presents important morphological and biochemical differences compared with apoptosis in animal cells. This raises the question of whether PCD arose independently or from a common ancestor in plants and animals. In the present study we describe a cell-free system, using wheat grain nucellar cells undergoing PCD, to analyse nucleus dismantling, the final stage of PCD. We have identified a Ca2+/Mg2+ nuclease and a serine protease localized to the nucleus of dying nucellar cells. Nuclear extracts from nucellar cells undergoing PCD triggered DNA fragmentation and other apoptotic morphology in nuclei from different plant tissues. Inhibition of the serine protease did not affect DNA laddering. Furthermore, we show that the nuclear extracts from plant cells triggered DNA fragmentation and apoptotic morphology in nuclei from human cells. The inhibition of the nucleolytic activity with Zn2+ or EDTA blocked the morphological changes of the nucleus. Moreover, nuclear extracts from apoptotic human cells triggered DNA fragmentation and apoptotic morphology in nuclei from plant cells. These results show that degradation of the nucleus is morphologically and biochemically similar in plant and animal cells. The implication of this finding on the origin of PCD in plants and animals is discussed. PMID:16613587

Textbook of respiratory medicine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Murray, J.F.; Nadel, J.

1987-01-01

This book presents a clinical reference of respiratory medicine. It also details basic science aspects of pulmonary physiology and describes recently developed, sophisticated diagnostic tools and therapeutic methods. It also covers anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and pathology; microbiologic, radiologic, nuclear medicine, and biopsy methods for diagnosis.

Blood volume analysis: a new technique and new clinical interest reinvigorate a classic study.

PubMed

Manzone, Timothy A; Dam, Hung Q; Soltis, Daniel; Sagar, Vidya V

2007-06-01

Blood volume studies using the indicator dilution technique and radioactive tracers have been performed in nuclear medicine departments for over 50 y. A nuclear medicine study is the gold standard for blood volume measurement, but the classic dual-isotope blood volume study is time-consuming and can be prone to technical errors. Moreover, a lack of normal values and a rubric for interpretation made volume status measurement of limited interest to most clinicians other than some hematologists. A new semiautomated system for blood volume analysis is now available and provides highly accurate results for blood volume analysis within only 90 min. The availability of rapid, accurate blood volume analysis has brought about a surge of clinical interest in using blood volume data for clinical management. Blood volume analysis, long a low-volume nuclear medicine study all but abandoned in some laboratories, is poised to enter the clinical mainstream. This article will first present the fundamental principles of fluid balance and the clinical means of volume status assessment. We will then review the indicator dilution technique and how it is used in nuclear medicine blood volume studies. We will present an overview of the new semiautomated blood volume analysis technique, showing how the study is done, how it works, what results are provided, and how those results are interpreted. Finally, we will look at some of the emerging areas in which data from blood volume analysis can improve patient care. The reader will gain an understanding of the principles underlying blood volume assessment, know how current nuclear medicine blood volume analysis studies are performed, and appreciate their potential clinical impact.

The radiology informed consent form: recommendations from the European Society of Cardiology position paper.

PubMed

Carpeggiani, Clara; Picano, Eugenio

2016-06-01

Every radiological and nuclear medicine examination confers a definite long-term risk of cancer, but most patients undergoing such examinations receive no or inaccurate information about radiation dose and corresponding risk related to the dose received. Informed consent is a procedure to support (not substitute) the physician/patient dialogue and relationship, facilitating a free, informed and aware expression of the patient's will in the principle of patient autonomy. Physicians are responsible for providing patients with all the information on risks, benefits and alternatives useful to the patient to make the decision. In current radiological practice the information on the radiation dose and long-term cancer risks is difficult to find and not easy to understand. The form using plain language should spell-out the type of examination, the effective dose (mSv), the effective dose expressed in number of chest radiographs and the risk of cancer. The current practice clashes against the guidelines and the law.

What views and uses of radiation sources in the 21st century?

PubMed

Blix, H

2001-04-01

Considering that in 1899 neither biotechnology nor the electronic revolution were foreseen, some humility might be advisable when one looks into the crystal ball for the future role of radiation sources. In the past 50 years, nuclear medicine, nuclear weapons, and nuclear power have had a huge impact in the world. In the next 50 years, nuclear weapons may be phased out, nuclear power revived, and nuclear medicine may continue, especially for diagnostic purposes. Conflicts between great powers and blocks will no longer be about territorial or ideological domination but about trade, finance, information, and the environment and the weapons used will not be bombs but investments, credits, and control of information. Nuclear power-still based on fission-will be relaunched and get more uses, e.g., to propel ships, to produce heat for industry and for space heating, and perhaps to desalinate water. The public will be more at ease with radiation as it is better educated, as nuclear safety continuously improves and new types of nuclear power plants emerge, as waste sites fail to cause any problems, and as no other energy source is found to deliver so much energy at reasonable cost with negligible impact on climate and environment. One kilogram of oil corresponds to 4 kWh of electricity. One kilogram of uranium fuel corresponds to 50,000 kWh, and 1 kg of plutonium 6,000,000 kWh! In nuclear medicine, radiation may give way to other treatments as the understanding of cancer advances. On the other hand, the extreme ease with which sources of radiation can be identified is unmatched and likely to make them useful tools as tracers and markers in medicine-and other fields-for a long time. For certain uses--perhaps food irradiation--radiation sources, such as cobalt, may be replaced by accelerators which may be switched on and off at will. As more sources are used, registration and control of them must be made very effective around the whole world. Very high natural emissions of radon will continue to call for cautionary measures, but many other nonradiating substances will be identified as hazardous to health and call for vigorous intervention.

Thyroid scan

MedlinePlus

... thyroid; Radioactive iodine uptake and scan test - thyroid; Nuclear scan - thyroid ... the test. Ask your provider or the radiology/nuclear medicine team performing the scan about taking precautions.

77 FR 17529 - Notice of Charter Renewal: Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-26

... scientific and non-scientific disciplines including nuclear medicine; nuclear cardiology; radiation therapy... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Notice of Charter Renewal: Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: This notice is to announce the renewal of the...

SUS in nuclear medicine in Brazil: analysis and comparison of data provided by Datasus and CNEN*

PubMed Central

Pozzo, Lorena; Coura Filho, George; Osso Júnior, João Alberto; Squair, Peterson Lima

2014-01-01

Objective To investigate the outpatient access to nuclear medicine procedures by means of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), analyzing the correspondence between data provided by this system and those from Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN) (National Commission of Nuclear Energy). Materials and Methods Data provided by Datasus regarding number of scintillation chambers, outpatient procedures performed from 2008 to 2012, administrative responsibility for such procedures, type of service providers and outsourced services were retrieved and evaluated. Also, such data were compared with those from institutions certified by CNEN. Results The present study demonstrated that the system still lacks maturity in terms of correct data input, particularly regarding equipment available. It was possible to list the most common procedures and check the growth of the specialty along the study period. Private centers are responsible for most of the procedures covered and reimbursed by SUS. However, many healthcare facilities are not certified by CNEN. Conclusion Datasus provides relevant data for analysis as done in the present study, although some issues still require attention. The present study has quantitatively depicted the Brazilian reality regarding access to nuclear medicine procedures offered by/for SUS. PMID:25741070

SUS in nuclear medicine in Brazil: analysis and comparison of data provided by Datasus and CNEN.

PubMed

Pozzo, Lorena; Coura Filho, George; Osso Júnior, João Alberto; Squair, Peterson Lima

2014-01-01

To investigate the outpatient access to nuclear medicine procedures by means of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), analyzing the correspondence between data provided by this system and those from Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN) (National Commission of Nuclear Energy). Data provided by Datasus regarding number of scintillation chambers, outpatient procedures performed from 2008 to 2012, administrative responsibility for such procedures, type of service providers and outsourced services were retrieved and evaluated. Also, such data were compared with those from institutions certified by CNEN. The present study demonstrated that the system still lacks maturity in terms of correct data input, particularly regarding equipment available. It was possible to list the most common procedures and check the growth of the specialty along the study period. Private centers are responsible for most of the procedures covered and reimbursed by SUS. However, many healthcare facilities are not certified by CNEN. Datasus provides relevant data for analysis as done in the present study, although some issues still require attention. The present study has quantitatively depicted the Brazilian reality regarding access to nuclear medicine procedures offered by/for SUS.

A-Z Directory | The University of Virginia

Science.gov Websites

/cardiovascular-medicine/ Cardiovascular Nutrition (Diet and Cardiovascular Disease) http Medicine) https://med.virginia.edu/ Clinical Nutrition Services https://uvahealth.com/services/nutrition ... Nuclear Medicine, Division of https://med.virginia.edu/radiology/ Nutrition Services (Department of

Interventional radiology: a half century of innovation.

PubMed

Baum, Richard A; Baum, Stanley

2014-11-01

The evolution of modern interventional radiology began over half century ago with a simple question. Was it possible to use the same diagnostic imaging tools that had revolutionized the practice of medicine to guide the real-time treatment of disease? This disruptive concept led to rapid treatment advances in every organ system of the body. It became clear that by utilizing imaging some patients could undergo targeted procedures, eliminating the need for major surgery, while others could undergo procedures for previously unsolvable problems. The breadth of these changes now encompasses all of medicine and has forever changed the way we think about disease. In this brief review article, major advances in the field, as chronicled in the pages of Radiology, will be described.

NP-59 test for preoperative localization of primary hyperaldosteronism.

PubMed

Di Martino, Marcello; García Sanz, Iñigo; Muñoz de Nova, Jose Luis; Marín Campos, Cristina; Martínez Martín, Miguel; Domínguez Gadea, Luis

2017-03-01

Adrenal venous sampling is generally considered the gold standard to identify unilateral hormone production in cases of primary hyperaldosteronism. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether the iodine-131-6-β-iodomethyl-19-norcholesterol (NP-59) test may represent an alternative in selected cases. Patients submitted to laparoscopic adrenalectomy for suspected primary hyperaldosteronism (n = 27) were retrospectively reviewed. When nuclear medicine tests were preoperatively performed, their results were compared with the histopathologic findings and clinical improvement. Nuclear medicine tests were realized in 13 patients. In 11 (84.6%), a planar anterior and posterior NP-59 scintigraphy was performed and a SPECT/TC in two (15.4%). Scintigraphy indicated a preoperative lateralization in 12 out of 13 patients (92.3%). When the value of NP-59 tests was based on pathologic results, it showed a sensitivity of 90.9% and a positive predictive value of 83.3%. When the nuclear medicine test's performance was based on postoperative blood pressure control, both sensitivity and positive predictive value were 91.6%. Nuclear medicine tests represent a useful tool in the preoperative localisation of primary hyperaldosteronism with a high sensitivity and positive predictive value. In patients with contraindications to adrenal venous sampling like contrast allergies, or when it is inconclusive, scintigraphy can represent a useful and non-invasive alternative.

Application for internal dosimetry using biokinetic distribution of photons based on nuclear medicine images*

PubMed Central

Leal Neto, Viriato; Vieira, José Wilson; Lima, Fernando Roberto de Andrade

2014-01-01

Objective This article presents a way to obtain estimates of dose in patients submitted to radiotherapy with basis on the analysis of regions of interest on nuclear medicine images. Materials and Methods A software called DoRadIo (Dosimetria das Radiações Ionizantes [Ionizing Radiation Dosimetry]) was developed to receive information about source organs and target organs, generating graphical and numerical results. The nuclear medicine images utilized in the present study were obtained from catalogs provided by medical physicists. The simulations were performed with computational exposure models consisting of voxel phantoms coupled with the Monte Carlo EGSnrc code. The software was developed with the Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Service Pack and the project template Windows Presentation Foundation for C# programming language. Results With the mentioned tools, the authors obtained the file for optimization of Monte Carlo simulations using the EGSnrc; organization and compaction of dosimetry results with all radioactive sources; selection of regions of interest; evaluation of grayscale intensity in regions of interest; the file of weighted sources; and, finally, all the charts and numerical results. Conclusion The user interface may be adapted for use in clinical nuclear medicine as a computer-aided tool to estimate the administered activity. PMID:25741101

Highlights of the Annual Congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine, Helsinki 2004, and a dash of horizon scanning.

PubMed

Ell, Peter J

2005-01-01

The Annual Congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine represents the major scientific and professional event in the field of nuclear medicine in Europe. Specialists from all allied professions meet to discuss the latest findings and discoveries. A very large industrial exhibition demonstrates the latest technological innovations and developments. This Highlights Lecture summarises the scientific and medical advances discussed at this important gathering. The lecture covers a significant proportion of the data presented and/or discussed in up-to-date reviews, and places some of the trends encountered in the context of the evolution of the field as a whole. There is much food for thought in most areas of nuclear medicine: advances in instrumentation and data processing, progress in radiochemistry and pharmacy, novel diagnostics and therapeutics, and new insights in known areas of clinical application such as neurology and psychiatry, cardiology, oncology, endocrine disorders, paediatrics, nephro-urology and musculoskeletal disorders. This Highlights Lecture is, however, only a brief resume of the vast amount of data discussed, which can be found in much greater detail in the Congress Proceedings, published as volume 31, supplement 2 of Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging in August 2004.

Dose rate constants for the quantity Hp(3) for frequently used radionuclides in nuclear medicine.

PubMed

Szermerski, Bastian; Bruchmann, Iris; Behrens, Rolf; Geworski, Lilli

2016-12-01

According to recent studies, the human eye lens is more sensitive to ionising radiation than previously assumed. Therefore, the dose limit for personnel occupationally exposed to ionising radiation will be lowered from currently 150 mSv to 20 mSv per year. Currently, no data base for a reliable estimation of the dose to the lens of the eye is available for nuclear medicine. Furthermore, the dose is usually not monitored. The aim of this work was to determine dose rate constants for the quantity H p (3), which is supposed to estimate the dose to the lens of the eye. For this, H p (3)-dosemeters were fixed to an Alderson Phantom at different positions. The dosemeters were exposed to radiation from nuclides typically used in nuclear medicine in their geometries analog to their application in nuclear medicine, e.g. syringe or vial. The results show that the handling of high-energy beta (i.e. electron or positron) emitters may lead to a relevant dose to the lens of the eye. For low-energy beta emitters and gamma emitters, an exceeding of the lowered dose limit seems to be unlikely. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Estimation of internal exposure to 99Mo in nuclear medicine patients.

PubMed

Silva, I C O A; Lucena, E A; Souza, W O; Dantas, A L A; Dantas, B M

2010-05-10

(99m)Tc is the most widely used radionuclide in nuclear medicine. It is obtained by elution of (99)Mo-(99m)Tc generators. Depending on the quality of the generator and its integrity, (99)Mo may be extracted from the column during the elution process, becoming a radionuclidic impurity in the (99m)Tc eluate. This fact would impart an unnecessary dose to the patients submitted to diagnostic procedures. The aim of this work is to evaluate (99)Mo incorporation and internal effective doses in nuclear medicine patients through bioassay techniques, providing information on the metabolism of molybdenum in humans. A methodology based on in vivo and in vitro measurements was developed. In vivo measurements were performed with a NaI detector installed in the IRD WBC. Urine samples were analysed with a HPGe at the IRD bioassay laboratory. Patients showed detectable activities of (99)Mo in whole body and urine. Results were interpreted with AIDE software. Estimated incorporation was compared to predicted values based on ICRP model. Effective doses were in the order of micro sieverts. Results suggest the need to implement a routine quality control program of radionuclidic impurity of (99)Mo in (99m)Tc eluates to be conducted by radiopharmacy laboratories of nuclear medicine centers.

Initial experience with a nuclear medicine viewing workstation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Witt, Robert M.; Burt, Robert W.

1992-07-01

Graphical User Interfaced (GUI) workstations are now available from commercial vendors. We recently installed a GUI workstation in our nuclear medicine reading room for exclusive use of staff and resident physicians. The system is built upon a Macintosh platform and has been available as a DELTAmanager from MedImage and more recently as an ICON V from Siemens Medical Systems. The workstation provides only display functions and connects to our existing nuclear medicine imaging system via ethernet. The system has some processing capabilities to create oblique, sagittal and coronal views from transverse tomographic views. Hard copy output is via a screen save device and a thermal color printer. The DELTAmanager replaced a MicroDELTA workstation which had both process and view functions. The mouse activated GUI has made remarkable changes to physicians'' use of the nuclear medicine viewing system. Training time to view and review studies has been reduced from hours to about 30-minutes. Generation of oblique views and display of brain and heart tomographic studies has been reduced from about 30-minutes of technician''s time to about 5-minutes of physician''s time. Overall operator functionality has been increased so that resident physicians with little prior computer experience can access all images on the image server and display pertinent patient images when consulting with other staff.

Blood banking and transfusion medicine for the apheresis medicine practitioner.

PubMed

Jeffus, Susanne; Wehrli, Gay

2012-01-01

This article provides a concise overview of blood banking and transfusion medicine (BBTM) for the therapeutic apheresis medicine practitioner. It addresses the complete pathway from blood donor qualification to blood collection, to processing and storing blood components, to patient testing, to ordering blood components for therapeutic apheresis (TA) procedures, to preparing the component for transfusion, and finally to transfusion. The nurses, technologists, and physicians orchestrate these activities in concert to best serve patients undergoing TA procedures. Enhancing knowledge of these processes may improve the quality of patient care and the utilization of blood products. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Design of Nanostructured Biological Materials Through Self-Assembly of Peptides and Proteins

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-01

of applications, including scaffolding for tissue repair in regenerative medicine, drug delivery and biological surface engineering. Tirrell and...colleagues [2] designed artificial proteins that undergo self-assembly to form hydrogels responsive to pH and other environmental changes. Ghadiri and...showed that other β-sheet peptide systems can also undergo self-assembly into regular nanofiber structures. Although they share no sequence

A survey of the role of the UK physicist in nuclear medicine: a report of a joint working group of the British Institute of Radiology, British Nuclear Medicine Society, and the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine.

PubMed

Tindale, W B; Thorley, P J; Nunan, T O; Lewington, V; Shields, R A; Williams, N R

2003-01-01

Guidelines for the provision of physics support to nuclear medicine were published in 1999 by a joint working group of the British Institute of Radiology, the British Nuclear Medicine Society, and the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine. Following publication of the guidelines, a survey was conducted by the working group to gather data on the actual level of physicist support in UK hospitals of different types and on the activities undertaken by physicists. The data were collected in the 12 months following the publication of guidelines and cover different hospital models and seven UK regions. The results provide evidence that many of the smaller units - small teaching hospitals and, particularly, small district general hospitals - have insufficient physics support. Although, on average, there is good agreement between the guidelines and the survey data for medium and large district general hospitals, there is wide variation in the level of physics provision between hospitals delivering apparently similar services. This emphasizes the need for national guidelines, against which institutions may be bench-marked and which may be used as a recommendation for the staffing levels necessary to ensure services are delivered safely and standards are not compromised. The complexity and variety of workload is an important factor in determining the level of physics support. As services develop, it is vital that this aspect is recognized to ensure that appropriate resources are available for the required physics input, even if any new service represents only a modest clinical throughput in terms of patient numbers.

Report of a nationwide survey on actual administered radioactivities of radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic reference levels in Japan.

PubMed

Watanabe, Hiroshi; Ishii, Kazunari; Hosono, Makoto; Imabayashi, Etsuko; Abe, Koichiro; Inubushi, Masayuki; Ohno, Kazuko; Magata, Yasuhiro; Ono, Kinya; Kikuchi, Kei; Wagatsuma, Kei; Takase, Tadashi; Saito, Kyoko; Takahashi, Yasuyuki

2016-07-01

The optimization of medical exposure is one of the major issues regarding radiation protection in the world, and The International Committee of Radiological Protection and the International Atomic Energy Agency recommend establishing diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) as tools for dose optimization. Therefore, the development of DRLs based on the latest survey has been required for nuclear medicine-related societies and organizations. This prompted us to conduct a nationwide survey on the actual administered radioactivity to adults for the purpose of developing DRLs in nuclear medicine. A nationwide survey was conducted from November 25, 2014 to January 16, 2015. The questionnaire was sent to all of the 1249 nuclear medicine facilities in Japan, and the responses were collected on a website using an answered form. Responses were obtained from 516 facilities, for a response rate of 41 %. 75th percentile of (99m)Tc-MDP and (99m)Tc-HMDP: bone scintigraphy, (99m)Tc-HM-PAO, (99m)Tc-ECD and (123)I-IMP: cerebral blood flow scintigraphy, (99m)Tc-Tetrofosmin, (99m)Tc-MIBI and (201)Tl-Cl; myocardial perfusion scintigraphy and (18)F-FDG: oncology PET (in-house-produced or delivery) in representative diagnostic nuclear medicine scans were 932, 937, 763, 775, 200, 831, 818, 180, 235 and 252, respectively. More than 90 % of the facilities were within the range of 50 % from the median of these survey results in representative diagnostic nuclear medicine facilities in Japan. Responses of the administered radioactivities recommended by the package insert, texts and guidelines such as 740 MBq ((99m)Tc-MDP and (99m)Tc-HMDP: bone scintigraphy), 740 MBq ((99m)Tc-ECD and (99m)Tc-HM-PAO: cerebral blood flow scintigraphy) and 740 MBq ((99m)Tc-Tetrofosmin and (99m)Tc-MIBI: myocardial perfusion scintigraphy), etc. were numerous. The administered activity of many radiopharmaceuticals of bone scintigraphy ((99m)Tc-MDP and (99m)Tc-HMDP), cerebral blood flow scintigraphy ((99m)Tc-HM-PAO) and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy ((99m)Tc-Tetrofosmin and (99m)Tc-MIBI), etc. were within the range of the EU DRLs and almost none of the administered radioactivity in Japan exceeded the upper limit of SNMMI standard administered radioactivity. This survey indicated that the administered radioactivity in diagnostic nuclear medicine in Japan had been in the convergence zone and nuclear medicine facilities in Japan show a strong tendency to adhere to the texts and guidelines. Furthermore, the administered radioactivities in Japan were within the range of variation of the EU and the SNMMI administered radioactivities.

Conference on Nuclear Energy and Science for the 21st Century: Atoms for Peace Plus Fifty - Washington, D.C., October 2003

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pfaltzgraff, Robert L

2006-10-22

This conference's focus was the peaceful uses of the atom and their implications for nuclear science, energy security, nuclear medicine and national security. The conference also provided the setting for the presentation of the prestigious Enrico Fermi Prize, a Presidential Award which recognizes the contributions of distinguished members of the scientific community for a lifetime of exceptional achievement in the science and technology of nuclear, atomic, molecular, and particle interactions and effects. An impressive group of distinguished speakers addressed various issues that included: the impact and legacy of the Eisenhower Administration’s “Atoms for Peace” concept, the current and future rolemore » of nuclear power as an energy source, the challenges of controlling and accounting for existing fissile material, and the horizons of discovery for particle or high-energy physics. The basic goal of the conference was to examine what has been accomplished over the past fifty years as well as to peer into the future to gain insights into what may occur in the fields of nuclear energy, nuclear science, nuclear medicine, and the control of nuclear materials.« less

A joint procedural position statement on imaging in cardiac sarcoidosis: from the Cardiovascular and Inflammation & Infection Committees of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine, the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging, and the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology.

PubMed

2017-10-01

This joint position paper illustrates the role and the correct use of echocardiography, radionuclide imaging with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography, radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging for the evaluation and management of patients with known or suspected cardiac sarcoidosis. This position paper will aid in standardizing imaging for cardiac sarcoidosis and may facilitate clinical trials and pooling of multi-centre data on cardiac sarcoidosis. Proposed flow charts for the work up and management of cardiac sarcoidosis are included. Copyright © 2017 European Association of Nuclear Medicine, the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging, and the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology.

Energetic electron processes fluorescence effects for structured nanoparticles X-ray analysis and nuclear medicine applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taborda, A.; Desbrée, A.; Carvalho, A.; Chaves, P. C.; Reis, M. A.

2016-08-01

Superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles are widely used as contrast agents for nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and can be modified for improved imaging or to become tissue-specific or even protein-specific. The knowledge of their detailed elemental composition characterisation and potential use in nuclear medicine applications, is, therefore, an important issue. X-ray fluorescence techniques such as particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) or X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), can be used for elemental characterisation even in problematic situations where very little sample volume is available. Still, the fluorescence coefficient of Fe is such that, during the decay of the inner-shell ionised atomic structure, keV Auger electrons are produced in excess to X-rays. Since cross-sections for ionisation induced by keV electrons, for low atomic number atoms, are of the order of 103 barn, care should be taken to account for possible fluorescence effects caused by Auger electrons, which may lead to the wrong quantification of elements having atomic number lower than the atomic number of Fe. Furthermore, the same electron processes will occur in iron oxide nanoparticles containing 57Co, which may be used for nuclear medicine therapy purposes. In the present work, simple approximation algorithms are proposed for the quantitative description of radiative and non-radiative processes associated with Auger electrons cascades. The effects on analytical processes and nuclear medicine applications are quantified for the case of iron oxide nanoparticles, by calculating both electron fluorescence emissions and energy deposition on cell tissues where the nanoparticles may be embedded.

TH-AB-206-00: Challenges and Opportunities for Nuclear Medicine Theranostics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

In the past few decades, the field of nuclear medicine has made long strides with the continued advancement of related sciences and engineering and the availability of diagnostic and therapeutic radionuclides. Leveraging these advancements while combining the advantages of therapeutic and diagnostic radionuclides into one radiopharmaceutical has also created a new subfield “theranostics” in nuclear medicine that has the potential to further propel the field into the future. This session is composed of two talks; one focused on the physics principles of theranostics from properties of beta and alpha emitting radionuclides to dosimetric models and quantification; while the second describesmore » preclinical and clinical applications of theranostics and discusses the challenges and opportunities of bringing them to the clinic. At the end of the session the listener should be able to identify: The different properties of beta and alpha emitting radionuclides Which radionuclides are selected for which nuclear medicine therapies and why How PET can be used to accurately quantify the uptake of tumor targeting molecules How individualized dosimetry can be performed from the management of thyroid cancer to novel radiolabeled antibody therapies Promising pre-clinical radiopharmaceutical pairs in prostate cancer and melanoma. Promising clinical Theranostics in neuroendocrine cancers. Challenges of bringing Theranostics to the clinic. E. Delpassand, RITA Foundation -Houston; SBIR Grant; CEO and share holder of RadioMedix.« less

TH-AB-206-02: Nuclear Medicine Theronostics: Wave of the Future; Pre-Clinical and Clinical Opportunities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Delpassand, E.

In the past few decades, the field of nuclear medicine has made long strides with the continued advancement of related sciences and engineering and the availability of diagnostic and therapeutic radionuclides. Leveraging these advancements while combining the advantages of therapeutic and diagnostic radionuclides into one radiopharmaceutical has also created a new subfield “theranostics” in nuclear medicine that has the potential to further propel the field into the future. This session is composed of two talks; one focused on the physics principles of theranostics from properties of beta and alpha emitting radionuclides to dosimetric models and quantification; while the second describesmore » preclinical and clinical applications of theranostics and discusses the challenges and opportunities of bringing them to the clinic. At the end of the session the listener should be able to identify: The different properties of beta and alpha emitting radionuclides Which radionuclides are selected for which nuclear medicine therapies and why How PET can be used to accurately quantify the uptake of tumor targeting molecules How individualized dosimetry can be performed from the management of thyroid cancer to novel radiolabeled antibody therapies Promising pre-clinical radiopharmaceutical pairs in prostate cancer and melanoma. Promising clinical Theranostics in neuroendocrine cancers. Challenges of bringing Theranostics to the clinic. E. Delpassand, RITA Foundation -Houston; SBIR Grant; CEO and share holder of RadioMedix.« less

Trends in the utilization of medical procedures that use ionizing radiation.

PubMed

Bhargavan, Mythreyi

2008-11-01

Medical procedures that use ionizing radiation have grown rapidly in volume over the last two decades and constitute a substantial portion of the collective radiation doses to the U.S. population. The purpose of this study is to describe the components of this growth. Summarized claims data from Medicare are used to describe trends for the period 1986-2005; supplemental data from other payers and surveys are used for verification and to describe age distributions of those who have these procedures. A notable trend is the rapid growth of CT and nuclear medicine, with CT volume per fee-for-service Medicare enrollee growing, on average, at 8% per y and nuclear medicine at 7% per y during the period 1986-2005. Cardiac procedures-nuclear medicine and interventional radiology-grew at over 15% per y per fee-for-service enrollee during the same period. The share of nuclear medicine procedures performed in physician offices increased from 10% in 1986 to 55% in 2005; the share of CT in the emergency room increased from 3% in 1992 to 17% in 2005. With this expansion in imaging volumes across practice settings, there is an increased need for radiation safety education of ordering physicians, imaging physicians, and patients, so that adequate consideration is given to radiation risk when determining the appropriateness of a prescribed procedure.

Integrating nuclear weapons stockpile management and nuclear arms control to enable significant stockpile reductions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sanders, Lani Miyoshi; DeLand, Sharon M.; Pregenzer, Arian L.

2010-11-01

In his 2009 Prague speech and the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review, President Barack Obama committed the United States to take concrete steps toward nuclear disarmament while maintaining a safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent. There is an inherent tension between these two goals that is best addressed through improved integration of nuclear weapons objectives with nuclear arms control objectives. This article reviews historical examples of the interaction between the two sets of objectives, develops a framework for analyzing opportunities for future integration, and suggests specific ideas that could benefit the nuclear weapons enterprise as it undergoes transformation and that couldmore » make the future enterprise compatible with a variety of arms control futures.« less

Evidence of parasexual activity in "asexual amoebae" Cochliopodium spp. (Amoebozoa): extensive cellular and nuclear fusion.

PubMed

Tekle, Yonas I; Anderson, O Roger; Lecky, Ariel F

2014-09-01

The majority of microbial eukaryotes have long been considered asexual, though new evidence indicates sex, or sexual-like (parasexual) behaviors that deviate from the usual union of two gametes, among other variant aspects. Over a dozen amoebozoans are implicated to have sexual stages. However, the exact mechanism by which sex occurs in these lineages remains elusive. This is mainly due to the diverse quality and cryptic nature of their life cycle. In this study we present evidence of some previously unreported aspects of the life cycle of an amoeba, Cochliopodium, that undergoes unusual intraspecific interactions using light microscopy and immunocytochemistry. Similar to other amoebozoans, Cochliopodium, is considered asexual with no published reports of sex or parasexuality. We also investigated environmental conditions that govern the observed intraspecific interactions. Both light microscopic and immunocytochemistry evidence demonstrates Cochliopodium undergoes cellular fusion (plasmogamy) and nuclear fusion (karyogamy). Large plasmodia eventually undergo karyogamy and contain large fused, polyploid, nuclei. These are observed to fragment, subsequently, by karyotomy (nuclear fission) and cytoplasmic fission to yield uninucleated amoebae. This process could lead to a non-meiotic, parasexual exchange of chromosomes in Cochliopodium. These findings strongly suggest that Cochliopodium is involved in parasexual activity and should no longer be considered strictly asexual. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Thinking and practice of accelerating transformation of traditional Chinese medicine from experience medicine to evidence-based medicine.

PubMed

Liu, Baoyan; Zhang, Yanhong; Hu, Jingqing; He, Liyun; Zhou, Xuezhong

2011-06-01

The gradual development of Chinese medicine is based on constant accumulation and summary of experience in clinical practice, but without the benefit of undergoing the experimental medicine stage. Although Chinese medicine has formed a systematic and unique theory system through thousands of years, with the development of evidence-based medicine, the bondage of the research methods of experience medicine to Chinese medicine is appearing. The rapid transition and transformation from experience medicine to evidence-based medicine have become important content in the development of Chinese medicine. According to the features of Chinese medicine, we propose the research idea of "taking two ways simultaneously," which is the study both in the ideal condition and in the real world. Analyzing and constructing the theoretical basis and methodology of clinical research in the real world, and building the stage for research technique is key to the effective clinical research of Chinese medicine. Only by gradually maturing and completing the clinical research methods of the real world could we realize "taking two ways simultaneously" and complementing each other, continuously produce scientific and reliable evidence of Chinese medicine, as well as transform and develop Chinese medicine from experience medicine to evidence-based medicine.

Advancing Precision Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging for Lymphoma.

PubMed

Wright, Chadwick L; Maly, Joseph J; Zhang, Jun; Knopp, Michael V

2017-01-01

PET with fluorodeoxyglucose F 18 ( 18 F FDG-PET) is a meaningful biomarker for the detection, targeted biopsy, and treatment of lymphoma. This article reviews the evolution of 18 F FDG-PET as a putative biomarker for lymphoma and addresses the current capabilities, challenges, and opportunities to enable precision medicine practices for lymphoma. Precision nuclear medicine is driven by new imaging technologies and methodologies to more accurately detect malignant disease. Although quantitative assessment of response is limited, such technologies will enable a more precise metabolic mapping with much higher definition image detail and thus may make it a robust and valid quantitative response assessment methodology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Radiation risk and nuclear medicine: An interview with a Nobel Prize winner

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yalow, R.S.

1995-12-01

In a speech given years ago at the Veterans Administration Medical Center, Bronx, NY, Rosalyn S. Yalow, 1977 Nobel Prize recipient for her invention of radioimmunoassay, made several salient points on the perception of fear or hazards from exposure to low-level radiation and low-level radioactive wastes. For the past three years, Yalow has been concerned with the general fear of radiation. In this interview, Newsline solicited Yalow`s views on public perceptions on radiation risk and what the nuclear medicine community can do to emphasize the fact that, if properly managed, the use of isotopes in medicine and other cases ismore » not dangerous.« less

Biological Implications of the Nuclear Age.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atomic Energy Commission, Oak Ridge, TN. Div. of Technical Information.

Reported are the proceedings of an interdisciplinary symposium on the effects on the biosphere of the release of radiation from the use of nuclear energy. Papers given include discussions of the use of radioisotopes in medicine, the benefits and possible consequences of peaceful applications of nuclear explosives, methods of estimating maximum…

To Determine the Best Means of Providing a Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine Capability at U.S. Darnall Army Hospital, Fort Hood, Texas.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-07-01

decision quicker, without submitting the patient to in- crea_,ed trauma, discomfort, or hazard. Many different body organs and functions can now be...care field, has created much discus- sion in the past few years. Unlike technology in other industries, which has the effect of reducing manpower and...Definitions Nuclear medicine. --The use of radioisotopes, that have been entered into the patient’s body , for the diagnosis and treatment of human

Recommendations to minimize diagnostic nuclear medicine exposure to the embryo, fetus, and infant; availability of final recommendations--FDA. Notice.

PubMed

1986-02-19

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of final recommendations to minimize diagnostic nuclear medicine exposure to the embryo, fetus, and breastfeeding infant. The final recommendations, prepared by FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), include the agency's rationale for the recommendations as well as the endorsement of the recommendations by several professional organizations. The final recommendations are being published in a pamphlet that is being made available to interested persons.

Diagnostic imaging of the lower genitourinary tract

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rifkin, M.D.

1985-01-01

Dr. Rifkin analyzes the relative merits of ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear medicine, and radiography. He correlates ultrasound findings with those of computed tomography, radiography, and nuclear medicine and assesses the potential benefits of magnetic resonance imaging as compared with ultrasound and other imaging modalities. Each imaging modality is discussed in terms of its role as the primary, secondary, or complementary study for diagnoses involving the urinary bladder and perivesical spaces, the prostate and seminal vesicles, the urethra and penis, and the scrotal sac.

Single-photon emitting radiotracers produced by cyclotrons for myocardial imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulkarni, Padmakar V.

1989-04-01

Radionuclides produced by cyclotron have played an important role in clinical nuclear medicine. Among these, 210T1, 123I, 111In and 67Ga in various chemical forms have important applications in the diagnosis of cancer and heart disease using scintigraphic imaging techniques. Cardiac imaging using nuclear scintigraphy and echocardiography has been among the fastest growing diagnostic technologies in medicine during the past 15 years. Development of new tracers in conjunction with new equipment with better resolution has contributed to the better quantification and analysis of test results. The development of new biomolecules, monoclonal antibodies to myosin, platelets, fibrin and other receptor binding agents has added a new dimension to nuclear imaging studies.

Medical History in the Hellenic Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

PubMed

Otte, Andreas

2017-01-01

The Hellenic Journal of Nuclear Medicine is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary end of 2017. On board of the editorial team since 2003, this journal has influenced me like a good friend over the many past years. From time to time, the journal has published interesting and valuable historical notes. They show that nuclear medicine has a history and that medicine is its basis. They also teach us today, and some of the ancient perspectives and approaches are still valid. The reader of HJNM may be interested in these historical contributions, as they are timeless. Therefore, it was our idea to summarize these in the following pages. Where there is a link to the free article, this is noted. Upon opening all articles, you will find out that these are a book or so of its own. In thanks to the editor-in-chief of the Journal for his continuing support on the historical section. Below we refer to the historical papers of the Journal: History of Nuclear Medicine. Nuclear Medicine and History of Science and Philosophy: Atomic Theory of the Matter. G.N. Sfakianakis, 2001; 4(3); 155-60. Editorial. Pioneers of nuclear medicine, Madame Curie. P.C. Grammaticos. 2004; 7(1); 29-30. http://nuclmed.web.auth.gr/ magazine/eng/jan04/editorial.htm Editor's note. Hippocrates' Oath. The editor. 2004; 7(1); 31. Editorial. Useful known and unknown views of the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates and his teacher Democritus. P. Grammaticos, A. Diamantis. 2008; 11(1): 2-4. http://nuclmed.web.auth.gr/magazine/eng/jan08/2.pdf Special Article. The contribution of Maria Sklodowska-Curie and Pierre Curie to Nuclear and Medical Physics. A hundred and ten years after the discovery of radium. A. Diamantis, E. Magiorkinis, 2008; 11(1): 33-8. http://nuclmed.web.auth.gr/magazine/ eng/jan08/33.pdf Brief Historical Review. Lymphatic system and lymphoscintigraphy. P. Valsamaki. 2009; 12(1): 87-89. http://nuclmed.web. auth.gr/magazine/eng/jan09/89.pdf (In Greek) Historical Review. The philosophic and biological views of the "atomic" philosophers, Leucippus and Democritus. E. Magiorkinis. A. Beloukas, A. Diamantis. 2010; 13(2): 111-117. http://nuclmed.web.auth.gr/magazine/eng/may10/9.pdf Correspondence. Neuroimaging in mild traumatic brain injury and M. Ravel's injury. A. Otte. 2012; 15(1): 76. http://nuclmed. web.auth.gr/magazine/eng/jan12/3.pdf Selected Brief Contributions. The "atomic theory" of Leucippus, and its impact on medicine before Hippocrates. G. Tsoucalas, K. Laios et al. 2013; 16(1): 68-9. http://nuclmed.web.auth.gr/magazine/eng/jan13/72.pdf Selected Brief Contributions. Computed tomography alone reveals the secrets of ancient mummies in medical archaeology. A. Otte, T. Thieme et al. 2013; 16(2): 148-9. http://nuclmed.web.auth.gr/magazine/eng/may13/70.pdf Editorial. The timeless influence of Hippocratic ideas on diet, salicylates and personalized medicine. T.C. Karagiannis. 2014; 17(1): 2-6. http://nuclmed.web.auth.gr/magazine/eng/jan14/1.pdf Historical Article. The physician who first applied radiotherapy, Victor Despeignes, on 1896. M. Sgantzos, G. Tsoucalas et al. 2014; 17(1): 45-6. http://nuclmed.web.auth.gr/magazine/eng/jan14/11.pdf Original Articles. Medical practice applied in the ancient Asclepeion in Kos island. M. Mironidou-Tzouveleki, P.M. Tzitzis. 2014; 17(3): 167-70. http://www.nuclmed.web.auth.gr/magazine/eng/sept14/3.pdf Special Historical Article. How a tertiary medical nuclear medicine department at the Himalayan area in India can be established and function in an exemplary manner. Basic rules revisited. V.K. Dhingra, S. Saini et al. 2015; 18(3): 252-6. http:// nuclmed.web.auth.gr/magazine/eng/sept15/13.pdf Historical and Commentary Note. Johann Sebastian Bach's "Goldberg variations" to treat insomnia from renal lithiasis pain. Sleep research in Nuclear Medicine. A. Otte. 2016; 19(1): 13-4. http://nuclmed.web.auth.gr/magazine/eng/jan16/06.pdf Historical Review. The first medical ethics and deontology in Europe as derived from Greek mythology. M.K. Konstantinidou. 2016; 19(2): 155-8.http://nuclmed.web.auth.gr/magazine/eng/may16/11.pdf Historical-Technical Article. The beginning of using X-rays and the evolution of equipment for the treatment of ocular cancer. K. Laios, M. Zozoglou. 2017; 20(1): Ahead of print. And hopefully many more to follow!

PREFACE: International Conference on Image Optimisation in Nuclear Medicine (OptiNM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christofides, Stelios; Parpottas, Yiannis

2011-09-01

Conference logo The International Conference on Image Optimisation in Nuclear Medicine was held at the Atlantica Aeneas Resort in Ayia Napa, Cyprus between 23-26 March 2011. It was organised in the framework of the research project "Optimising Diagnostic Value in SPECT Myocardial Perfusion Imaging" (YΓΕΙΑ/ΔYΓΕΙΑ/0308/11), funded by the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation and the European Regional Development Fund, to present the highlights of the project, discuss the progress and results, and define future related goals. The aim of this International Conference was to concentrate on image optimization approaches in Nuclear Medicine. Experts in the field of nuclear medicine presented their latest research results, exchanged experiences and set future goals for image optimisation while balancing patient dose and diagnostic value. The conference was jointly organized by the Frederick Research Centre in Cyprus, the Department of Medical and Public Health Services of the Cyprus Ministry of Health, the Biomedical Research Foundation in Cyprus and the AGH University of Science and Technology in Poland. It was supported by the Cyprus Association of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, and the Cyprus Society of Nuclear Medicine. The conference was held under the auspices of the European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics and the European Association of Nuclear Medicine. The conference scientific programme covered several important topics such as functional imaging; image optimization; quantification for diagnosis; justification; simulations; patient dosimetry, staff exposures and radiation risks; quality assurance and clinical audit; education, training and radiation protection culture; hybrid systems and image registration; and new and competing technologies. The programme consisted of 13 invited and keynote presentations as well as workshops, round table discussions and a number of scientific sessions. A total of 51 speakers presented their research and results to more than 150 participants from 14 countries. During the conference, exhibitors presented medical equipment used in nuclear medicine. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation, the European Regional Development Fund and the Cyprus Biomedical Research Foundation. Also, we appreciate the support of the various local sponsors listed in the conference programme. We would like to express our sincere thanks and gratitude to the organising committee, the scientific committee and the supporting professional organizations for the success of the conference. We also thank all of speakers for their excellent contributions, all the participants for their input, and the exhibitors for their valuable presentations. Special thanks go to Demetris Kaolis, Maria Christofidou, Isabelle Chrysanthou, Charalambos Yiannakkaras, Ourania Demetriadou, and Elena Christofidou for their invaluable contribution to the conference. The conference volume consists of 26 selected proceedings papers. We would like to thank all of the authors for their time and genuine efforts and the reviewers for their fruitful comments. The Conference Chairpersons Stelios Christofides and Yiannis Parpottas

Nuclear disarmament verification via resonant phenomena.

PubMed

Hecla, Jake J; Danagoulian, Areg

2018-03-28

Nuclear disarmament treaties are not sufficient in and of themselves to neutralize the existential threat of the nuclear weapons. Technologies are necessary for verifying the authenticity of the nuclear warheads undergoing dismantlement before counting them toward a treaty partner's obligation. Here we present a concept that leverages isotope-specific nuclear resonance phenomena to authenticate a warhead's fissile components by comparing them to a previously authenticated template. All information is encrypted in the physical domain in a manner that amounts to a physical zero-knowledge proof system. Using Monte Carlo simulations, the system is shown to reveal no isotopic or geometric information about the weapon, while readily detecting hoaxing attempts. This nuclear technique can dramatically increase the reach and trustworthiness of future nuclear disarmament treaties.

Iodine Symporter Targeting with 124I/131I Theranostics.

PubMed

Nagarajah, James; Janssen, Marcel; Hetkamp, Philipp; Jentzen, Walter

2017-09-01

Theranostics, a modern approach combining therapeutics and diagnostics, is among the most promising concepts in nuclear medicine for optimizing and individualizing treatments for many cancer entities. Theranostics has been used in clinical routines in nuclear medicine for more than 60 y-as 131 I for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in thyroid diseases. In this minireview, we provide a survey of the use of 2 different radioiodine isotopes for targeting the sodium-iodine symporter in thyroid cancer and nonthyroidal neoplasms as well as a brief summary of theranostics for neuroendocrine neoplasms and metastatic castration-refractory prostate cancer. In particular, we discuss the role of 124 I-based dosimetry in targeting of the sodium-iodine symporter and describe the clinical application of 124 I dosimetry in a patient who had radioiodine-refractory thyroid cancer and who underwent a redifferentiation treatment with the mitogen-activated extracellular signal-related kinase kinase inhibitor trametinib. © 2017 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

EANM 2012 guidelines for radionuclide imaging of phaeochromocytoma and paraganglioma

PubMed Central

Timmers, Henri J.; Hindié, Elif; Guillet, Benjamin A.; Neumann, Hartmut P.; Walz, Martin K.; Opocher, Giuseppe; de Herder, Wouter W.; Boedeker, Carsten C.; de Krijger, Ronald R.; Chiti, Arturo; Al-Nahhas, Adil; Pacak, Karel

2016-01-01

Purpose Radionuclide imaging of phaeochromocytomas (PCCs) and paragangliomas (PGLs) involves various functional imaging techniques and approaches for accurate diagnosis, staging and tumour characterization. The purpose of the present guidelines is to assist nuclear medicine practitioners in performing, interpreting and reporting the results of the currently available SPECT and PET imaging approaches. These guidelines are intended to present information specifically adapted to European practice. Methods Guidelines from related fields, issued by the European Association of Nuclear Medicine and the Society of Nuclear Medicine, were taken into consideration and are partially integrated within this text. The same was applied to the relevant literature, and the final result was discussed with leading experts involved in the management of patients with PCC/PGL. The information provided should be viewed in the context of local conditions, laws and regulations. Conclusion Although several radionuclide imaging modalities are considered herein, considerable focus is given to PET imaging which offers high sensitivity targeted molecular imaging approaches. PMID:22926712

Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine for Paediatric Patients in Australia: Assessing the Individual's Dose Burden.

PubMed

Bartlett, Marissa L; Forsythe, Anna; Brady, Zoe; Mathews, John D

2018-05-01

We report data for all Australians aged 0-19 y who underwent publicly funded nuclear medicine studies between 1985 and 2005, inclusive. Radiation doses were estimated for individual patients for 95 different types of studies. There were 374 848 occasions of service for 277 511 patients with a collective effective dose of 1123 Sievert (Sv). Most services were either bone scans (45%) or renal scans (29%), with renal scans predominating at younger ages and bone scans at older ages. This pattern persisted despite a 4-fold increase in the annual number of procedures. Younger children were more likely to experience multiple scans, with the third quartile of scans per patient dropping from two to one with patient age. The median effective dose per patient ranged from 1.3 mSv (4-7 y old) to 2.8 mSv (13-16 y old). This large data set provides valuable information on nuclear medicine services for young Australians in the period 1985-2005.

Audit of nuclear medicine scientific and technical standards.

PubMed

Jarritt, Peter H; Perkins, Alan C; Woods, Sandra D

2004-08-01

The British Nuclear Medicine Society has developed a process for the service-specific organizational audit of nuclear medicine departments. This process identified the need for a scheme suitable for the audit of the scientific and technical standards of a department providing such a service. This document has evolved following audit visits of a number of UK departments. It is intended to be used as a written document to facilitate the audit procedure and may be used for both external and self-audit purposes. Scientific and technical standards have been derived from a number of sources, including regulatory documents, notes for guidance and peer-reviewed publications. The audit scheme is presented as a series of questions with responses graded according to legal and safety obligations (A), good practice (B) and desirable aspects of service delivery (C). This document should be regarded as part of an audit framework and should be kept under review as the process evolves to meet the future demands of this high-technology-based clinical service.

Highlights lecture EANM 2014: "Gimme gimme gimme those nuclear Super Troupers".

PubMed

de Jong, Marion; Van Laere, Koen

2015-04-01

The EANM Congress 2014 took place in Gothenburg, Sweden, from 18 to 22 October under the presidency of Prof. Wim Oyen, chair of the EANM Scientific Committee. Prof. Peter Gjertsson chaired the Local Organizing Committee, according to the standardized EANM congress structure. The meeting was a highlight for the multidisciplinary community that forms the heart and soul of nuclear medicine; attendance was exceptionally high. In total almost 5,300 participants came to Gothenburg, and 1,397 colleagues participated via the EANM LIVE sessions ( http://eanmlive.eanm.org/index.php ). Participants from all continents were presented with an excellent programme consisting of symposia, scientific and featured sessions, CME sessions, and plenary lectures. These lectures were devoted to nuclear medicine therapy, hybrid imaging and molecular life sciences. Two tracks were included in the main programme, clustering multi-committee involvement: the 5th International Symposium on Targeted Radionuclide-therapy and Dosimetry (ISTARD) and the first Molecules to Man (M2M) track, an initiative of the EANM Committees for Translational Molecular Imaging, Radiopharmacy and Drug Development. The industry made a substantial contribution to the success of the congress demonstrating the latest technology and innovations in the field. During the closing Highlights Lecture, a selection of the best-rated abstracts was presented including diverse areas of nuclear medicine: physics and instrumentation, radiopharmacy, preclinical imaging, oncology (with a focus on the clinical application of newly developed tracers) and radionuclide therapy, cardiology and neurosciences. This Highlights Lecture could only be a brief summary of the large amount of data presented and discussed during the meeting, which can be found in much greater detail in the congress proceedings book, published as Volume 41, Supplement 2 of the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging in October 2014.

[Research progress on current pharmacokinetic evaluation of Chinese herbal medicines].

PubMed

Li, Guofu; Zhao, Haoru; Yang, Jin

2011-03-01

In order to prove safety and efficacy, herbal medicines must undergo the rigorous scientific researches such as pharmacokinetic and bioavailability, before they are put on the market in the foreign countries. Botanical Drug Products promulgated by the US FDA could guide industry sponsors to develop herbal drugs, which was also an important reference for investigating Chinese herbal medicines. This paper reviews and discusses novel approaches for how to assess systemic exposure and pharmacokinetic of Chinese herbal medicines, which were in line with FDA guidance. This mainly focus on identifying pharmacokinetic markers of botanical products, integral pharmacokinetic study of multiple components, Biopharmaceutics drug disposition classification system, and population pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic study in herb-drug interaction.

Medical Imaging.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaffe, C. Carl

1982-01-01

Describes principle imaging techniques, their applications, and their limitations in terms of diagnostic capability and possible adverse biological effects. Techniques include film radiography, computed tomography, nuclear medicine, positron emission tomography (PET), ultrasonography, nuclear magnetic resonance, and digital radiography. PET has…

From 200 BC to 2015 AD: an integration of robotic surgery and Ayurveda/Yoga

PubMed Central

Pillai, Geethakrishnan Gopalakrishna

2016-01-01

Background Among the traditional systems of medicine practiced all over the world, Ayurveda and Yoga has a documented history dating back to beyond 200 BC. Robotic and video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is an invention of the 21st century. We aim to quantify the effects of integration of Ayurveda and Yoga on patients undergoing minimally invasive robotic and VATS. Methods Four hundred and fifty-four patients undergoing VATS and robotic thoracic surgery were introduced to a pre and postoperative protocol of Yoga therapy, mediation and oil massages. Yoga exercises included Pranayam, Anulom Vilom, and Oil Massages included Urotarpan. Preoperative and postoperative respiratory functions were recorded. Patient satisfaction questionnaire were noted. Statistical comparison was made to control group undergoing minimally invasive thoracic surgery without integrative medicine. Only one patient refused to undergo Ayurveda therapy and was deleted from the group. Results Acceptability was high among all patients. Preoperative training led to implementation as early as 6 hours post surgery. Pulmonary function test showed significant improvement. All patients suggested an improvement in satisfaction score. Pain score were less in study patients. Quicker mobilization led to early discharge and drain removal. Chronic pain was prevented in patients having oil massages over the healed wound sites. Conclusions Integration of Ayurveda, Yoga and minimally invasive robotic and VATS is acceptable to Indian patients and gives better clinical results and higher patient satisfaction. PMID:26941975

38 CFR 3.311 - Claims based on exposure to ionizing radiation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... body in the field of health physics, nuclear medicine or radiology and if based on analysis of the... follows: (i) Atmospheric nuclear weapons test participation claims. In claims based upon participation in atmospheric nuclear testing, dose data will in all cases be requested from the appropriate office of the...

38 CFR 3.311 - Claims based on exposure to ionizing radiation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... body in the field of health physics, nuclear medicine or radiology and if based on analysis of the... follows: (i) Atmospheric nuclear weapons test participation claims. In claims based upon participation in atmospheric nuclear testing, dose data will in all cases be requested from the appropriate office of the...

38 CFR 3.311 - Claims based on exposure to ionizing radiation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... body in the field of health physics, nuclear medicine or radiology and if based on analysis of the... follows: (i) Atmospheric nuclear weapons test participation claims. In claims based upon participation in atmospheric nuclear testing, dose data will in all cases be requested from the appropriate office of the...

Liver phantom for quality control and training in nuclear medicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lima Ferreira, Fernanda Carla; Souza, Divanizia do Nascimento

2011-10-01

In nuclear medicine, liver scintigraphy aims to verify organ function based on the radionuclide concentration in the liver and bile flow and is also used to detect tumors. Therefore it is necessary to perform quality control tests in the gamma camera before running the exam to prevent false results. Quality control tests of the gamma camera should thus be performed before running the exam to prevent false results. Such tests generally use radioactive material inside phantoms for evaluation of gamma camera parameters in quality control procedures. Phantoms can also be useful for training doctors and technicians in nuclear medicine procedures. The phantom proposed here has artifacts that simulate nodules; it may take on different quantities, locations and sizes and it may also be mounted without the introduction of nodules. Thus, its images may show hot or cold nodules or no nodules. The phantom consists of acrylic plates hollowed out in the centre, with the geometry of an adult liver. Images for analyses of simulated liver scintigraphy were obtained with the detector device at 5 cm from the anterior surface of the phantom. These simulations showed that this object is suitable for quality control in nuclear medicine because it was possible to visualize artifacts larger than 7.9 mm using a 256×256 matrix and 1000 kcpm. The phantom constructed in this work will also be useful for training practitioners and technicians in order to prevent patients from repeat testing caused by error during examinations.

Functional imaging of the brain

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ell, P.J.; Jarritt, P.H.; Costa, D.C.

1987-07-01

The radionuclide tracer method is unique among all other imaging methodologies in its ability to trace organ or tissue function and metabolism. Physical processes such as electron or proton density assessment or resonance, edge identification, electrical or ultrasonic impedence, do not pertain to the image generation process in nuclear medicine, and if so, only in a rather secondary manner. The nuclear medicine imaging study is primarily a study of the chemical nature, distribution and interaction of the tracer/radiopharmaceutical utilized with the cellular system which requires investigation: the thyroid cells with sodium iodide, the recticular endothelial cells with colloidal particles, themore » adrenal medulla cells with metaiodobenzylguanidine, and so on. In the two most recent areas of nuclear medicine expansion, oncology (with labelled monoclonal antibodies) and neurology and psychiatry (with a whole new series of lipid soluble radiopharmaceuticals), specific cell systems can also be targeted and hence imaged and investigated. The study of structure as masterly performed by Virchow and all his successors over more than a century, is now definitely the prerogative of such imaging systems which excel with spatial and contrast resolution However the investigation of function and metabolism, has clearly passed from the laboratory animal protocol and experiment to the direct investigation in man, this being the achievement of the radionuclide tracer methodology. In this article, we review present interest and developments in that part of nuclear medicine activity which is aimed at the study of the neurological or psychiatric patient.« less

A new era for Nuclear Medicine neuroimaging in Spain: Where do we start from in Spain?

PubMed

Balsa, M A; Camacho, V; Garrastachu, P; García-Solís, D; Gómez-Río, M; Rubí, S; Setoain, X; Arbizu, J

To determine the status of neuroimaging studies of Nuclear Medicine in Spain during 2013 and first quarter of 2014, in order to define the activities of the neuroimaging group of the Spanish Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SEMNIM). A questionnaire of 14 questions was designed, divided into 3 parts: characteristics of the departments (equipment and professionals involved); type of scans and clinical indications; and evaluation methods. The questionnaire was sent to 166 Nuclear Medicine departments. A total of 54 departments distributed among all regions completed the questionnaire. Most departments performed between 300 and 800 neuroimaging examinations per year, representing more than 25 scans per month. The average pieces of equipment were three; half of the departments had a PET/CT scanner and SPECT/CT equipment. Scans performed more frequently were brain SPECT with 123 I-FP-CIT, followed by brain perfusion SPECT and PET with 18 F-FDG. The most frequent clinical indications were cognitive impairment followed by movement disorders. For evaluation of the images most sites used only visual assessment, and for the quantitative assessment the most used was quantification by region of interest. These results reflect the clinical activity of 2013 and first quarter of 2014. The main indications of the studies were cognitive impairment and movement disorders. Variability in the evaluation of the studies is among the challenges that will be faced in the coming years. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y SEMNIM. All rights reserved.

MIRD Pamphlet No. 21: A Generalized Schema for Radiopharmaceutical Dosimetry-Standardization of Nomenclature

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bolch, W E; Eckerman, Keith F; Sgouros, George

2009-03-01

The internal dosimetry schema of the Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) Committee of the Society of Nuclear Medicine has provided a broad framework for assessment of the absorbed dose to whole organs, tissue subregions, voxelized tissue structures, and individual cellular compartments for use in both diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine. The schema was originally published in 1968, revised in 1976, and republished in didactic form with comprehensive examples as the MIRD primer in 1988 and 1991. The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is an organization that also supplies dosimetric models and technical data, for use in providing recommendations formore » limits on ionizing radiation exposure to workers and members of the general public. The ICRP has developed a dosimetry schema similar to that of the MIRD Committee but has used different terminology and symbols for fundamental quantities such as the absorbed fraction, specific absorbed fraction, and various dose coefficients. The MIRD Committee objectives for this pamphlet are 3-fold: to restate its schema for assessment of absorbed dose in a manner consistent with the needs of both the nuclear medicine and the radiation protection communities, with the goal of standardizing nomenclature; to formally adopt the dosimetry quantities equivalent dose and effective dose for use in comparative evaluations of potential risks of radiation-induced stochastic effects to patients after nuclear medicine procedures; and to discuss the need to identify dosimetry quantities based on absorbed dose that address deterministic effects relevant to targeted radionuclide therapy.« less

Is Personalized Medicine Achievable in Obstetrics?

PubMed Central

Quinney, Sara K; Flockhart, David A; Patil, Avinash S

2014-01-01

Personalized medicine seeks to identify the right dose of the right drug for the right patient at the right time. Typically, individualization of therapy is based on the pharmacogenomic make-up of the individual and environmental factors that alter drug disposition and response. In addition to these factors, during pregnancy a woman’s body undergoes many changes that can impact the therapeutic efficacy of medications. Yet, there is minimal research regarding personalized medicine in obstetrics. Adoption of pharmacogenetic testing into the obstetrical care is dependent on evidence of analytical validity, clinical validity, and clinical utility. Here, we briefly present information regarding the potential utility of personalized medicine for treating the obstetric patient for pain with narcotics, hypertension, and preterm labor and discuss the impediments of bringing personalized medicine to the obstetrical clinic. PMID:25282474

The Medicine with Respect Project: a stakeholder focus group evaluation.

PubMed

Hemingway, Steve; White, Jacquie; Turner, James; Dewhirst, Kate; Smith, George

2012-11-01

The administration of medicines is a role that fundamentally impacts on the wellbeing of the patient and has been described as one of the highest risk activities that a nurse undertakes. This article reports on the Medicine with Respect Project where collaborating organisations sought to improve the education and training of Mental Health Nurses toward safe and competence practice. Focus groups were used to evaluate stakeholders experiences and what emerged was overall satisfaction but with specific suggestions in how to improve the effectiveness of the project. All groups emphasised that all nurses in administering medicines should undergo a rigorous assessment of their medicines administration performance. This would make the ultimate aim of competent and safe practice more achievable. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diabetes Mellitus and Its Effects on All-Cause Mortality After Radiopeptide Therapy for Neuroendocrine Tumors.

PubMed

Umlauft, Maria; Radojewski, Piotr; Spanjol, Petar-Marko; Dumont, Rebecca; Marincek, Nicolas; Kollar, Attila; Brunner, Philippe; Beyersmann, Jan; Müller-Brand, Jan; Maecke, Helmut R; Laimer, Markus; Walter, Martin A

2017-01-01

We aimed to assess the risk of developing diabetes mellitus and its effects on all-cause mortality after radiopeptide therapy for neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). NET patients received somatostatin radiopeptide therapy with 90 Y-DOTATOC or 177 Lu-DOTATOC. The incidence of diabetes mellitus and its mortality were assessed using univariate and multivariate regression. Overall, 1,535 NET patients were enrolled and received 3,807 treatment cycles. After treatment, 72 patients developed diabetes mellitus, including 47 cases after 90 Y-DOTATOC and 25 cases after combined treatment. The diabetes mellitus risk was higher before than after DOTATOC (estimate, 0.0032; P < 0.001), and overall survival was similar in patients with and without diabetes mellitus (hazard ratio, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 0.91-1.39; n = 1,535; P = 0.27). Radiopeptide therapy does not appear to increase the risk of developing diabetes mellitus in NET patients, whereas diabetes mellitus does not appear to increase the mortality of NET patients undergoing receptor-targeted radiopeptide therapy. © 2017 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

Understanding patient and provider perceptions and expectations of genomic medicine

PubMed Central

Hall, Michael J; Forman, Andrea; Montgomery, Susan; Rainey, Kim; Daly, Mary B

2014-01-01

Advances in genome sequencing technology have fostered a new era of clinical genomic medicine. Genetic counselors, who have begun to support patients undergoing multi-gene panel testing for hereditary cancer risk, will review brief clinical vignettes, and discuss early experiences with clinical genomic testing. Their experiences will frame a discussion about how current testing may challenge patient understanding and expectations toward the evaluation of cancer risk and downstream preventive behaviors. PMID:24992205

Nuclear Medicine Imaging

MedlinePlus

... rayos-X, revelan solamente la estructura anatómica. Existen más de 100 exámenes diferentes de medicina nuclear para ... se le permite abandonar el hospital y regresar más tarde para el procedimiento del estudio de imagen. ...

Minutes of the third annual meeting of the Panel on Reference Nuclear Data. [BNL, October 5, 1978

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burrows, T.W.; Stewart, L.; Coyne, J.J.

1979-05-01

The major activities of the meeting were as follows: welcome; organization, approval of minutes of the second meeting, and approval of agenda; review of nuclear data compilation and evaluation efforts (national and international efforts, master data files, publications); summary of 1977 panel meeting; definition of reference nuclear data; discussion of specific data needs and possible data center contributions (reactor physics, medicine and biology, controlled thermonuclear reactors and astrophysics); establishment of current interest and future direction of the panel; adjournment. Recommendations and action items are listed. Tables on nuclear data needs in applied physics, medicine and biology, and controlled thermonuclear reactorsmore » and astrophysics are presented. Appendixes include membership lists of various committees, summaries of publication activities, survey results, correspondence, and portions of the documents Proceedings of the Magnetic Fusion Energy Blanket and Shield Workshop and National Needs for Critically Evaluated Physical and Chemical Data. (RWR)« less

Current application and future perspectives of PSMA PET imaging in prostate cancer.

PubMed

Ceci, Francesco; Castellucci, Paolo; Fanti, Stefano

2018-03-08

As precision medicine evolves, the contribution of molecular imaging to the management of prostate cancer (PCa) patients, especially for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging, is gaining importance. Highly successful approaches to measure the expression of the prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) have been introduced recently. PSMA, the glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCP-II), is a membrane bound metallo-peptidase that is overexpressed in 90-100% of PCa cells. Due to its selective over-expression, PSMA is a reliable tissue marker for prostate cancer and is considered an ideal target for tumor specific imaging and therapy. A variety of PET and SPECT probes targeting this peptide receptor have been introduced. These are undergoing extensive clinical evaluations. Initial results attest to a high accuracy for disease detection compared conventional radiology (CT or MRI) and other nuclear medicine procedure (choline PET or fluciclovine PET). However, prospective evaluation of the impact on patient management for PSMA-ligand PET and its impact on patient outcome is currently missing. Finally, PSMA inhibitors can be radio-labeled with diagnostic (68Ga-PSMA-11), or therapeutic nuclides (177Lu/225Ac PSMA-617) to be used as theranostic agent. Initial results showed that PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy (RLT) can potentially delay disease progression in metastatic castrate-resistant PCa. This review aims to explore the current application of PSMA based imaging in prostate cancer, reporting about main advantages and limitations of this new theranostic procedure. The future perspectives and potential the applications of this agent will be also discussed.

Repeated stimulation by LPS promotes the senescence of DPSCs via TLR4/MyD88-NF-κB-p53/p21 signaling.

PubMed

Feng, Guijuan; Zheng, Ke; Cao, Tong; Zhang, Jinlong; Lian, Min; Huang, Dan; Wei, Changbo; Gu, Zhifeng; Feng, Xingmei

2018-02-26

Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), one type of mesenchymal stem cells, are considered to be a type of tool cells for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Our previous studies found that the stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) might introduce senescence of DPSCs, and this senescence would have a positive correlation with the concentration of LPS. The β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining was used to evaluate the senescence of DPSCs and immunofluorescence to show the morphology of DPSCs. Our findings suggested that the activity of SA-β-gal has increased after repeated stimulation with LPS and the morphology of DPSCs has changed with the stimulation with LPS. We also found that LPS bound to the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor (MyD) 88 signaling pathway. Protein and mRNA expression of TLR4, MyD88 were enhanced in DPSCs with LPS stimulation, resulting in the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling, which exhibited the expression of p65 improved in the nucleus while the decreasing of IκB-α. Simultaneously, the expression of p53 and p21, the downstream proteins of the NF-κB signaling, has increased. In summary, DPSCs tend to undergo senescence after repeated stimulation in an inflammatory microenvironment. Ultimately, these findings may lead to a new direction for cell-based therapy in oral diseases and other regenerative medicines.

Nuclear Respiratory Factor-1 (NRF-1) Gene Expression in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis and Mitochondrial Oxidative Dysregulation.

PubMed

Hashad, Doaa; Elgohry, Iman; Dwedar, Fatma

2016-11-01

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by progressive irreversible deterioration of renal functions. Advanced stages of CKD are associated with oxidative stress due to the imbalance between oxidant production and antioxidant defense mechanisms. Survival of patients with end stage renal diseases is maintained on variable forms of renal replacement therapies (RRT) which include peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis, and sometimes renal transplantation. In humans, Nuclear Respiratory Factor 1 (NRF-1) gene encodes for a transcription factor that, together with the transcriptional co-activator encoded by Peroxisome Proliferator activated Receptor Gamma coactivator 1 Alpha (PGC1-a) gene, stimulates the expression of a broad set of nuclear genes (as COX6C) which are involved in mitochondrial biogenesis and functions. As mitochondria are considered a major source of reactive oxidant species, the objective of the present study was to assess mitochondrial oxidative dysregulation occurring in chronic kidney disease patients undergoing hemodialysis employing NRF-1 and COX6C genes' expression as an indicator of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism. Forty-nine chronic kidney disease patients undergoing intermittent hemodialysis were included in the present study. A group of thirty-three age- and gender- matched healthy volunteers served as a control group. Assessment of expression of NRF-1 and COX6C genes was performed using quantitative real-time PCR technique. NRF-1 and COX6C expression showed a statistically significant difference between both studied groups being down-regulated in CKD patients. In addition, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were higher in patients on hemodialysis indicating lipid peroxidation. A negative correlation was detected between MDA level and expression of both NRF-1 and COX6C genes. Chronic kidney disease patients undergoing hemodialysis might be subjected to potential mitochondrial oxidative dysregulation with subsequent possible vascular and tissue injury.

Report of the CIRRPC Executive Committee regarding EPA NESHAP regulations on radionuclides for medical research institutions and radiopharmaceutical manufacturers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1990-06-01

There appears to be no compelling public health protection reason for EPA`s promulgation of NESHAP regulations to control air emissions of radioactive materials from NRC-licensed facilities engaged in activities associated with the practice and development of nuclear medicine. The NRC`s existing regulations provide the necessary controls for protection and EPA`s regulations would only add burdensome reporting requirements at substantial cost to medical treatment and diagnosis. Availability of nuclear medicine practice could be impacted and advancements through research delayed.

Quantitative imaging for clinical dosimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bardiès, Manuel; Flux, Glenn; Lassmann, Michael; Monsieurs, Myriam; Savolainen, Sauli; Strand, Sven-Erik

2006-12-01

Patient-specific dosimetry in nuclear medicine is now a legal requirement in many countries throughout the EU for targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT) applications. In order to achieve that goal, an increased level of accuracy in dosimetry procedures is needed. Current research in nuclear medicine dosimetry should not only aim at developing new methods to assess the delivered radiation absorbed dose at the patient level, but also to ensure that the proposed methods can be put into practice in a sufficient number of institutions. A unified dosimetry methodology is required for making clinical outcome comparisons possible.

Nuclear Science Symposium, 4th, and Nuclear Power Systems Symposium, 9th, San Francisco, Calif., October 19-21, 1977, Proceedings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

Consideration is given to the following types of high energy physics instrumentation: drift chambers, multiwire proportional chambers, calorimeters, optical detectors, ionization and scintillation detectors, solid state detectors, and electronic and digital subsystems. Attention is also paid to reactor instrumentation, nuclear medicine instrumentation, data acquisition systems for nuclear instrumentation, microprocessor applications in nuclear science, environmental instrumentation, control and instrumentation of nuclear power generating stations, and radiation monitoring. Papers are also presented on instrumentation for the High Energy Astronomy Observatory.

Proliferation dangers associated with nuclear medicine: getting weapons-grade uranium out of radiopharmaceutical production.

PubMed

Williams, Bill; Ruff, Tilman A

2007-01-01

Abolishing the threat of nuclear war requires the outlawing of nuclear weapons and dismantling current nuclear weapon stockpiles, but also depends on eliminating access to fissile material (nuclear weapon fuel). The near-universal use of weapons-grade, highly enriched uranium (HEU) to produce radiopharmaceuticals is a significant proliferation hazard. Health professionals have a strategic opportunity and obligation to progress the elimination of medically-related commerce in HEU, closing one of the most vulnerable pathways to the much-feared 'terrorist bomb'.

Mitotic phosphorylation of SUN1 loosens its connection with the nuclear lamina while the LINC complex remains intact.

PubMed

Patel, Jennifer T; Bottrill, Andrew; Prosser, Suzanna L; Jayaraman, Sangeetha; Straatman, Kees; Fry, Andrew M; Shackleton, Sue

2014-01-01

At the onset mitosis in higher eukaryotes, the nuclear envelope (NE) undergoes dramatic deconstruction to allow separation of duplicated chromosomes. Studies have shown that during this process of nuclear envelope breakdown (NEBD), the extensive protein networks of the nuclear lamina are disassembled through phosphorylation of lamins and several inner nuclear membrane (INM) proteins. The LINC complex, composed of SUN and nesprin proteins, is involved in multiple interactions at the NE and plays vital roles in nuclear and cellular mechanics by connecting the nucleus to the cytoskeleton. Here, we show that SUN1, located in the INM, undergoes mitosis-specific phosphorylation on at least 3 sites within its nucleoplasmic N-terminus. We further identify Cdk1 as the kinase responsible for serine 48 and 333 phosphorylation, while serine 138 is phosphorylated by Plk1. In mitotic cells, SUN1 loses its interaction with N-terminal domain binding partners lamin A/C, emerin, and short nesprin-2 isoforms. Furthermore, a triple phosphomimetic SUN1 mutant displays increased solubility and reduced retention at the NE. In contrast, the central LINC complex interaction between the SUN1 C-terminus and the KASH domain of nesprin-2 is maintained during mitosis. Together, these data support a model whereby mitotic phosphorylation of SUN1 disrupts interactions with nucleoplasmic binding partners, promoting disassembly of the nuclear lamina and, potentially, its chromatin interactions. At the same time, our data add to an emerging picture that the core LINC complex plays an active role in NEBD.

Immunocytochemical localization of the major polypeptides of the nuclear pore complex-lamina fraction. Interphase and mitotic distribution

PubMed Central

1978-01-01

This laboratory has previously isolated a fraction from rat liver nuclei consisting of nuclear pore complexes associated with the proteinaceous lamina which underlies the inner nuclear membrane. Using protein eluted from sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gels, we have prepared antibodies in chickens to each of the three predominant pore complex- lamina bands. Ouchterlony double diffusion analysis shows that each of these individual bands cross-reacts strongly with all three antisera. In immunofluorescence localization performed on tissue culture cells with these antibodies, we obtain a pattern of intense staining at the periphery of the interphase nucleus, with little or no cytoplasmic reaction. Electron microscope immunoperoxidase staining of rat liver nuclei with these antibodies labels exclusively the nuclear periphery. Furthermore, reaction occurs in areas which contain the lamina, but not at the pore complexes. While our isolation procedure extracts the internal contents of nuclei completely, semiquantitative Ouchterlony analysis shows that it releases negligible amounts of these lamina antigens. Considered together, our results indicate that these three bands represent major components of a peripheral nuclear lamina, and are not structural elements of an internal "nuclear protein matrix." Fluorescence microscopy shows that the perinuclear interphase localization of these lamina proteins undergoes dramatic changes during mitosis. Concomitant with nuclear envelope disassembly in prophase, these antigens assume a diffuse localization throughout the cell. This distribution persists until telophase, when the antigens become progressively and completely localized at the surface of the daughter chromosome masses. We propose that the lamina is a biological polymer which can undergo reversible disassembly during mitosis. PMID:102651

Applications of Nuclear and Particle Physics Technology: Particles & Detection — A Brief Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weisenberger, Andrew G.

A brief overview of the technology applications with significant societal benefit that have their origins in nuclear and particle physics research is presented. It is shown through representative examples that applications of nuclear physics can be classified into two basic areas: 1) applying the results of experimental nuclear physics and 2) applying the tools of experimental nuclear physics. Examples of the application of the tools of experimental nuclear and particle physics research are provided in the fields of accelerator and detector based technologies namely synchrotron light sources, nuclear medicine, ion implantation and radiation therapy.

Nuclear science outreach program for high school girls

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Foster, D.E.; Stone, C.A.

1996-12-31

The authors have developed a 2-week summer school on nuclear science for high school girls. This summer school is an outgrowth of a recent American Nuclear Society high school teachers workshop held at San Jose State University. Young scientists are introduced to concepts in nuclear science through a combination of lectures, laboratory experiments, literature research, and visits to local national laboratories and nuclear facilities. Lectures cover a range of topics, including radioactivity and radioactive decay, statistics, fission and fusion, nuclear medicine, and food irradiation. A variety of applications of nuclear science concepts are also presented.

Alternative medicine safety: Agaricus blazei and propolis.

PubMed

Sorimachi, Kenji; Nakamoto, Takaaki

2011-08-01

All medicines pose a potential health risk, be they Eastern or Western medicines. Newly developed Western drugs must undergo rigorous testing to ensure their efficacy and safety, while with Eastern drugs, safety has generally been established because of their long histories of safe usage as traditional medicines. The regulation of Western medicines is much stronger than that of Eastern medicines, partly as pure chemicals are used and their effects and side effects are more likely to be acute. Eastern medicines consist of multiple components, generally extracted from a single or several plants or other natural sources, and their effects are not so acute, with delayed onset of side effects. However, the chronic usage of many Eastern medicines may result in the gradual accumulation of toxic compounds in the body. For example, Agaricus blazei extracts have been used as alternative medicines for cancer, but contain the known carcinogen agaritine (this carcinogen is also present in Agaricus bisporus). To ensure the safety of this alternative medicine, agaritine should be removed or its content reduced if the extract is to be taken chronically. Clearly, the safety of not only pure medicines, but also alternative medicines and daily foods, should be carefully controlled.

The selective progesterone receptor modulator CDB4124 inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in uterine leiomyoma cells.

PubMed

Luo, Xia; Yin, Ping; Coon V, John S; Cheng, You-Hong; Wiehle, Ronald D; Bulun, Serdar E

2010-05-15

To evaluate the effects of selective P receptor (PR) modulator CDB4124 on cell proliferation and apoptosis in cultured human uterine leiomyoma smooth muscle (LSM) cells and control myometrial smooth muscle (MSM) cells in matched uteri. Laboratory research. Academic medical center. Premenopausal women (n = 12) undergoing hysterectomy for leiomyoma-related symptoms. Treatment of primary LSM and MSM cells with CDB4124 (10(-8)-10(-6) M) or vehicle for 24, 48, or 72 hours. Western blot for protein expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen, cleaved polyadenosine 5'-diphosphate-ribose polymerase, Bcl-2, and Krüppel-like transcription factor 11; 93-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay to evaluate viable cell numbers; and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to quantify messenger RNA (mRNA) levels. Treatment with CDB4124 significantly decreased levels of the proliferation marker proliferating cell nuclear antigen, the number of viable LSM cells, and the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2. On the other hand, treatment with CDB4124 increased levels of the apoptosis marker cleaved polyadenosine 5'-diphosphate-ribose polymerase and the tumor suppressor Krüppel-like transcription factor 11 in a dose- and time-dependent manner in LSM cells. In matched MSM cells, however, CDB4124 did not affect cell proliferation or apoptosis. CDB4124 selectively inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in LSM but not in MSM cells. Copyright 2010 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Behavioral and Social Sciences: Contributions and Opportunities in Academic Medicine.

PubMed

Smith, Patrick O; Grigsby, R Kevin

2017-06-01

The Association of American Medical Colleges plays a leading role in supporting the expansion and evolution of academic medicine and medical science in North America, which are undergoing high-velocity change. Behavioral and social science concepts have great practical value when applied to the leadership practices and administrative structures that guide and support the rapid evolution of academic medicine and medical sciences. The authors are two behavioral and social science professionals who serve as academic administrators in academic medical centers. They outline their career development and describe the many ways activities have been shaped by their work with the Association of American Medical Colleges. Behavioral and social science professionals are encouraged to become change agents in the ongoing transformation of academic medicine.

Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine Project for an Integral Oncology Center at the Oaxaca High Specialization Regional Hospital

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Jesús, M.; Trujillo-Zamudio, F. E.

2010-12-01

A building project of Radiotherapy & Nuclear Medicine services (diagnostic and therapy), within an Integral Oncology Center (IOC), requires interdisciplinary participation of architects, biomedical engineers, radiation oncologists and medical physicists. This report focus on the medical physicist role in designing, building and commissioning stages, for the final clinical use of an IOC at the Oaxaca High Specialization Regional Hospital (HRAEO). As a first step, during design stage, the medical physicist participates in discussions about radiation safety and regulatory requirements for the National Regulatory Agency (called CNSNS in Mexico). Medical physicists propose solutions to clinical needs and take decisions about installing medical equipment, in order to fulfill technical and medical requirements. As a second step, during the construction stage, medical physicists keep an eye on building materials and structural specifications. Meanwhile, regulatory documentation must be sent to CNSNS. This documentation compiles information about medical equipment, radioactivity facility, radiation workers and nuclear material data, in order to obtain the license for the linear accelerator, brachytherapy and nuclear medicine facilities. As a final step, after equipment installation, the commissioning stage takes place. As the conclusion, we show that medical physicists are essentials in order to fulfill with Mexican regulatory requirements in medical facilities.

PHARMACOLOGY PART 1: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMAOCLOGY AND PHARMACODYNAMICS.

PubMed

Currie, Geoffrey M

2018-03-29

There is an emerging need for greater understanding of pharmacology principles amongst technical staff. Indeed, the responsibility of dose preparation and administration, under any level of supervision, demands foundation understanding of pharmacology. This is true for radiopharmaceuticals, contrast media and pharmaceutical interventions / adjunctive medications. Regulation around the same might suggest a need to embed pharmacology theory in undergraduate education programs and there is a need to disseminate that same foundation understanding to practicing clinicians. Moreover, pharmacology foundations can provide key understanding of the principles that underpin quantitative techniques (e.g. pharmacokinetics). This article is the first in a series of articles that aims to enhance the understanding of pharmacological principles relevant to nuclear medicine. This article will deal with the introductory concepts, terminology and principles that underpin the concepts to be discussed in the remainder of the series. The second article will build on the pharmacodynamic principles examined in this article with a treatment of pharmacokinetics. Article 3 will outline pharmacology relevant to pharmaceutical interventions and adjunctive medications employed in general nuclear medicine, the fourth pharmacology relevant to pharmaceutical interventions and adjunctive medications employed in nuclear cardiology, and the fifth the pharmacology related to contrast media associated with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Copyright © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

Gap analysis survey: an aid in transitioning to standardized curricula for nuclear medicine technology.

PubMed

Bires, Angela Macci; Mason, Donna L; Gilmore, David; Pietrzyk, Carly

2012-09-01

This article discusses the process by which the Society of Nuclear Medicine Technology Section (SNMTS) is assisting educators as they transition to comply with the fourth edition of the Curriculum Guide for Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology. An electronic survey was sent to a list of nuclear medicine technology programs compiled by the educational division of the SNMTS. The collected data included committee member demographics, goals and objectives, conference call minutes, consultation discussions, transition examples, 4- and 2-y program curricula, and certificate program curricula. There were 56 responses to the survey. All respondents were program directors, with 3 respondents having more than one type of program, for a total of 59 programs. Of these, 19 (33.93%) were baccalaureate, 19 (28.57%) associate, and 21 (37.5%) certificate. Forty-eight respondents (85.71%) had accreditation through the Joint Review Commission on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology, 6 (10.71%) had regional accreditation, and 2 (3.57%) were accredited through other entities. Thirteen categories of required general education courses were identified, and the existing program curricula of 9 (69.2%) courses were more than 50% compliant with the fourth edition Curriculum Guide. The fact that no measurable gap could be found within the didactic professional content across programs was due to the lack of a degree requirement and content standardization within the profession. The data indicated that the participating programs offer a minimum of 1-15 contact hours in emerging technology modalities. The required clinical hours ranged from 765 to 1,920 for degree or certificate completion. The average number of clinical hours required for all programs was 1,331.69. Standardization of the number and types of courses is needed both for current baccalaureate programs and for clinical education. This standardization will guide programs in transitioning from a certificate or associate level to the baccalaureate level. The greatest obstacle is in expanding curricula to meet the recommendations of the fourth edition Curriculum Guide. Such expansion to entry-level competency may be met by incorporating hybrid imaging courses, secondary-level courses, and equivalency courses on the basic sciences and emerging technologies.

Nuclear medicine training and practice in Poland.

PubMed

Teresińska, Anna; Birkenfeld, Bożena; Królicki, Leszek; Dziuk, Mirosław

2014-10-01

In Poland, nuclear medicine (NM) has been an independent specialty since 1988. At the end of 2013, the syllabus for postgraduate specialization in NM has been modified to be in close accordance with the syllabus approved by the European Union of Medical Specialists and is expected to be enforced before the end of 2014. The National Consultant in Nuclear Medicine is responsible for the specialization program in NM. The Medical Center of Postgraduate Training is the administrative body which accepts the specialization programs, supervises the training, organizes the examinations, and awards the specialist title. Specialization in NM for physicians lasts for five years. It consists of 36 months of training in a native nuclear medicine department, 12 months of internship in radiology, 3 months in cardiology, 3 months in endocrinology, 3 months in oncology, and 3 months in two other departments of NM. If a NM trainee is a specialist of a clinical discipline and/or is after a long residency in NM departments, the specialization in NM can be shortened to three years. During the training, there are obligatory courses to be attended which include the elements of anatomy imaging in USG, CT, and MR. Currently, there are about 170 active NM specialists working for 38.5 million inhabitants in Poland. For other professionals working in NM departments, it is possible to get the title of a medical physics specialist after completing 3.5 years of training (for those with a master's in physics, technical physics or biomedical engineering) or the title of a radiopharmacy specialist after completing 3 years of training (for those with a master's in chemistry or biology). At present, the specialization program in NM for nurses is being developed by the Medical Centre of Postgraduate Education. Continuing education and professional development are obligatory for all physicians and governed by the Polish Medical Chamber. The Polish Society of Nuclear Medicine (PTMN) organizes regular postgraduate training for physicians working in NM. Educational programs are comprehensive, covering both diagnostics and current forms of radioisotope therapy. They are aimed not only at physicians specialized/specializing in NM, but also at other medical professionals employed in radionuclide departments as well as physicians of other specialties.

The production of radionuclides for nuclear medicine from a compact, low-energy accelerator system.

PubMed

Webster, William D; Parks, Geoffrey T; Titov, Dmitry; Beasley, Paul

2014-05-01

The field of nuclear medicine is reliant on radionuclides for medical imaging procedures and radioimmunotherapy (RIT). The recent shut-downs of key radionuclide producers have highlighted the fragility of the current radionuclide supply network, however. To ensure that nuclear medicine can continue to grow, adding new diagnostic and therapy options to healthcare, novel and reliable production methods are required. Siemens are developing a low-energy, high-current - up to 10 MeV and 1 mA respectively - accelerator. The capability of this low-cost, compact system for radionuclide production, for use in nuclear medicine procedures, has been considered. The production of three medically important radionuclides - (89)Zr, (64)Cu, and (103)Pd - has been considered, via the (89)Y(p,n), (64)Ni(p,n) and (103)Rh(p,n) reactions, respectively. Theoretical cross-sections were generated using TALYS and compared to experimental data available from EXFOR. Stopping power values generated by SRIM have been used, with the TALYS-generated excitation functions, to calculate potential yields and isotopic purity in different irradiation regimes. The TALYS excitation functions were found to have a good agreement with the experimental data available from the EXFOR database. It was found that both (89)Zr and (64)Cu could be produced with high isotopic purity (over 99%), with activity yields suitable for medical diagnostics and therapy, at a proton energy of 10MeV. At 10MeV, the irradiation of (103)Rh produced appreciable quantities of (102)Pd, reducing the isotopic purity. A reduction in beam energy to 9.5MeV increased the radioisotopic purity to 99% with only a small reduction in activity yield. This work demonstrates that the low-energy, compact accelerator system under development by Siemens would be capable of providing sufficient quantities of (89)Zr, (64)Cu, and (103)Pd for use in medical diagnostics and therapy. It is suggested that the system could be used to produce many other isotopes currently useful to nuclear medicine. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Understanding patient and provider perceptions and expectations of genomic medicine.

PubMed

Hall, Michael J; Forman, Andrea D; Montgomery, Susan V; Rainey, Kim L; Daly, Mary B

2015-01-01

Advances in genome sequencing technology have fostered a new era of clinical genomic medicine. Genetic counselors, who have begun to support patients undergoing multi-gene panel testing for hereditary cancer risk, will review brief clinical vignettes, and discuss early experiences with clinical genomic testing. Their experiences will frame a discussion about how current testing may challenge patient understanding and expectations toward the evaluation of cancer risk and downstream preventive behaviors. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Clinical pharmacogenetics implementation: approaches, successes, and challenges.

PubMed

Weitzel, Kristin W; Elsey, Amanda R; Langaee, Taimour Y; Burkley, Benjamin; Nessl, David R; Obeng, Aniwaa Owusu; Staley, Benjamin J; Dong, Hui-Jia; Allan, Robert W; Liu, J Felix; Cooper-Dehoff, Rhonda M; Anderson, R David; Conlon, Michael; Clare-Salzler, Michael J; Nelson, David R; Johnson, Julie A

2014-03-01

Current challenges exist to widespread clinical implementation of genomic medicine and pharmacogenetics. The University of Florida (UF) Health Personalized Medicine Program (PMP) is a pharmacist-led, multidisciplinary initiative created in 2011 within the UF Clinical Translational Science Institute. Initial efforts focused on pharmacogenetics, with long-term goals to include expansion to disease-risk prediction and disease stratification. Herein we describe the processes for development of the program, the challenges that were encountered and the clinical acceptance by clinicians of the genomic medicine implementation. The initial clinical implementation of the UF PMP began in June 2012 and targeted clopidogrel use and the CYP2C19 genotype in patients undergoing left heart catheterization and percutaneous-coronary intervention (PCI). After 1 year, 1,097 patients undergoing left heart catheterization were genotyped preemptively, and 291 of those underwent subsequent PCI. Genotype results were reported to the medical record for 100% of genotyped patients. Eighty patients who underwent PCI had an actionable genotype, with drug therapy changes implemented in 56 individuals. Average turnaround time from blood draw to genotype result entry in the medical record was 3.5 business days. Seven different third party payors, including Medicare, reimbursed for the test during the first month of billing, with an 85% reimbursement rate for outpatient claims that were submitted in the first month. These data highlight multiple levels of success in clinical implementation of genomic medicine. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS AS A PROBLEM OF EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE.

PubMed

Arpent'eva, M P

The role of ideology (principles) of evidence-based medicine in prophylaxis and correction of con?flict of interests in various spheres of medicine and socio-medical assistance is considered. Professional ethics formed in the course of education and undergoing modification under conditions of real practical work is a main sphere of medical and related edological practices associated with conflicts of interests. Of special importance are principles of bioethics based on the requiremnents of evidence- based medicine. The role of evidence-based medicine in prophylaxis and resolution of conflicts of interests is related to the training and re-training of specialists, prevention and correction of their professional degradation and deformation in the course ofpractical clinical work. Analysis of prima, y and secondary motives underlying occupational out. activities and their role in the formation of the conflict of interests was carried.

Drug Pricing in South Korea.

PubMed

Kwon, Hye-Young; Godman, Brian

2017-08-01

Between 2000 and 2013, spending on medicines in Korea increased by 275.3%. In order to curb this trend, several pricing policies and measures were introduced. This study reviews these policies and their implications based on pricing regulations as well as a literature review. New medicines now undergo both a reimbursement assessment and price negotiations. The reimbursement of new medicines is based on their cost effectiveness. The prices of new medicines are subsequently fixed through negotiations between the payer, the National Health Insurance Service, and the relevant manufacturer. Generic drugs are automatically priced via a new standard methodology. Repricing mechanisms were complicated and now redundant. Simple and efficient measures rather than complex and inefficient measures are needed to maintain the value-for-money principle for new medicines as well as achieve financial efficiency through price competition among generic drugs.

Is personalized medicine achievable in obstetrics?

PubMed

Quinney, Sara K; Patil, Avinash S; Flockhart, David A

2014-12-01

Personalized medicine seeks to identify the right dose of the right drug for the right patient at the right time. Typically, individualization of therapy is based on the pharmacogenomic makeup of the individual and environmental factors that alter drug disposition and response. In addition to these factors, during pregnancy, a woman's body undergoes many changes that can impact the therapeutic efficacy of medications. Yet, there is minimal research regarding personalized medicine in obstetrics. Adoption of pharmacogenetic testing into the obstetrical care is dependent on evidence of analytical validity, clinical validity, and clinical utility. Here, we briefly present information regarding the potential utility of personalized medicine for treating the obstetric patient for pain with narcotics, hypertension, and preterm labor, and discuss the impediments of bringing personalized medicine to the obstetrical clinic. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Current trends in using PET radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostics in oncology].

PubMed

Adam, J; Kadeřávek, J; Kužel, F; Vašina, J; Rehák, Z

2014-01-01

Nuclear medicine is an important field of modern medicine, particularly thanks to its role in in vivo imaging of important processes in human organism. This is possible thanks to the use of radiopharmaceuticals, specific substances labeled by radioactive nuclide, its distribution in the body can be visualized by specialized scanners and, based on the knowledge of physiological patterns, dia-gnosis can be determined. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a modern and in many ways indispensable method of nuclear medicine. The spectrum of radiopharmaceuticals available in recent years is broadening thanks to a coordinated effort of manufacturers of synthesis equipment, chemists and potential users -  physicians. This review focuses on the development in the PET radiopharmaceutical field in the last five years, with an emphasis on oncological applications of PET.

Costing imaging procedures.

PubMed

Bretland, P M

1988-01-01

The existing National Health Service financial system makes comprehensive costing of any service very difficult. A method of costing using modern commercial methods has been devised, classifying costs into variable, semi-variable and fixed and using the principle of overhead absorption for expenditure not readily allocated to individual procedures. It proved possible to establish a cost spectrum over the financial year 1984-85. The cheapest examinations were plain radiographs outside normal working hours, followed by plain radiographs, ultrasound, special procedures, fluoroscopy, nuclear medicine, angiography and angiographic interventional procedures in normal working hours. This differs from some published figures, particularly those in the Körner report. There was some overlap between fluoroscopic interventional and the cheaper nuclear medicine procedures, and between some of the more expensive nuclear medicine procedures and the cheaper angiographic ones. Only angiographic and the few more expensive nuclear medicine procedures exceed the cost of the inpatient day. The total cost of the imaging service to the district was about 4% of total hospital expenditure. It is shown that where more procedures are undertaken, the semi-variable and fixed (including capital) elements of the cost decrease (and vice versa) so that careful study is required to assess the value of proposed economies. The method is initially time-consuming and requires a computer system with 512 Kb of memory, but once the basic costing system is established in a department, detailed financial monitoring should become practicable. The necessity for a standard comprehensive costing procedure of this nature, based on sound cost accounting principles, appears inescapable, particularly in view of its potential application to management budgeting.

ARRONAX, a high-energy and high-intensity cyclotron for nuclear medicine.

PubMed

Haddad, Ferid; Ferrer, Ludovic; Guertin, Arnaud; Carlier, Thomas; Michel, Nathalie; Barbet, Jacques; Chatal, Jean-François

2008-07-01

This study was aimed at establishing a list of radionuclides of interest for nuclear medicine that can be produced in a high-intensity and high-energy cyclotron. We have considered both therapeutic and positron emission tomography radionuclides that can be produced using a high-energy and a high-intensity cyclotron such as ARRONAX, which will be operating in Nantes (France) by the end of 2008. Novel radionuclides or radionuclides of current limited availability have been selected according to the following criteria: emission of positrons, low-energy beta or alpha particles, stable or short half-life daughters, half-life between 3 h and 10 days or generator-produced, favourable dosimetry, production from stable isotopes with reasonable cross sections. Three radionuclides appear well suited to targeted radionuclide therapy using beta ((67)Cu, (47)Sc) or alpha ((211)At) particles. Positron emitters allowing dosimetry studies prior to radionuclide therapy ((64)Cu, (124)I, (44)Sc), or that can be generator-produced ((82)Rb, (68)Ga) or providing the opportunity of a new imaging modality ((44)Sc) are considered to have a great interest at short term whereas (86)Y, (52)Fe, (55)Co, (76)Br or (89)Zr are considered to have a potential interest at middle term. Several radionuclides not currently used in routine nuclear medicine or not available in sufficient amount for clinical research have been selected for future production. High-energy, high-intensity cyclotrons are necessary to produce some of the selected radionuclides and make possible future clinical developments in nuclear medicine. Associated with appropriate carriers, these radionuclides will respond to a maximum of unmet clinical needs.

Value of case-based learning in a nuclear medicine clerkship.

PubMed

Lee, Bi-Fang; Chiu, Nan-Tsing; Li, Chung-Yi

2013-02-01

Medical imaging, including nuclear medicine, is a powerful tool for supporting learning in human morphology and physiology and understanding the nature of disease and response to treatment. The purposes of this study were to create a new case-based learning (CBL) model and to compare CBL and the traditional instructional approach (TIA) in a nuclear medicine clerkship. Internal consistency and expert validity were assessed for the instrument. A quasi-experimental, two-group pretest-posttest design was used for this study. A combination of CBL and the TIA was applied to the experimental group and the TIA only to the control group. Subjects were 70 undergraduate year 5 medical students in a clerkship curriculum. Before and after the educational intervention, students were tested with the instrument. Cronbach's α coefficients of the instrument ranged from 0.79 to 0.95, indicating acceptable to strong internal consistency. For expert validity, the suitability and fitness of the instrument were verified. The overall score was significantly improved for the experimental group (from 3.51 to 3.65, P = .03) but not for the control group (from 3.48 to 3.44, P = .49). The experimental group also showed significantly improved scores in teacher assessment and learning satisfaction, the latter the only domain showing a significant difference of the differences (P = .020). The integration of CBL, allied with the TIA, into clinical clerkships provides medical students with the opportunity to learn a nuclear medicine curriculum in an interactive and case-based format tailored specifically for medical students. Copyright © 2013 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nuclear medicine technologist education and training in Europe: literature and web-based findings.

PubMed

Matos, Ana C; Massa, Raquel C; Lucena, Filipa M; Vaz, Tânia R

2015-06-01

The education and training of a nuclear medicine technologist (NMT) is not homogeneous among European countries, which leads to different scope of practices and, therefore, different technical skills are assigned. The goal of this research was to characterize the education and training of NMT in Europe. This study was based on a literature research to characterize the education and training of NMT and support the historical evolution of this profession. It was divided into two different phases: the first phase included analysis of scientific articles and the second phase included research of curricula that allow health professionals to work as NMT in Europe. The majority of the countries [N=31 (89%)] offer the NMT curriculum integrated into the high education system and only in four (11%) countries the education is provided by professional schools. The duration in each education system is not equal, varying in professional schools (2-3 years) and high education level system (2-4 years), which means that different European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System, such as 240, 230, 222, 210 or 180 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System, are attributed to the graduates. The professional title and scope of the practice of NMT are different in different countries in Europe. In most countries of Europe, nuclear medicine training is not specific and curriculum does not demonstrate the Nuclear Medicine competencies performed in clinical practice. The heterogeneity in education and training for NMT is an issue prevalent among European countries. For NMT professional development, there is a huge need to formalize and unify educational and training programmes in Europe.

Phase-contrast cerebrospinal fluid flow magnetic resonance imaging in qualitative evaluation of patency of CSF flow pathways prior to infusion of chemotherapeutic and other agents into the fourth ventricle.

PubMed

Patel, Rajan P; Sitton, Clark W; Ketonen, Leena M; Hou, Ping; Johnson, Jason M; Romo, Seferino; Fletcher, Stephen; Shah, Manish N; Kerr, Marcia; Zaky, Wafik; Rytting, Michael E; Khatua, Soumen; Sandberg, David I

2018-03-01

Nuclear medicine studies have previously been utilized to assess for blockage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow prior to intraventricular chemotherapy infusions. To assess CSF flow without nuclear medicine studies, we obtained cine phase-contrast MRI sequences that assess CSF flow from the fourth ventricle down to the sacrum. In three clinical trials, 18 patients with recurrent malignant posterior fossa tumors underwent implantation of a ventricular access device (VAD) into the fourth ventricle, either with or without simultaneous tumor resection. Prior to infusing therapeutic agents into the VAD, cine MRI phase-contrast CSF flow sequences of the brain and total spine were performed. Velocity encoding (VENC) of 5 and 10 cm/s was used to confirm CSF flow from the fourth ventricular outlets to the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. Qualitative CSF flow was characterized by neuroradiologists as present or absent. All 18 patients demonstrated CSF flow from the outlets of the fourth ventricle down to the sacrum with no evidence of obstruction. One of these patients, after disease progression, subsequently showed obstruction of CSF flow. No patient required a nuclear medicine study to assess CSF flow prior to initiation of infusions. Fourteen patients have received infusions to date, and none has had neurological toxicity. CSF flow including the fourth ventricle and the total spine can be assessed noninvasively with phase-contrast MRI sequences. Advantages over nuclear medicine studies include avoiding both an invasive procedure and radiation exposure.

Functional renal imaging: new trends in radiology and nuclear medicine.

PubMed

Durand, Emmanuel; Chaumet-Riffaud, Philippe; Grenier, Nicolas

2011-01-01

The objective of this work is to compare the characteristics of various techniques for functional renal imaging, with a focus on nuclear medicine and magnetic resonance imaging. Even with low spatial resolution and rather poor signal-to-noise ratio, classical nuclear medicine has the advantage of linearity and good sensitivity. It remains the gold standard technique for renal relative functional assessment. Technetium-99m ((99m)Tc)-labeled diethylenetriamine penta-acetate remains the reference glomerular tracer. Tubular tracers have been improved: (123)I- or (131)I-hippuran, (99m)Tc-MAG3 and, recently, (99m)Tc-nitrilotriacetic acid. However, advancement in molecular imaging has not produced a groundbreaking tracer. Renal magnetic resonance imaging with classical gadolinated tracers probably has potential in this domain but has a lack of linearity and, therefore, its value still needs evaluation. Moreover, the advent of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis has delayed its expansion. Other developments, such as diffusion or blood oxygen level-dependent imaging, may have a role in the future. The other modalities have a limited role in clinical practice for functional renal imaging. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Poster - 03: How to manage a nuclear medicine PET-CT for radiation oncology patients

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hinse, Martin; Létourneau, Étienne; Duplan, Danny

Purpose: Development of an adapted multidisciplinary procedure designed to optimize the clinical workflow between radiation therapy (RT) and nuclear medicine (NM) for a PET-CT located in the NM department. Methods : The radiation oncologist (RO) prescribes the PET-CT exam and the clinical RT therapist gives all the necessary information to the patient prior to the exam. The immobilization accessories are prepared in the RT department. The RT and NM therapists work together for radiotracer injection, patient positioning and scan acquisition. The nuclear medicine physician (NMP) will study the images, draw Biological Target Volumes (BTVs) and produce a full exam report.more » Results : All tasks related to a planning PET-CT are done within 48 hours from the request by the RO to the reception of the images with the NMP contours and report. Conclusions : By developing a complete procedure collectively between the RT and NM departments, the patient benefits of a quick access to a RT planning PET-CT exam including the active involvement of every medical practitioners in these fields.« less

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Technology in Regenerative Medicine and Biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pei, Duanqing; Xu, Jianyong; Zhuang, Qiang; Tse, Hung-Fat; Esteban, Miguel A.

The potential of human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) for regenerative medicine is unquestionable, but practical and ethical considerations have hampered clinical application and research. In an attempt to overcome these issues, the conversion of somatic cells into pluripotent stem cells similar to ESCs, commonly termed nuclear reprogramming, has been a top objective of contemporary biology. More than 40 years ago, King, Briggs, and Gurdon pioneered somatic cell nuclear reprogramming in frogs, and in 1981 Evans successfully isolated mouse ESCs. In 1997 Wilmut and collaborators produced the first cloned mammal using nuclear transfer, and then Thomson obtained human ESCs from in vitro fertilized blastocysts in 1998. Over the last 2 decades we have also seen remarkable findings regarding how ESC behavior is controlled, the importance of which should not be underestimated. This knowledge allowed the laboratory of Shinya Yamanaka to overcome brilliantly conceptual and technical barriers in 2006 and generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from mouse fibroblasts by overexpressing defined combinations of ESC-enriched transcription factors. Here, we discuss some important implications of human iPSCs for biology and medicine and also point to possible future directions.

Production and characterization of monoclonal antibodies specific for canine CD138 (syndecan-1) for nuclear medicine preclinical trials on spontaneous tumours.

PubMed

Diab, M; Nguyen, F; Berthaud, M; Maurel, C; Gaschet, J; Verger, E; Ibisch, C; Rousseau, C; Chérel, M; Abadie, J; Davodeau, F

2017-09-01

We isolated 11 antibodies specific for canine CD138 (cCD138) to validate the interest of CD138 antigen targeting in dogs with spontaneous mammary carcinoma. The affinity of the monoclonal antibodies in the nanomolar range is suitable for immunohistochemistry and nuclear medicine applications. Four distinct epitopes were recognized on cCD138 by this panel of antibodies. CD138 expression in canine healthy tissues is comparable to that reported in humans. CD138 is frequently expressed in canine mammary carcinomas corresponding to the human triple negative breast cancer subtype, with cytoplasmic and membranous expression. In canine diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, CD138 expression is associated with the 'non-germinal center' phenotype corresponding to the most aggressive subtype in humans. This homology of CD138 expression between dogs and humans confirms the relevance of tumour-bearing dogs as spontaneous models for nuclear medicine applications, especially for the evaluation of new tumour targeting strategies for diagnosis by phenotypic imaging and radio-immunotherapy. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Enhancing 18F-FDG-PET/CT analysis in lung cancer patients. Is CT-CT image fusion helpful in predicting pleural involvement? A pilot study.

PubMed

Kapfhammer, A; Winkens, T; Lesser, T; Reissig, A; Steinert, M; Freesmeyer, M

2015-01-01

To retrospectively evaluate the feasibility and value of CT-CT image fusion to assess the shift of peripheral lung cancers with/-out chest wall infiltration, comparing computed tomography acquisitions in shallow-breathing (SB-CT) and deep-inspiration breath-hold (DIBH-CT) in patients undergoing FDG-PET/CT for lung cancer staging. Image fusion of SB-CT and DIBH-CT was performed with a multimodal workstation used for nuclear medicine fusion imaging. The distance of intrathoracic landmarks and the positional shift of tumours were measured using semi-transparent overlay of both CT series. Statistical analyses were adjusted for confounders of tumour infiltration. Cutoff levels were calculated for prediction of no-/infiltration. Lateral pleural recessus and diaphragm showed the largest respiratory excursions. Infiltrating lung cancers showed more limited respiratory shifts than non-infiltrating tumours. A large respiratory tumour-motility accurately predicted non-infiltration. However, the tumour shifts were limited and variable, limiting the accuracy of prediction. This pilot fusion study proved feasible and allowed a simple analysis of the respiratory shifts of peripheral lung tumours using CT-CT image fusion in a PET/CT setting. The calculated cutoffs were useful in predicting the exclusion of chest wall infiltration but did not accurately predict tumour infiltration. This method can provide additional qualitative information in patients with lung cancers with contact to the chest wall but unclear CT evidence of infiltration undergoing PET/CT without the need of additional investigations. Considering the small sample size investigated, further studies are necessary to verify the obtained results.

Value of Nephrometry Score Constituents on Perioperative Outcomes and Split Renal Function in Patients Undergoing Minimally Invasive Partial Nephrectomy.

PubMed

Watts, Kara L; Ghosh, Propa; Stein, Solomon; Ghavamian, Reza

2017-01-01

To assess the relationship between individual nephrometry score (NS) constituents (RENAL) on perioperative outcomes and renal function of the surgical kidney in patients undergoing laparoscopic partial nephrectomy or robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy. Two hundred forty-five patients who underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy or robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy between 2005 and 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Each renal mass' NS was calculated from preoperative computed tomography imaging. Multivariate regression analysis was used to evaluate the effect of NS variables on perioperative outcomes and change in overall renal function (as estimated by glomerular filtration rate) from preoperative to 1-year postoperative. A cohort analysis assessed the effect of NS variables on change in split renal function of the surgical kidney from pre- to postoperative based on nuclear medicine renal scintigraphy. Tumor radius (R), endophytic nature (E), and nearness to collecting system (N) variables significantly and incrementally predicted a longer operative time and warm ischemia time. Overall renal function based on glomerular filtration rate was not affected by any NS variable. However, percent function of the surgical kidney by renal scintigraphy significantly decreased postoperatively as R and E values increased. R, E, and N were associated with significant changes in warm ischemia time and operative time. R and E were associated with a significant decrease in split renal function of the surgical kidney at 1 year after surgery but not with overall renal function. R, E, and N are the NS constituents most relevant to perioperative outcomes and postoperative differential renal function after partial nephrectomy. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

[Ethical aspects of regenerative medicine, with special reference to embryonic stem cells and therapeutic cloning].

PubMed

Imura, Hiroo

2003-03-01

Regenerative medicine is expected to be new therapeutic means for treating incurable diseases but requires serious bioethical consideration. Embryonic stem(ES) cells, that are pleuripotent cells suitable to regenerative medicine, can be used in Japan for investigative use under a strict control by guide-lines. On the other hand, use of embryo produced by nuclear transfer has not been allowed in Japan and further serious consideration is required. Some other ethical aspects of regenerative medicine are also discussed.

Decarboxylative Fluorination Strategies for Accessing Medicinally-relevant Products

PubMed Central

Qiao, Yupu; Zhu, Lingui; Ambler, Brett R.

2014-01-01

Fluorinated organic compounds have a long history in medicinal chemistry, and synthetic methods to access target fluorinated compounds are undergoing a revolution. One powerful strategy for the installation of fluorine-containing functional groups includes decarboxylative reactions. Benefits of decarboxylative approaches potentially include: 1) readily available substrates or reagents 2) mild reaction conditions; 3) simplified purification. This focus review highlights the applications of decarboxylation strategies for fluorination reactions to access compounds with biomedical potential. The manuscript highlights on two general strategies, fluorination by decarboxylative reagents and by decarboxylation of substrates. Where relevant, examples of medicinally useful compounds that can be accessed using these strategies are highlighted. PMID:24484421

Method and apparatus for generating low energy nuclear particles

DOEpatents

Powell, J.R.; Reich, M.; Ludewig, H.; Todosow, M.

1999-02-09

A particle accelerator generates an input particle beam having an initial energy level above a threshold for generating secondary nuclear particles. A thin target is rotated in the path of the input beam for undergoing nuclear reactions to generate the secondary particles and correspondingly decrease energy of the input beam to about the threshold. The target produces low energy secondary particles and is effectively cooled by radiation and conduction. A neutron scatterer and a neutron filter are also used for preferentially degrading the secondary particles into a lower energy range if desired. 18 figs.

10 CFR 1045.15 - Classification and declassification presumptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... experimental physics, engineering, materials science, biology and medicine; (2) Magnetic confinement fusion... the application of the criteria in § 1045.16 indicates otherwise: (1) Detailed designs, specifications... design and analysis of nuclear weapons; (3) Vulnerabilities of U.S. nuclear weapons to sabotage...

10 CFR 1045.15 - Classification and declassification presumptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... experimental physics, engineering, materials science, biology and medicine; (2) Magnetic confinement fusion... the application of the criteria in § 1045.16 indicates otherwise: (1) Detailed designs, specifications... design and analysis of nuclear weapons; (3) Vulnerabilities of U.S. nuclear weapons to sabotage...

Cardiac nuclear medicine, part II: diagnosis of coronary artery diseas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Polak, J.F.; Holman, B.L.

Diagnosing coronary artery disease is difficult and requires careful consideration of the roles and limitations of the tests used. Standard ECG tests are not reliable indicators of the presence of disease in asymptomatic patients. Thallium stress testing to assess ischemia and exercise ventriculography to assess functional status of the heart are limited in sensitivity and specificity. This is the second of a three-part series on cardiac nuclear medicine. Part I (Med. Instrum., May-June, 1981) focused on the commonly used examinations in cardiac physiology and pathophysiology. Part III will focus on myocardial infarction and other cardiac diseases.

[Adrenal incidentaloma and nuclear medicine examination].

PubMed

Tenenbaum, F

2009-03-01

In the setting of adrenal incidentaloma, nuclear medicine evaluation is only indicated after biological and imaging work-up has been completed. MIBG scintigraphy is helpful to characterize pheochromocytomas. In lesions without MIBG uptake, 18F FDG or 18F DOPA PET can be considered to characterize chromaffin cell tumours. To characterize lesions of the adrenal cortex, iodocholesterol scintigraphy is performed to confirm the origin of the adenoma and the benign or malignant nature of the lesion since benign adenomas show tracer uptake and malignant lesions show no tracer uptake. 18F FDG PET only characterizes the lesion as benign or malignant.

A strategy for intensive production of molybdenum-99 isotopes for nuclear medicine using CANDU reactors.

PubMed

Morreale, A C; Novog, D R; Luxat, J C

2012-01-01

Technetium-99m is an important medical isotope utilized worldwide in nuclear medicine and is produced from the decay of its parent isotope, molybdenum-99. The online fueling capability and compact fuel of the CANDU(®)(1) reactor allows for the potential production of large quantities of (99)Mo. This paper proposes (99)Mo production strategies using modified target fuel bundles loaded into CANDU fuel channels. Using a small group of channels a yield of 89-113% of the weekly world demand for (99)Mo can be obtained. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introducing Nuclear Data Evaluations of Prompt Fission Neutron Spectra

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neudecker, Denise

2015-06-17

Nuclear data evaluations provide recommended data sets for nuclear data applications such as reactor physics, stockpile stewardship or nuclear medicine. The evaluated data are often based on information from multiple experimental data sets and nuclear theory using statistical methods. Therefore, they are collaborative efforts of evaluators, theoreticians, experimentalists, benchmark experts, statisticians and application area scientists. In this talk, an introductions is given to the field of nuclear data evaluation at the specific example of a recent evaluation of the outgoing neutron energy spectrum emitted promptly after fission from 239Pu and induced by neutrons from thermal to 30 MeV.

A High-Throughput Real-Time Imaging Technique To Quantify NETosis and Distinguish Mechanisms of Cell Death in Human Neutrophils.

PubMed

Gupta, Sarthak; Chan, Diana W; Zaal, Kristien J; Kaplan, Mariana J

2018-01-15

Neutrophils play a key role in host defenses and have recently been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases by various mechanisms, including formation of neutrophil extracellular traps through a recently described distinct form of programmed cell death called NETosis. Techniques to assess and quantitate NETosis in an unbiased, reproducible, and efficient way are lacking, considerably limiting the advancement of research in this field. We optimized and validated, a new method to automatically quantify the percentage of neutrophils undergoing NETosis in real time using the IncuCyte ZOOM imaging platform and the membrane-permeability properties of two DNA dyes. Neutrophils undergoing NETosis induced by various physiological stimuli showed distinct changes, with a loss of multilobulated nuclei, as well as nuclear decondensation followed by membrane compromise, and were accurately counted by applying filters based on fluorescence intensity and nuclear size. Findings were confirmed and validated with the established method of immunofluorescence microscopy. The platform was also validated to rapidly assess and quantify the dose-dependent effect of inhibitors of NETosis. In addition, this method was able to distinguish among neutrophils undergoing NETosis, apoptosis, or necrosis based on distinct changes in nuclear morphology and membrane integrity. The IncuCyte ZOOM platform is a novel real-time assay that quantifies NETosis in a rapid, automated, and reproducible way, significantly optimizing the study of neutrophils. This platform is a powerful tool to assess neutrophil physiology and NETosis, as well as to swiftly develop and test novel neutrophil targets.

Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer by Molecular Targeted Ultrasound Imaging Together with Serum Markers of Tumor-Associated Nuclear Change and Angiogenesis

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-01

Pincas; Rush University Medical Center, Pathology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Basu, Sanjib; Rush University Medical Center, Preventive Medicine ...and Jacques S Abramowicz 2, 5 Departments of 1 Pharmacology, 2 Obstetrics and Gynecology, 3 Pathology, 5 Preventive Medicine (Biostatistics...Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana (Dr Bahr Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine

Role of PET/CT for precision medicine in lung cancer: perspective of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

PubMed

Greenspan, Bennett S

2017-12-01

This article discusses the role of PET/CT in contributing to precision medicine in lung cancer, and provides the perspective of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) on this process. The mission and vision of SNMMI are listed, along with the guidance provided by SNMMI to promote best practice in precision medicine. Basic principles of PET/CT are presented. An overview of the use of PET/CT imaging in lung cancer is discussed. In lung cancer patients, PET/CT is vitally important for optimal patient management. PET/CT is essential in determining staging and re-staging of disease, detecting recurrent or residual disease, evaluating response to therapy, and providing prognostic information. PET/CT is also critically important in radiation therapy planning by determining the extent of active disease, including an assessment of functional tumor volume. The current approach in tumor imaging is a significant advance over conventional imaging. However, recent advances suggest that therapeutic response criteria in the near future will be based on metabolic characteristics and will include the evaluation of biologic characteristics of tumors to further enhance the effectiveness of precision medicine in lung cancer, producing improved patient outcomes with less morbidity.

A New Look to Nuclear Data

DOE PAGES

McCutchan, E. A.; Brown, D. A.; Sonzogni, A. A.

2017-03-30

Databases of evaluated nuclear data form a cornerstone on which we build academic nuclear structure physics, reaction physics, astrophysics, and many applied nuclear technologies. In basic research, nuclear data are essential for selecting, designing and conducting experiments, and for the development and testing of theoretical models to understand the fundamental properties of atomic nuclei. Likewise, the applied fields of nuclear power, homeland security, stockpile stewardship and nuclear medicine, all have deep roots requiring evaluated nuclear data. Each of these fields requires rapid and easy access to up-to-date, comprehensive and reliable databases. The DOE-funded US Nuclear Data Program is a specificmore » and coordinated effort tasked to compile, evaluate and disseminate nuclear structure and reaction data such that it can be used by the world-wide nuclear physics community.« less

A New Look to Nuclear Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McCutchan, E. A.; Brown, D. A.; Sonzogni, A. A.

Databases of evaluated nuclear data form a cornerstone on which we build academic nuclear structure physics, reaction physics, astrophysics, and many applied nuclear technologies. In basic research, nuclear data are essential for selecting, designing and conducting experiments, and for the development and testing of theoretical models to understand the fundamental properties of atomic nuclei. Likewise, the applied fields of nuclear power, homeland security, stockpile stewardship and nuclear medicine, all have deep roots requiring evaluated nuclear data. Each of these fields requires rapid and easy access to up-to-date, comprehensive and reliable databases. The DOE-funded US Nuclear Data Program is a specificmore » and coordinated effort tasked to compile, evaluate and disseminate nuclear structure and reaction data such that it can be used by the world-wide nuclear physics community.« less

Evaluation and management of patients in the acute phase of myocardial infarction - the role of nuclear medicine in the coronary care unit

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Palac, R.T.; Gray, L.; Brown, P.H.

1988-09-01

This is the third article in a four-part continuing education series relating to patient care and management. After completing the article, the reader should be able to: 1) understand the application, potential, and problems of nuclear cardiology in the coronary care unit; 2) recognize the utilization of nuclear cardiology in acute coronary care management; and 3) appreciate the important role of nuclear cardiology in cardiac patient care.

Activities report in nuclear physics and particle acceleration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jansen, J. F. W.; Demeijer, R. J.

1984-04-01

Research on nuclear resonances; charge transfer; breakup of light and heavy ions; reaction mechanisms of heavy ion collisions; high-spin states; and fundamental symmetries in weak interactions are outlined. Group theoretical methods applied to supersymmetries; phenomenological description of rotation-vibration coupling; a microscopic theory of collective variables; the binding energy of hydrogen adsorbed on stepped platinium; and single electron capture are discussed. Isotopes for nuclear medicine, for off-line nuclear spectroscopy work, and for the study of hyperfine interactions were produced.

A Set of Image Processing Algorithms for Computer-Aided Diagnosis in Nuclear Medicine Whole Body Bone Scan Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Jia-Yann; Kao, Pan-Fu; Chen, Yung-Sheng

2007-06-01

Adjustment of brightness and contrast in nuclear medicine whole body bone scan images may confuse nuclear medicine physicians when identifying small bone lesions as well as making the identification of subtle bone lesion changes in sequential studies difficult. In this study, we developed a computer-aided diagnosis system, based on the fuzzy sets histogram thresholding method and anatomical knowledge-based image segmentation method that was able to analyze and quantify raw image data and identify the possible location of a lesion. To locate anatomical reference points, the fuzzy sets histogram thresholding method was adopted as a first processing stage to suppress the soft tissue in the bone images. Anatomical knowledge-based image segmentation method was then applied to segment the skeletal frame into different regions of homogeneous bones. For the different segmented bone regions, the lesion thresholds were set at different cut-offs. To obtain lesion thresholds in different segmented regions, the ranges and standard deviations of the image's gray-level distribution were obtained from 100 normal patients' whole body bone images and then, another 62 patients' images were used for testing. The two groups of images were independent. The sensitivity and the mean number of false lesions detected were used as performance indices to evaluate the proposed system. The overall sensitivity of the system is 92.1% (222 of 241) and 7.58 false detections per patient scan image. With a high sensitivity and an acceptable false lesions detection rate, this computer-aided automatic lesion detection system is demonstrated as useful and will probably in the future be able to help nuclear medicine physicians to identify possible bone lesions.

RadNuc: A graphical user interface to deliver dose rate patterns encountered in nuclear medicine with a 137Cs irradiator

PubMed Central

Pasternack, Jordan B.; Howell, Roger W.

2012-01-01

The temporal variations in absorbed dose rates to organs and tissues in the body are very large in diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine. The response of biological endpoints of relevance to radiation safety and therapeutic efficacy are generally modulated by dose rate. Therefore, it is important to understand how the complex dose rate patterns encountered in nuclear medicine impact relevant biological responses. Accordingly, a graphical user interface (GUI) was created to control a cesium-137 irradiator to deliver such dose rate patterns. Methods Visual Basic 6.0 was used to create a user-friendly GUI to control the dose rate by varying the thickness of a mercury attenuator. The GUI facilitates the delivery of a number of dose rate patterns including constant, exponential increase or decrease, and multi-component exponential. Extensive visual feedback is provided by the GUI during both the planning and delivery stages. Results The GUI controlled irradiator can achieve a maximum dose rate of 40 cGy/hr and a minimum dose rate of 0.01 cGy/hr. Addition of machined lead blocks can be used to further reduce the minimum dose rate to 0.0001 cGy/hr. Measured dose rate patterns differed from programmed dose rate patterns in total dose by 3.2% to 8.4%. Conclusion The GUI controlled irradiator is able to accurately create dose rate patterns encountered in nuclear medicine and other related fields. This makes it an invaluable tool for studying the effects of chronic constant and variable low dose rates on biological tissues in the contexts of both radiation protection and clinical administration of internal radionuclides. PMID:23265668

Academic Radiologist Subspecialty Identification Using a Novel Claims-Based Classification System.

PubMed

Rosenkrantz, Andrew B; Wang, Wenyi; Hughes, Danny R; Ginocchio, Luke A; Rosman, David A; Duszak, Richard

2017-06-01

The objective of the present study is to assess the feasibility of a novel claims-based classification system for payer identification of academic radiologist subspecialties. Using a categorization scheme based on the Neiman Imaging Types of Service (NITOS) system, we mapped the Medicare Part B services billed by all radiologists from 2012 to 2014, assigning them to the following subspecialty categories: abdominal imaging, breast imaging, cardiothoracic imaging, musculoskeletal imaging, nuclear medicine, interventional radiology, and neuroradiology. The percentage of subspecialty work relative value units (RVUs) to total billed work RVUs was calculated for each radiologist nationwide. For radiologists at the top 20 academic departments funded by the National Institutes of Health, those percentages were compared with subspecialties designated on faculty websites. NITOS-based subspecialty assignments were also compared with the only radiologist subspecialty classifications currently recognized by Medicare (i.e., nuclear medicine and interventional radiology). Of 1012 academic radiologists studied, the median percentage of Medicare-billed NITOS-based subspecialty work RVUs matching the subspecialty designated on radiologists' own websites ranged from 71.3% (for nuclear medicine) to 98.9% (for neuroradiology). A NITOS-based work RVU threshold of 50% correctly classified 89.8% of radiologists (5.9% were not mapped to any subspecialty; subspecialty error rate, 4.2%). In contrast, existing Medicare provider codes identified only 46.7% of nuclear medicine physicians and 39.4% of interventional radiologists. Using a framework based on a recently established imaging health services research tool that maps service codes based on imaging modality and body region, Medicare claims data can be used to consistently identify academic radiologists by subspecialty in a manner not possible with the use of existing Medicare physician specialty identifiers. This method may facilitate more appropriate performance metrics for subspecialty academic physicians under emerging value-based payment models.

WE-AB-204-11: Development of a Nuclear Medicine Dosimetry Module for the GPU-Based Monte Carlo Code ARCHER

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, T; Lin, H; Xu, X

Purpose: To develop a nuclear medicine dosimetry module for the GPU-based Monte Carlo code ARCHER. Methods: We have developed a nuclear medicine dosimetry module for the fast Monte Carlo code ARCHER. The coupled electron-photon Monte Carlo transport kernel included in ARCHER is built upon the Dose Planning Method code (DPM). The developed module manages the radioactive decay simulation by consecutively tracking several types of radiation on a per disintegration basis using the statistical sampling method. Optimization techniques such as persistent threads and prefetching are studied and implemented. The developed module is verified against the VIDA code, which is based onmore » Geant4 toolkit and has previously been verified against OLINDA/EXM. A voxelized geometry is used in the preliminary test: a sphere made of ICRP soft tissue is surrounded by a box filled with water. Uniform activity distribution of I-131 is assumed in the sphere. Results: The self-absorption dose factors (mGy/MBqs) of the sphere with varying diameters are calculated by ARCHER and VIDA respectively. ARCHER’s result is in agreement with VIDA’s that are obtained from a previous publication. VIDA takes hours of CPU time to finish the computation, while it takes ARCHER 4.31 seconds for the 12.4-cm uniform activity sphere case. For a fairer CPU-GPU comparison, more effort will be made to eliminate the algorithmic differences. Conclusion: The coupled electron-photon Monte Carlo code ARCHER has been extended to radioactive decay simulation for nuclear medicine dosimetry. The developed code exhibits good performance in our preliminary test. The GPU-based Monte Carlo code is developed with grant support from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering through an R01 grant (R01EB015478)« less

How a tertiary medical nuclear medicine department at the Himalayan area in India can be established and function in an exemplary manner. Basic rules revisited.

PubMed

Dhingra, Vandana Kumar; Saini, Sunil; Basu, Sandip

2015-01-01

We describe and discuss the various medical, social and financial aspects of setting up, and optimizing, working conditions of a tertiary Nuclear Medicine Department. This department was established in a North Indian state which comprises 93% of hilly area. During the first three years after establishment we have developed infrastructure, cooperation with other departments, improved radiation safety and cost effectiveness of our work and designed future perspectives. The facility was established in a cancer center of a tertiary care hospital where a medical college infrastructure was developed. National guidelines formulated by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) were followed. Our department served a population area of 10.08 million inhabitants. Over the first three years 2,400 patients underwent diagnostic scans and 106 patients underwent low dose radioiodine treatment for thyrotoxicosis. To optimize resources and at the same time, enhance their effectivity, we procured our (99)Mo/ (99m)Tc generator every other week and arranged our daily programme accordingly. Fractionation of cold kits allowed us to perform low cost in-vivo procedures on a daily basis and to save the department's running costs by 30%-50%. We run continuing education nuclear medicine programmes for referring physicians, medical students and paramedical workers which were included in routine practice which led to a consistent growth in patients referral. The need for a positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scan and high dose treatment department for thyroid cancer was strongly felt. Our nuclear medicine department in a peripheral region of a developing country applied better logistics by procuring new generator every fortnight, fractionating the cold kits and by organizing complete teaching programmes.

Historical patterns in the types of procedures performed and radiation safety practices used in nuclear medicine from 1945–2009

PubMed Central

Van Dyke, Miriam E.; Drozdovitch, Vladimir; Doody, Michele M.; Lim, Hyeyeun; Bolus, Norman E.; Simon, Steven L.; Alexander, Bruce H.; Kitahara, Cari M.

2016-01-01

We evaluated historical patterns in the types of procedures performed in diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine and the associated radiation safety practices used from 1945–2009 in a sample of U.S. radiologic technologists. In 2013–2014, 4,406 participants from the U.S. Radiologic Technologists (USRT) Study who previously reported working with medical radionuclides completed a detailed survey inquiring about the performance of 23 diagnostic and therapeutic radionuclide procedures and the use of radiation safety practices when performing radionuclide procedure-related tasks during five time periods: 1945–1964, 1965–1979, 1980–1989, 1990–1999, and 2000–2009. We observed an overall increase in the proportion of technologists who performed specific diagnostic or therapeutic procedures across the five time periods. Between 1945–1964 and 2000–2009, the median frequency of diagnostic procedures performed substantially increased (5 per week to 30 per week), attributable mainly to an increasing frequency of cardiac and non-brain PET scans, while the median frequency of therapeutic procedures performed modestly decreased (from 4 per month to 3 per month). We also observed a notable increase in the use of most radiation safety practices from 1945–1964 to 2000–2009 (e.g., use of lead-shielded vials during diagnostic radiopharmaceutical preparation increased from 56 to 96%), although lead apron use dramatically decreased (e.g., during diagnostic imaging procedures, from 81 to 7%). These data describe historical practices in nuclear medicine and can be used to support studies of health risks in nuclear medicine technologists. PMID:27218293

RadNuc: a graphical user interface to deliver dose rate patterns encountered in nuclear medicine with a 137Cs irradiator.

PubMed

Pasternack, Jordan B; Howell, Roger W

2013-02-01

The temporal variations in absorbed dose rates to organs and tissues in the body are very large in diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine. The response of biological endpoints of relevance to radiation safety and therapeutic efficacy is generally modulated by dose rate. Therefore, it is important to understand how the complex dose rate patterns encountered in nuclear medicine impact relevant biological responses. Accordingly, a graphical user interface (GUI) was created to control a cesium-137 irradiator to deliver such dose rate patterns. Visual Basic 6.0 was used to create a user-friendly GUI to control the dose rate by varying the thickness of a mercury attenuator. The GUI facilitates the delivery of a number of dose rate patterns including constant, exponential increase or decrease, and multi-component exponential. Extensive visual feedback is provided by the GUI during both the planning and delivery stages. The GUI controlled irradiator can achieve a maximum dose rate of 40 cGy/h and a minimum dose rate of 0.01 cGy/h. Addition of machined lead blocks can be used to further reduce the minimum dose rate to 0.0001 cGy/h. Measured dose rate patterns differed from programmed dose rate patterns in total dose by 3.2% to 8.4%. The GUI controlled irradiator is able to accurately create dose rate patterns encountered in nuclear medicine and other related fields. This makes it an invaluable tool for studying the effects of chronic constant and variable low dose rates on biological tissues in the contexts of both radiation protection and clinical administration of internal radionuclides. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A new approach for manufacturing and processing targets to produce 99mTc with cyclotrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matei, L.; McRae, G.; Galea, R.; Niculae, D.; Craciun, L.; Leonte, R.; Surette, G.; Langille, S.; Louis, C. St.; Gelbart, W.; Abeysekera, B.; Johnson, R. R.

2017-06-01

The most important radioisotope for nuclear medicine is 99mTc. After the supply crisis of 99Mo starting in 2008, the availability of 99mTc became a worldwide concern. Alternative methods for producing the medical imaging isotope 99mTc are actively being developed around the world. The reaction 100Mo(p, 2n)99mTc provides a direct route that can be incorporated into routine production in nuclear medicine centers that possess medical cyclotrons for production of other isotopes, such as those used for Positron Emission Tomography. This paper describes a new approach for manufacturing targets for the (p, 2n) nuclear reaction on 100Mo and the foundation for the subsequent commercial separation and purification of the 99mTc produced. Two designs of targets are presented. The targets used to produce 99mTc are subject to a number of operational constraints.They must withstand the temperatures generated by the irradiation, accommodate temperature gradients from cooling system of the target, must be resilient and must be easily post-processed to separate the 99mTc. After irradiation, the separation of Tc from Mo was carried out using an innovative two-step approach. The process described in this paper can be automated with modules that easily fit in standard production hot cells found in nuclear medicine facilities.

Fluorescent Labeling of the Nuclear Envelope by Localizing Green Fluorescent Protein on the Inner Nuclear Membrane.

PubMed

Taniyama, Toshiyuki; Tsuda, Natsumi; Sueda, Shinji

2018-06-15

The nuclear envelope (NE) is a double membrane that segregates nuclear components from the cytoplasm in eukaryotic cells. It is well-known that the NE undergoes a breakdown and reformation during mitosis in animal cells. However, the detailed mechanisms of the NE dynamics are not yet fully understood. Here, we propose a method for the fluorescent labeling of the NE in living cells, which enables the tracing of the NE dynamics during cell division under physiological conditions. In our method, labeling of the NE is accomplished by fixing green fluorescent protein carrying the nuclear localization signal on the inner nuclear membrane based on a unique biotinylation reaction from the archaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii. With this method, we observed HeLa cells during mitosis by confocal laser scanning microscopy and succeeded in clearly visualizing the difference in the timing of the formation of the NE and the nuclear lamina.

The commercialization of traditional medicine in modern Cambodia.

PubMed

Ros, Bandeth; Lê, Gillian; McPake, Barbara; Fustukian, Suzanne

2018-01-01

Globally, traditional medicine has long been used to address relatively common illness, mental ill health and during childbirth and post-natal care. However, traditional medicine is primarily provided by the private sector and it is unclear how far expenditures on traditional medicine contribute to household impoverishment. A life history method was used to understand the health seeking experience of 24 households over the last 60 years in Cambodia, a country with high out-of-pocket expenditures for health. The life histories suggest that traditional medicine in Cambodia has been undergoing a process of commercialization, with significant impacts on poor households. In the earlier lives of respondents, payments for traditional medicine were reported to have been flexible, voluntary or appropriate to patients' financial means. In contrast, contemporary practitioners appear to seek immediate cash payments that have frequently led to considerable debt and asset sales by traditional medicine users. Given traditional medicine's popularity as a source of treatment in Cambodia and its potential to contribute to household impoverishment, we suggest that it needs to be included in a national conversation about achieving Universal Health Coverage in the country. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Nuclear cardiac

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Slutsky, R.; Ashburn, W.L.

1982-01-01

The relationship between nuclear medicine and cardiology has continued to produce a surfeit of interesting, illuminating, and important reports involving the analysis of cardiac function, perfusion, and metabolism. To simplify the presentation, this review is broken down into three major subheadings: analysis of myocardial perfusion; imaging of the recent myocardial infarction; and the evaluation of myocardial function. There appears to be an increasingly important relationship between cardiology, particularly cardiac physiology, and nuclear imaging techniques. (KRM)

Summary Proceedings of the Congress of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (1st, Airlie, Virginia, March 20-25, 1981).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Inc., Boston, MA.

Physicians charged with the responsibility for the lives of their patients and the health of the community must begin to explore a new province of prevention medicine, the prevention of nuclear war. This conference was held to alert these physicians worldwide, of the mortal peril to public health which could result from nuclear war. The hope is…

Nuclear decay data files of the Dosimetry Research Group

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eckerman, K.F.; Westfall, R.J.; Ryman, J.C.

1993-12-01

This report documents the nuclear decay data files used by the Dosimetry Research Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the utility DEXRAX which provides access to the files. The files are accessed, by nuclide, to extract information on the intensities and energies of the radiations associated with spontaneous nuclear transformation of the radionuclides. In addition, beta spectral data are available for all beta-emitting nuclides. Two collections of nuclear decay data are discussed. The larger collection contains data for 838 radionuclides, which includes the 825 radionuclides assembled during the preparation of Publications 30 and 38 of the International Commission onmore » Radiological Protection (ICRP) and 13 additional nuclides evaluated in preparing a monograph for the Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) Committee of the Society of Nuclear Medicine. The second collection is composed of data from the MIRD monograph and contains information for 242 radionuclides. Abridged tabulations of these data have been published by the ICRP in Publication 38 and by the Society of Nuclear Medicine in a monograph entitled ``MIRD: Radionuclide Data and Decay Schemes.`` The beta spectral data reported here have not been published by either organization. Electronic copies of the files and the utility, along with this report, are available from the Radiation Shielding Information Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.« less

Nuclear Reactions in Micro/Nano-Scale Metal Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Y. E.

2013-03-01

Low-energy nuclear reactions in micro/nano-scale metal particles are described based on the theory of Bose-Einstein condensation nuclear fusion (BECNF). The BECNF theory is based on a single basic assumption capable of explaining the observed LENR phenomena; deuterons in metals undergo Bose-Einstein condensation. The BECNF theory is also a quantitative predictive physical theory. Experimental tests of the basic assumption and theoretical predictions are proposed. Potential application to energy generation by ignition at low temperatures is described. Generalized theory of BECNF is used to carry out theoretical analyses of recently reported experimental results for hydrogen-nickel system.

Method and apparatus for generating low energy nuclear particles

DOEpatents

Powell, James R.; Reich, Morris; Ludewig, Hans; Todosow, Michael

1999-02-09

A particle accelerator (12) generates an input particle beam having an initial energy level above a threshold for generating secondary nuclear particles. A thin target (14) is rotated in the path of the input beam for undergoing nuclear reactions to generate the secondary particles and correspondingly decrease energy of the input beam to about the threshold. The target (14) produces low energy secondary particles and is effectively cooled by radiation and conduction. A neutron scatterer (44) and a neutron filter (42) are also used for preferentially degrading the secondary particles into a lower energy range if desired.

Peaceful Uses of the Atom and Atoms for Peace

Science.gov Websites

power plants. Converting Energy to Medical Progress [Nuclear Medicine] The DOE Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) Medical Sciences program fosters research that develops beneficial applications of nuclear technologies for medical diagnosis and treatment of many diseases. The First Weighing of Plutonium

Instrumentation in molecular imaging.

PubMed

Wells, R Glenn

2016-12-01

In vivo molecular imaging is a challenging task and no single type of imaging system provides an ideal solution. Nuclear medicine techniques like SPECT and PET provide excellent sensitivity but have poor spatial resolution. Optical imaging has excellent sensitivity and spatial resolution, but light photons interact strongly with tissues and so only small animals and targets near the surface can be accurately visualized. CT and MRI have exquisite spatial resolution, but greatly reduced sensitivity. To overcome the limitations of individual modalities, molecular imaging systems often combine individual cameras together, for example, merging nuclear medicine cameras with CT or MRI to allow the visualization of molecular processes with both high sensitivity and high spatial resolution.

Complex of transferrin with ruthenium for medical applications

DOEpatents

Richards, Powell; Srivastava, Suresh C.; Meinken, George E.

1984-05-15

A novel Ruthenium-transferrin complex, prepared by reacting iron-free human transferrin dissolved in a sodium acetate solution at pH 7 with ruthenium by heating at about 40.degree. C. for about 2 hours, and purifying said complex by means of gel chromotography with pH 7 sodium acetate as eluent. The mono- or di-metal complex produced can be used in nuclear medicine in the diagnosis and/or treatment of tumors and abscesses. Comparative results with Ga-67-citrate, which is the most widely used tumor-localizing agent in nuclear medicine, indicate increased sensitivity of detection and greater tumor uptake with the Ru-transferrin complex.

An alternate approach to the production of radioisotopes for nuclear medicine applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Auria, John M.; Keller, Roderich; Ladouceur, Keith; Lapi, Suzanne E.; Ruth, Thomas J.; Schmor, Paul

2013-03-01

There is a growing need for the production of radioisotopes for both diagnostic and therapeutic medical applications. Radioisotopes that are produced using the (n,γ) or (γ,n) reactions, however, typically result in samples with low specific activity (radioactivity/gram) due to the high abundance of target material of the same element. One method to effectively remove the isotopic impurity is electro-magnetic mass separation. An Ion Source Test Facility has been constructed at TRIUMF to develop high-intensity, high-efficiency, reliable ion sources for purification of radioactive isotopes, particularly those used in nuclear medicine. In progress studies are presented.

An alternate approach to the production of radioisotopes for nuclear medicine applications.

PubMed

D'Auria, John M; Keller, Roderich; Ladouceur, Keith; Lapi, Suzanne E; Ruth, Thomas J; Schmor, Paul

2013-03-01

There is a growing need for the production of radioisotopes for both diagnostic and therapeutic medical applications. Radioisotopes that are produced using the (n,γ) or (γ,n) reactions, however, typically result in samples with low specific activity (radioactivity∕gram) due to the high abundance of target material of the same element. One method to effectively remove the isotopic impurity is electro-magnetic mass separation. An Ion Source Test Facility has been constructed at TRIUMF to develop high-intensity, high-efficiency, reliable ion sources for purification of radioactive isotopes, particularly those used in nuclear medicine. In progress studies are presented.

Multiwire Gamma Camera for Radionuclide and Radiographic Imaging in the Space environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lacy, Jeffrey L.

1985-01-01

Unique multiwire proportional counter technology has been developed at the Johnson Space Center over the past several years. The technology will be described and how it may apply both in near- and long-term NASA efforts. In the near-term, I feel that the technology will provide a significant tool for the cardiovascular research area. In particular, low-dose nuclear medicine and tissue densitometry techniques of expanded scope will be supplied. In the longer term, the multiwire technique can provide a general purpose radiology and nuclear medicine facility for use in the space station which would be difficult and costly to provide by other means.

Development of Scintillators in Nuclear Medicine.

PubMed

Khoshakhlagh, Mohammad; Islamian, Jalil Pirayesh; Abedi, Seyed Mohammad; Mahmoudian, Babak

2015-01-01

High-quality image is necessary for accurate diagnosis in nuclear medicine. There are many factors in creating a good image and detector is the most important one. In recent years, several detectors are studied to get a better picture. The aim of this paper is comparison of some type of these detectors such as thallium activated sodium iodide bismuth germinate cesium activated yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG: Ce) YAP: Ce "lutetium aluminum garnet activated by cerium" CRY018 "CRY019" lanthanum bromide and cadmium zinc telluride. We studied different properties of these crystals including density, energy resolution and decay times that are more important factors affecting the image quality.

Development of Scintillators in Nuclear Medicine

PubMed Central

Khoshakhlagh, Mohammad; Islamian, Jalil Pirayesh; Abedi, Seyed Mohammad; Mahmoudian, Babak

2015-01-01

High-quality image is necessary for accurate diagnosis in nuclear medicine. There are many factors in creating a good image and detector is the most important one. In recent years, several detectors are studied to get a better picture. The aim of this paper is comparison of some type of these detectors such as thallium activated sodium iodide bismuth germinate cesium activated yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG: Ce) YAP: Ce “lutetium aluminum garnet activated by cerium” CRY018 “CRY019” lanthanum bromide and cadmium zinc telluride. We studied different properties of these crystals including density, energy resolution and decay times that are more important factors affecting the image quality. PMID:26420984

Nuclear Medicine in Diagnosis of Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis: An Update

PubMed Central

Musso, Maria; Petrosillo, Nicola

2015-01-01

Over the past decades cardiovascular disease management has been substantially improved by the increasing introduction of medical devices as prosthetic valves. The yearly rate of infective endocarditis (IE) in patient with a prosthetic valve is approximately 3 cases per 1,000 patients. The fatality rate of prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) remains stable over the years, in part due to the aging of the population. The diagnostic value of echocardiography in diagnosis is operator-dependent and its sensitivity can decrease in presence of intracardiac devices and valvular prosthesis. The modified Duke criteria are considered the gold standard for diagnosing IE; their sensibility is 80%, but in clinical practice their diagnostic accuracy in PVE is lower, resulting inconclusively in nearly 30% of cases. In the last years, these new imaging modalities have gained an increasing attention because they make it possible to diagnose an IE earlier than the structural alterations occurring. Several studies have been conducted in order to assess the diagnostic accuracy of various nuclear medicine techniques in diagnosis of PVE. We performed a review of the literature to assess the available evidence on the role of nuclear medicine techniques in the diagnosis of PVE. PMID:25695043

Issues affecting the motivation of nuclear medicine technologists in Kuwait.

PubMed

Ali, Layla; Abdelsalam, Amal; Muddei, Sara; Brindhaban, Ajit

2013-01-01

The demand for nuclear medicine technologists (NMTs) in Kuwait has increased, especially with the introduction of multimodality imaging systems. In order to increase the number of NMTs in the workforce and retain the existing NMTs, there should be a better way to motivate them. To find out how satisfied NMTs are and the factors that motivate them. An interview was conducted with 40 randomly selected NMTs to explore deep-seated emotions and attitudes that were related to motivation. Questions about the recognition NMTs receive from the general public, whether they are acknowledged as significant contributors to health services, ways to improve the standing of NMTs in society, and the clarity of the job description were included. A questionnaire survey was then conducted with 100 randomly selected NMTs. The questions were designed to elicit wider perspective of the information obtained from the interviews. The results show a need for attention in the Ministry of Health to NMTs for recognition, motivation, and improvement. Giving the NMTs their own identity and opportunities to be part of decision-making in the health team would influence more students to join nuclear medicine departments and give more self-confidence to the existing NMTs.

Radiation accidents and their management: emphasis on the role of nuclear medicine professionals

PubMed Central

Novruzov, Fuad; Vinjamuri, Sobhan

2014-01-01

Large-scale radiation accidents are few in number, but those that have occurred have subsequently led to strict regulation in most countries. Here, different accident scenarios involving exposure to radiation have been reviewed. A triage of injured persons has been summarized and guidance on management has been provided in accordance with the early symptoms. Types of casualty to be expected in atomic blasts have been discussed. Management at the scene of an accident has been described, with explanation of the role of the radiation protection officer, the nature of contaminants, and monitoring for surface contamination. Methods for early diagnosis of radiation injuries have been then described. The need for individualization of treatment according to the nature and grade of the combined injuries has been emphasized, and different approaches to the treatment of internal contamination have been presented. The role of nuclear medicine professionals, including physicians and physicists, has been reviewed. It has been concluded that the management of radiation accidents is a very challenging process and that nuclear medicine physicians have to be well organized in order to deliver suitable management in any type of radiation accident. PMID:25004166

Radiation accidents and their management: emphasis on the role of nuclear medicine professionals.

PubMed

Bomanji, Jamshed B; Novruzov, Fuad; Vinjamuri, Sobhan

2014-10-01

Large-scale radiation accidents are few in number, but those that have occurred have subsequently led to strict regulation in most countries. Here, different accident scenarios involving exposure to radiation have been reviewed. A triage of injured persons has been summarized and guidance on management has been provided in accordance with the early symptoms. Types of casualty to be expected in atomic blasts have been discussed. Management at the scene of an accident has been described, with explanation of the role of the radiation protection officer, the nature of contaminants, and monitoring for surface contamination. Methods for early diagnosis of radiation injuries have been then described. The need for individualization of treatment according to the nature and grade of the combined injuries has been emphasized, and different approaches to the treatment of internal contamination have been presented. The role of nuclear medicine professionals, including physicians and physicists, has been reviewed. It has been concluded that the management of radiation accidents is a very challenging process and that nuclear medicine physicians have to be well organized in order to deliver suitable management in any type of radiation accident.

The commercialization of traditional medicine in modern Cambodia

PubMed Central

Ros, Bandeth; Lê, Gillian; McPake, Barbara; Fustukian, Suzanne

2018-01-01

Abstract Globally, traditional medicine has long been used to address relatively common illness, mental ill health and during childbirth and post-natal care. However, traditional medicine is primarily provided by the private sector and it is unclear how far expenditures on traditional medicine contribute to household impoverishment. A life history method was used to understand the health seeking experience of 24 households over the last 60 years in Cambodia, a country with high out-of-pocket expenditures for health. The life histories suggest that traditional medicine in Cambodia has been undergoing a process of commercialization, with significant impacts on poor households. In the earlier lives of respondents, payments for traditional medicine were reported to have been flexible, voluntary or appropriate to patients’ financial means. In contrast, contemporary practitioners appear to seek immediate cash payments that have frequently led to considerable debt and asset sales by traditional medicine users. Given traditional medicine‘s popularity as a source of treatment in Cambodia and its potential to contribute to household impoverishment, we suggest that it needs to be included in a national conversation about achieving Universal Health Coverage in the country. PMID:29040469

75 FR 12753 - Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-17

... effective at improving health care quality. While evidence-based approaches for decisionmaking have become standard in healthcare, this has been limited in laboratory medicine. No single- evidence-based model for... (LMBP) initiative to develop new systematic evidence reviews methods for making evidence-based...

Fertility preservation in the transgender patient: expanding oncofertility care beyond cancer.

PubMed

Wallace, Sumer Allensworth; Blough, Kiara L; Kondapalli, Laxmi A

2014-01-01

While the field of oncofertility raised awareness about fertility concerns in oncology patients, new applications for fertility preservation are emerging, such as transgender medicine. As transgender medicine evolves, the number of individuals seeking gender reassignment hormone therapy is drastically increasing, generating a population of patients with unmet fertility needs and unknown reproductive potential. We present the first case report of a female-to-male (FtM) transgender patient to undergo oocyte cryopreservation before initiating androgen therapy. Our patient is a 17-year-old FtM transgender person undergoing gender transition throughout adolescence with an endocrinologist. The patient wished to complete androgen therapy before starting his first year of college to avoid gender ambiguity. After extensive consultation and psychological assessment, the patient was considered an appropriate candidate and proceeded with oocyte cryopreservation. He underwent baseline fertility testing followed by successful ovarian stimulation and surgical retrieval. We recommend that a discussion of reproductive health concerns and fertility preservation options be incorporated into the comprehensive care of transgender patients.

Artificial heart pumps: bridging the gap between science, technology and personalized medicine by relational medicine.

PubMed

Raia, Federica; Deng, Mario C

2017-01-01

In the US population of 300 million, 3 million have heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and 300,000 have advanced heart failure. Long-term mechanical circulatory support will, within the next decade, be recommended to 30,000 patients annually in the USA, 3000 undergo heart transplantation annually. What do these advances mean for persons suffering from advanced heart failure and their loved ones/caregivers? In this perspective article, we discuss - by exemplifying a case report of a 27-year-old man receiving a Total Artificial Heart - a practice concept of modern medicine that fully incorporates the patient's personhood perspective which we have termed Relational Medicine™. From this case study, it becomes apparent that the successful practice of modern cardiovascular medicine requires the person-person encounter as a core practice element.

Training in neurology.

PubMed

Aminoff, Michael J

2008-05-13

The training of clinical neurologists is undergoing profound change. Increasing subspecialization within neurology, the widening separation of clinical neurology from other branches of internal medicine, limitations of exposure to training in internal medicine, mandated restrictions in working hours, and attempts to shorten the training period are likely to have adverse effects on the next generation of clinical neurologists. Despite the need for a broad base in general medicine, discussed here, the exposure of neurology trainees to general medical disorders is diminishing. An emphasis on an algorithmic approach to patient management rather than on educating residents to use their reasoning faculties when applying new techniques and knowledge to clinical practice may adversely affect patient care. Neurologists require broad-based training in neurology, internal medicine, and psychiatry, to ensure excellence in clinical practice. It is time to question again whether they are receiving the training that they need.

The Nobel Prize in Medicine for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fry, Charles G.

2004-01-01

Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded in December 2003 to chemist Paul C. Lauterbur and physicist Peter Mansfield for the development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a long overdue recognition of the huge impact MRI has had in medical diagnostics and research is mentioned. MRI was derived, and remains an extension of nuclear magnetic resonance…

Thermally induced changes of optical and vital parameters in human cancer cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dressler, C.; Schwandt, D.; Beuthan, J.; Mildaziene, V.; Zabarylo, U.; Minet, O.

2010-11-01

Minimally invasive laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT) presents an alternative method to conventional tumor therapeutically interventions, such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or nuclear medicine. Optical tissue characteristics of tumor cells and their heat-induced changes are essential issues for controlling LITT progressions. Therefore, it is indispensable to exactly know the absorption coefficient μa, the scattering coefficient μs and the anisotropy factor g as well as their changes under rising temperatures in order to simulate the treatment parameters successfully. Optical parameters of two different cancer model tissues - breast cancer cells species MX1 and colon cancer cells species CX1 - were measured in the spectral range 400 - 1100 nm as well as in the temperature range 37 - 60°C. The absorption coefficient of both cell species was low throughout the spectral range analyzed, while μs of both species rose with increasing temperatures. The anisotropy factor g however dropped for both tissues with increasing temperatures. Light scatterings inside tissues proceeded continuously forward for all species tested. It was demonstrated that optical tissue properties undergo significant changes along with the vital status of the cells when the temperature increases.

Activation of dormant ovarian follicles to generate mature eggs.

PubMed

Li, Jing; Kawamura, Kazuhiro; Cheng, Yuan; Liu, Shuang; Klein, Cynthia; Liu, Shu; Duan, En-Kui; Hsueh, Aaron J W

2010-06-01

Although multiple follicles are present in mammalian ovaries, most of them remain dormant for years or decades. During reproductive life, some follicles are activated for development. Genetically modified mouse models with oocyte-specific deletion of genes in the PTEN-PI3K-Akt-Foxo3 pathway exhibited premature activation of all dormant follicles. Using an inhibitor of the Phosphatase with TENsin homology deleted in chromosome 10 (PTEN) phosphatase and a PI3K activating peptide, we found that short-term treatment of neonatal mouse ovaries increased nuclear exclusion of Foxo3 in primordial oocytes. After transplantation under kidney capsules of ovariectomized hosts, treated follicles developed to the preovulatory stage with mature eggs displaying normal epigenetic changes of imprinted genes. After in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer, healthy progeny with proven fertility were delivered. Human ovarian cortical fragments from cancer patients were also treated with the PTEN inhibitor. After xeno-transplantation to immune-deficient mice for 6 months, primordial follicles developed to the preovulatory stage with oocytes capable of undergoing nuclear maturation. Major differences between male and female mammals are unlimited number of sperm and paucity of mature oocytes. Thus, short-term in vitro activation of dormant ovarian follicles after stimulation of the PI3K-Akt pathway allows the generation of a large supply of mature female germ cells for future treatment of infertile women with a diminishing ovarian reserve and for cancer patients with cryo-preserved ovaries. Generation of a large number of human oocytes also facilitates future derivation of embryonic stem cells for regenerative medicine.

Production of cloned mice and ES cells from adult somatic cells by nuclear transfer: how to improve cloning efficiency?

PubMed

Wakayama, Teruhiko

2007-02-01

Although it has now been 10 years since the first cloned mammals were generated from somatic cells using nuclear transfer (NT), most cloned embryos usually undergo developmental arrest prior to or soon after implantation, and the success rate for producing live offspring by cloning remains below 5%. The low success rate is believed to be associated with epigenetic errors, including abnormal DNA hypermethylation, but the mechanism of "reprogramming" is unclear. We have been able to develop a stable NT method in the mouse in which donor nuclei are directly injected into the oocyte using a piezo-actuated micromanipulator. Especially in the mouse, only a few laboratories can make clones from adult somatic cells, and cloned mice are never successfully produced from most mouse strains. However, this technique promises to be an important tool for future research in basic biology. For example, NT can be used to generate embryonic stem (NT-ES) cell lines from a patient's own somatic cells. We have shown that NT-ES cells are equivalent to ES cells derived from fertilized embryos and that they can be generated relatively easily from a variety of mouse genotypes and cell types of both sexes, even though it may be more difficult to generate clones directly. In general, NT-ES cell techniques are expected to be applied to regenerative medicine; however, this technique can also be applied to the preservation of genetic resources of mouse strain instead of embryos, oocytes and spermatozoa. This review describes how to improve cloning efficiency and NT-ES cell establishment and further applications.

Nuclear analytical techniques in medicine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cesareo, R.

1988-01-01

This book acquaints one with the fundamental principles and the instrumentation relevant to analytical technique based on atomic and nuclear physics, as well as present and future biomedical applications. Besides providing a theoretical description of the physical phenomena, a large part of the book is devoted to applications in the medical and biological field, particularly in hematology, forensic medicine and environmental science. This volume reviews methods such as the possibility of carrying out rapid multi-element analysis of trace elements on biomedical samples, in vitro and in vivo, by XRF-analysis; the ability of the PIXE-microprobe to analyze in detail and tomore » map trace elements in fragments of biomedical samples or inside the cells; the potentiality of in vivo nuclear activation analysis for diagnostic purposes. Finally, techniques are described such as radiation scattering (elastic and inelastic scattering) and attenuation measurements which will undoubtedly see great development in the immediate future.« less

Beyond detection: nuclear physics with a webcam in an educational setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pallone, A.; Barnes, P.

2016-09-01

Basic understanding of nuclear science enhances our daily-life experience in many areas, such as the environment, medicine, electric power generation, and even politics. Yet typical school curricula do not provide for experiments that explore the topic. We present a means by which educators can use the ubiquitous webcam and inexpensive sources of radiation to lead their students in a quantitative exploration of radioactivity, radiation, and the applications of nuclear physics.

Decoupling of Nuclear Division Cycles and Cell Size during the Coenocytic Growth of the Ichthyosporean Sphaeroforma arctica.

PubMed

Ondracka, Andrej; Dudin, Omaya; Ruiz-Trillo, Iñaki

2018-06-18

Coordination of the cell division cycle with the growth of the cell is critical to achieve cell size homeostasis [1]. Mechanisms coupling the cell division cycle with cell growth have been described across diverse eukaryotic taxa [2-4], but little is known about how these processes are coordinated in organisms that undergo more complex life cycles, such as coenocytic growth. Coenocytes (multinucleate cells formed by sequential nuclear divisions without cytokinesis) are commonly found across the eukaryotic kingdom, including in animal and plant tissues and several lineages of unicellular eukaryotes [5]. Among the organisms that form coenocytes are ichthyosporeans, a lineage of unicellular holozoans that are of significant interest due to their phylogenetic placement as one of the closest relatives of animals [6]. Here, we characterize the coenocytic cell division cycle in the ichthyosporean Sphaeroforma arctica. We observe that, in laboratory conditions, S. arctica cells undergo a uniform and easily synchronizable coenocytic cell cycle, reaching up to 128 nuclei per cell before cellularization and release of daughter cells. Cycles of nuclear division occur synchronously within the coenocyte and in regular time intervals (11-12 hr). We find that the growth of cell volume is dependent on concentration of nutrients in the media; in contrast, the rate of nuclear division cycles is constant over a range of nutrient concentrations. Together, the results suggest that nuclear division cycles in the coenocytic growth of S. arctica are driven by a timer, which ensures periodic and synchronous nuclear cycles independent of the cell size and growth. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Comprehensive Glossary of Nuclear Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langlands, Tracy; Stone, Craig; Meyer, Richard

2001-10-01

We have developed a comprehensive glossary of terms covering the broad fields of nuclear and related areas of science. The glossary has been constructed with two sections. A primary section consists of over 6,000 terms covering the fields of nuclear and high energy physics, nuclear chemistry, radiochemistry, health physics, astrophysics, materials science, analytical science, environmental science, nuclear medicine, nuclear engineering, nuclear instrumentation, nuclear weapons, and nuclear safeguards. Approximately 1,500 terms of specific focus on military and nuclear weapons testing define the second section. The glossary is currently larger than many published glossaries and dictionaries covering the entire field of physics. Glossary terms have been defined using an extensive collection of current and historical publications. Historical texts extend back into the 1800's, the early days of atomic physics. The glossary has been developed both as a software application and as a hard copy document.

78 FR 9698 - Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-11

... effective at improving health care quality. While evidence-based approaches for decision-making have become standard in healthcare, this has been limited in laboratory medicine. No single-evidence-based model for... (LMBP) initiative to develop new systematic evidence reviews methods for making evidence-based...

An Excel-Based System to Manage Radiation Safety for the Family of Patients Undergoing 131I Therapy.

PubMed

Steward, Palmer G

2017-06-01

The purpose of this study was to develop spreadsheet workbooks that assist in the radiation safety counseling of 131 I therapy patients and their families, providing individualized guidelines that avoid imposing overly conservative restrictions on family members and others. Methods: The mathematic model included biphasic patient radionuclide retention. The extrathyroidal component was a cylindric volume with a diameter corresponding to the patient's size and included patient self-absorption, whereas the thyroidal component was a point source whose transmission was reduced by self-absorption. A separate model in which the thyroid, extrathyroid, and bladder compartments fed serially from one to the next was developed to depict the radionuclide levels within the patient and to estimate the activity entering the environment at each urination. Results: The system was organized into a set of 4 workbooks: the first to be used with ablation patients prepared using thyrogen, the second with ablation patients prepared by deprivation, the third with hyperthyroid patients, and the fourth with the unusual hyperthyroid patient who finds the restrictions to be oppressive and returns 5-10 d after administration for a measurement and reassessment. The workbooks evaluated the radiation field strength external to the patient and indicated restrictions based on selected dose limits. To assist physicians in suggesting contamination precautions, the workbooks also evaluated the radioactivity present within the patient and the estimated discharge into the environment as a function of time. Conclusion: The workbooks that were developed assist the radiation safety counselor in individualizing radiation protection procedures for the family of patients undergoing 131 I therapy. The workbook system avoids overly conservative assumptions while permitting selection of appropriate dose limits for each individual. © 2017 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

Duplication and Nuclear Envelope Insertion of the Yeast Microtubule Organizing Centre, the Spindle Pole Body.

PubMed

Rüthnick, Diana; Schiebel, Elmar

2018-05-10

The main microtubule organizing centre in the unicellular model organisms Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pompe is the spindle pole body (SPB). The SPB is a multilayer structure, which duplicates exactly once per cell cycle. Unlike higher eukaryotic cells, both yeast model organisms undergo mitosis without breakdown of the nuclear envelope (NE), a so-called closed mitosis. Therefore, in order to simultaneously nucleate nuclear and cytoplasmic MTs, it is vital to embed the SPB into the NE at least during mitosis, similarly to the nuclear pore complex (NPC). This review aims to embrace the current knowledge of the SPB duplication cycle with special emphasis on the critical step of the insertion of the new SPB into the NE.

Radiation in medicine: Origins, risks and aspirations

PubMed Central

Donya, Mohamed; Radford, Mark; ElGuindy, Ahmed; Firmin, David; Yacoub, Magdi H.

2014-01-01

The use of radiation in medicine is now pervasive and routine. From their crude beginnings 100 years ago, diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine and radiation therapy have all evolved into advanced techniques, and are regarded as essential tools across all branches and specialties of medicine. The inherent properties of ionizing radiation provide many benefits, but can also cause potential harm. Its use within medical practice thus involves an informed judgment regarding the risk/benefit ratio. This judgment requires not only medical knowledge, but also an understanding of radiation itself. This work provides a global perspective on radiation risks, exposure and mitigation strategies. PMID:25780797

Radiation in medicine: Origins, risks and aspirations.

PubMed

Donya, Mohamed; Radford, Mark; ElGuindy, Ahmed; Firmin, David; Yacoub, Magdi H

2014-01-01

The use of radiation in medicine is now pervasive and routine. From their crude beginnings 100 years ago, diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine and radiation therapy have all evolved into advanced techniques, and are regarded as essential tools across all branches and specialties of medicine. The inherent properties of ionizing radiation provide many benefits, but can also cause potential harm. Its use within medical practice thus involves an informed judgment regarding the risk/benefit ratio. This judgment requires not only medical knowledge, but also an understanding of radiation itself. This work provides a global perspective on radiation risks, exposure and mitigation strategies.

THERANOSTICS—clinical aimshots in surgical warfare against well-differentiated neuroendocrine neoplasms

PubMed Central

Kulkarni, Harshad R.; Baum, Richard P.

2014-01-01

Targeted, personalized or molecular medicine all imply maximal treatment with minimal side effects and requires definition and detection of molecular targets prior to therapy. THERANOSTICS in nuclear medicine utilizes the same vector with distinct radionuclides for diagnosis and treatment and has become innovative standard for the treatment of somatostatin receptor expressing neuroendocrine neoplasms. PMID:25332977

Research in Biological and Medical Sciences, Including Biochemistry, Communicable Disease and Immunology Internal Medicine, Nuclear Medicine, Physiology, Psychiatry, Surgery, and Veterinary Medicine

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-07-01

aversive stimuli, and activity in a variety of physiological systems implicated in psychosomatic dis- orders. The focus is on arrangement of consequences... activity are held to be linked cen- trally under most conditions. Changes in response to the pre-food stimulus in these DRL animals were less pronounced...individual differences both in autonomic activity and lever-pressing behavior. The to bolst increasi some of the latt the capa with the blood pr

Research in Biological and Medical Sciences, Including Biochemistry, Communicable Disease and Immunology, Internal Medicine, Nuclear Medicine, Physiology, Psychiatry, Surgery and Veterinary Medicine. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-07-01

hepatitis. In addition, fat vacuoles were observed in one specimen. The specimens from the other two men showed mild hepatocellular unrest and mild fatty...right heart pressures in patients with pulmonary embolism . These clinical observations suggest that urokinase has vaso- motor effects which have not...180: 236-242, 1974. 29. Spence, M. R., and Mason, K. G.: Experimental amniotic fluid embolism in rabbits. Am. J. Obst. Gynec. 119: 1073-1078, 1974

Research in Biological and Medical Sciences Including Biochemistry, Communicable Disease and Immunology, Internal Medicine, Nuclear Medicine, Physiology, Psychiatry, Surgery, and Veterinary Medicine. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-06-30

Sprinz and Formal 1968). Fat seen in colonic epithelial cells of monkeys infected by Shigella flexneri occurred before penetration of...cellular or non-cellular components of the peripheral blood such as fat , fibrin, denatured protein, red blood cells, intact neutrophils or other...in vitro, and imply their embolic character when infused into the recipient’s vasculature. Corclusion Storage of whole blood under normal blood bank

Research in Biological and Medical Sciences, Including Biochemistry, Communicable Disease and Immunology, Internal Medicine, Nuclear Medicine, Physiology, Psychiatry, Surgery, and Veterinary Medicine. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-07-01

Preparation of immunoglobulins for lodonation. Goat anti-rabbit gamma globulin (GARG) was obtained from Nutritional Biochemlcals as the 7S fraction of the...upon the parasite of the Yucatan peninsula - British Honduras area, primarily upon the basis of its apparent failure to ever cause mucocutaneous...to Texas is Yucatan , where only L. mexicana is known to occur. With no intent to imply an argument for subspecies status, this isolate will

Ischemic stroke penumbra and extracorporeal ozone treatment.

PubMed

Wasser, G

2013-06-01

The course of events in ischemic strokes is normally seen from a point in which the penumbra is already in place. Since there is no known treatment for edema reduction, mainstream medicine focuses on re-opening the occluded vessel. Here we show that reducing the penumbra saves neuronal units from undergoing apoptosis.

Complex of transferrin with ruthenium for medical applications

DOEpatents

Richards, P.; Srivastava, S.C.; Meinken, G.E.

1984-05-15

A novel ruthenium-transferrin complex is disclosed which is prepared by reacting iron-free human transferrin dissolved in a sodium acetate solution at pH 7 with ruthenium by heating at about 40 C for about 2 hours. The complex is purified by means of gel chromotography with pH 7 sodium acetate as eluent. The mono- or di-metal complex produced can be used in nuclear medicine in the diagnosis and/or treatment of tumors and abscesses. Comparative results with Ga-67-citrate, which is the most widely used tumor-localizing agent in nuclear medicine, indicate increased sensitivity of detection and greater tumor uptake with the Ru-transferrin complex. No Drawings

Complex of transferrin with ruthenium for medical applications. [Ru 97, Ru 103

DOEpatents

Richards, P.; Srivastava, S.C.; Meinken, G.E.

1980-11-03

A novel Ruthenium-transferrin complex, prepared by reacting iron-free human transferrin dissolved in a sodium acetate solution at pH 7 with ruthenium by heating at about 40/sup 0/C for about 2 hours, and purifying said complex by means of gel chromatography with pH 7 sodium acetate as eluent. The mono- or di-metal complex produced can be used in nuclear medicine in the diagnosis and/or treatment of tumors and abscesses. Comparitive results with Ga-67-citrate, which is the most widely used tumor-localizing agent in nuclear medicine, indicate increased sensitivity of detection and greater tumor uptake with the Ru-transferrin complex.

Nuclear Medicine Imaging in the Dentomaxillofacial Region.

PubMed

Wassef, Heidi R; Colletti, Patrick M

2018-07-01

Nuclear medicine studies evaluate physiology on a molecular level providing earlier detection of lesions before morphologic change is evident. 99m Tc-MDP and 18 F-fluoride bone scans detect osteomyelitis earlier than radiographs and computed tomography (CT); aid in diagnosis of temporomandibular joint disorder; and evaluate activity of condylar hyperplasia, extent of Paget disease, and viability of bone grafts. 18 F-FDG PET/CT distinguish between soft tissue and bone infections and diagnose osteomyelitis complicated by fracture or surgery. FDG PET is more accurate than CT alone and has a major role in staging, restaging, and assessing response to therapy for head and neck malignancies and in detecting sequelae of therapy. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of new data processing algorithms for planar gated ventriculography (MUGA)

PubMed Central

Fair, Joanna R.; Telepak, Robert J.

2009-01-01

Before implementing one of two new LVEF radionuclide gated ventriculogram (MUGA) systems, the results from 312 consecutive parallel patient studies were evaluated. Each gamma‐camera acquisition was simultaneously processed by semi‐automatic Medasys Pinnacle and by fully automatic and semiautomatic Philips nuclear medicine computer systems. The Philips systems yielded LVEF results within ±5LVEF percentage points of the Medasys system in fewer than half of the studies. The remaining values were higher or lower than those from the long‐used Medasys system. These differences might have changed cancer patient chemotherapy clinical decisions. As a result, our institution elected not to implement either new system. PACS: 87.57.U‐ Nuclear medicine imaging

Integrated software for the detection of epileptogenic zones in refractory epilepsy.

PubMed

Mottini, Alejandro; Miceli, Franco; Albin, Germán; Nuñez, Margarita; Ferrándo, Rodolfo; Aguerrebere, Cecilia; Fernandez, Alicia

2010-01-01

In this paper we present an integrated software designed to help nuclear medicine physicians in the detection of epileptogenic zones (EZ) by means of ictal-interictal SPECT and MR images. This tool was designed to be flexible, friendly and efficient. A novel detection method was included (A-contrario) along with the classical detection method (Subtraction analysis). The software's performance was evaluated with two separate sets of validation studies: visual interpretation of 12 patient images by an experimented observer and objective analysis of virtual brain phantom experiments by proposed numerical observers. Our results support the potential use of the proposed software to help nuclear medicine physicians in the detection of EZ in clinical practice.

Use of nonimaging nuclear medicine techniques to assess the effect of flunixin meglumine on effective renal plasma flow and effective renal blood flow in healthy horses.

PubMed

Held, J P; Daniel, G B

1991-10-01

The effect of flunixin meglumine on renal function was studied in 6 healthy horses by use of nonimaging nuclear medicine techniques. Effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) and effective renal blood flow (ERBF) were determined by plasma clearance of 131I-orthoiodohippuric acid before and after administration of flunixin meglumine. Mean ERPF and ERBF was 6.03 ml/min/kg and 10.7 ml/min/kg, respectively, before treatment and was 5.7 ml/min/kg and 9.7 ml/min/kg, respectively, after treatment. Although ERPF and ERBF decreased after flunixin meglumine administration, the difference was not statistically significant.

Advances in nuclear medicine.

PubMed

Selberg, Kurt; Ross, Michael

2012-12-01

Nuclear scintigraphy is a mainstay of diagnostic imaging and has preserved its relevance in the imaging of acute and chronic trauma. It is particularly useful in the evaluation of athletic injuries. Pitfalls of interpretation, false negatives and false positives exist as with many imaging modalities. Synthesis of physical exam findings, lameness evaluation and, when possible, diagnostic analgesia in combination with nuclear scintigraphy imaging findings, will allow for the most information to be applied to the patient's clinical problem. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Entanglement measures in embedding quantum simulators with nuclear spins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xin, Tao; Pedernales, Julen S.; Solano, Enrique; Long, Gui-Lu

2018-02-01

We implement an embedding quantum simulator (EQS) in nuclear spin systems. The experiment consists of a simulator of up to three qubits, plus a single ancillary qubit, where we are able to efficiently measure the concurrence and the three-tangle of two-qubit and three-qubit systems as they undergo entangling dynamics. The EQS framework allows us to drastically reduce the number of measurements needed for this task, which otherwise would require full-state reconstruction of the qubit system. Our simulator is built of the nuclear spins of four 13C atoms in a molecule of trans-crotonic acid manipulated with NMR techniques.

Neurology or rehabilitation medicine?

PubMed Central

McLellan, D L

1992-01-01

Rehabilitation is a process of active change by which a person who is disabled acquires and uses the knowledge and skills necessary for optimal physical, psychological and social function. Rehabilitation medicine is now established in Britain as a specialty concerned primarily with three groups: 1) those with multiple disability; 2) disabled people undergoing personal or social transitions, for example, school leavers; and 3) those with disabilities requiring complex technical or medical solutions. Rehabilitation medicine is distinguished from traditional clinical neurology by its emphasis on teamwork and on the analysis and reduction of disability rather than the diagnosis and treatment of impairment. Both neurology and rehabilitation medicine are dwarfed by the size of the problems they are expected to overcome and there is no justification for competition between the two specialties. The training of neurologists requires fundamental changes if they are to be equipped to assist rehabilitation effectively and contribute to the scientific development of the subject. PMID:1532980

Ethical considerations of neuro-oncology trial design in the era of precision medicine.

PubMed

Gupta, Saksham; Smith, Timothy R; Broekman, Marike L

2017-08-01

The field of oncology is currently undergoing a paradigm shift. Advances in the understanding of tumor biology and in tumor sequencing technology have contributed to the shift towards precision medicine, the therapeutic framework of targeting the individual oncogenic changes each tumor harbors. The success of precision medicine therapies, such as targeted kinase inhibitors and immunotherapies, in other cancers have motivated studies in brain cancers. The high specificity and cost of these therapies also encourage a shift in clinical trial design away from randomized control trials towards smaller, more exclusive early phase clinical trials. While these new trials advance the clinical application of increasingly precise and individualized therapies, their design brings ethical challenges . We review the pertinent ethical considerations for clinical trials of precision medicine in neuro-oncology and discuss methods to protect patients in this new era of trial design.

Perioperative Administration of Traditional Japanese Herbal Medicine Daikenchuto Relieves Postoperative Ileus in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Gastrointestinal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PubMed

Ishizuka, Mitsuru; Shibuya, Norisuke; Nagata, Hitoshi; Takagi, Kazutoshi; Iwasaki, Yoshimi; Hachiya, Hiroyuki; Aoki, Taku; Kubota, Keiichi

2017-11-01

Although it has been widely demonstrated that administration of Daikenchuto (DKT), a traditional Japanese herbal medicine, improves gastrointestinal (GI) motility in patients undergoing abdominal surgery, few studies have investigated the efficacy of perioperative DKT administration for relief of postoperative ileus (PI) in patients undergoing surgery for GI cancer. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether perioperative administration of DKT relieves PI in patients with GI cancer. We performed a comprehensive electronic search of the literature (Cochrane Library, PubMed, the Web of Science and ICHUSHI) up to December 2016 to identify studies that had shown the efficacy of perioperative DKT administration for relief of PI in patients with GI cancer. To integrate the individual effect of DKT, a meta-analysis was performed using random-effects models to calculate the risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), and heterogeneity was analyzed using I 2 statistics. Seven studies involving a total of 1,134 patients who had undergone GI cancer surgery were included in this meta-analysis. Among 588 patients who received DKT perioperatively, 67 (11.4%) had PI, whereas among 546 patients who did not receive DKT perioperatively, 87 (15.9%) had PI. Perioperative administration of DKT significantly reduced the occurrence of PI (RR=0.58, 95% CI=0.35-0.97, p=0.04, I 2 =48%) in comparison to patients who did not receive DKT or received placebo. The result of this meta-analysis suggests that perioperative administration of DKT relieves PI in patients undergoing surgery for GI cancer. Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Java-based PACS and reporting system for nuclear medicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slomka, Piotr J.; Elliott, Edward; Driedger, Albert A.

2000-05-01

In medical imaging practice, images and reports often need be reviewed and edited from many locations. We have designed and implemented a Java-based Remote Viewing and Reporting System (JaRRViS) for a nuclear medicine department, which is deployed as a web service, at the fraction of the cost dedicated PACS systems. The system can be extended to other imaging modalities. JaRRViS interfaces to the clinical patient databases of imaging workstations. Specialized nuclear medicine applets support interactive displays of data such as 3-D gated SPECT with all the necessary options such as cine, filtering, dynamic lookup tables, and reorientation. The reporting module is implemented as a separate applet using Java Foundation Classes (JFC) Swing Editor Kit and allows composition of multimedia reports after selection and annotation of appropriate images. The reports are stored on the server in the HTML format. JaRRViS uses Java Servlets for the preparation and storage of final reports. The http links to the reports or to the patient's raw images with applets can be obtained from JaRRViS by any Hospital Information System (HIS) via standard queries. Such links can be sent via e-mail or included as text fields in any HIS database, providing direct access to the patient reports and images via standard web browsers.

Internal dosimetry with the Monte Carlo code GATE: validation using the ICRP/ICRU female reference computational model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villoing, Daphnée; Marcatili, Sara; Garcia, Marie-Paule; Bardiès, Manuel

2017-03-01

The purpose of this work was to validate GATE-based clinical scale absorbed dose calculations in nuclear medicine dosimetry. GATE (version 6.2) and MCNPX (version 2.7.a) were used to derive dosimetric parameters (absorbed fractions, specific absorbed fractions and S-values) for the reference female computational model proposed by the International Commission on Radiological Protection in ICRP report 110. Monoenergetic photons and electrons (from 50 keV to 2 MeV) and four isotopes currently used in nuclear medicine (fluorine-18, lutetium-177, iodine-131 and yttrium-90) were investigated. Absorbed fractions, specific absorbed fractions and S-values were generated with GATE and MCNPX for 12 regions of interest in the ICRP 110 female computational model, thereby leading to 144 source/target pair configurations. Relative differences between GATE and MCNPX obtained in specific configurations (self-irradiation or cross-irradiation) are presented. Relative differences in absorbed fractions, specific absorbed fractions or S-values are below 10%, and in most cases less than 5%. Dosimetric results generated with GATE for the 12 volumes of interest are available as supplemental data. GATE can be safely used for radiopharmaceutical dosimetry at the clinical scale. This makes GATE a viable option for Monte Carlo modelling of both imaging and absorbed dose in nuclear medicine.

High polarization of nuclear spins mediated by nanoparticles at millikelvin temperatures.

PubMed

Owers-Bradley, John R; Horsewill, Anthony J; Peat, David T; Goh, Kelvin S K; Gadian, David G

2013-07-07

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques are extensively used in many areas of basic and clinical research, as well as in diagnostic medicine. However, NMR signals are intrinsically weak, and this imposes substantial constraints on the amounts and concentrations of materials that can be detected. The signals are weak because of the low energies characteristic of NMR and the resulting very low (typically 0.0001-0.01%) polarization of the nuclear spins. Here, we show that exposure to very low temperatures and high magnetic fields, in conjunction with nanoparticle-mediated relaxation enhancement, can be used to generate extremely high nuclear polarization levels on a realistic timescale; with copper nanoparticles at 15 mK and 14 T, (13)C polarization grew towards its equilibrium level of 23% with an estimated half-time of about 60 hours. This contrasts with a (13)C half-time of at least one year in the presence of aluminium nanoparticles. Cupric oxide nanoparticles were also effective relaxation agents. Our findings lead us to suspect that the relaxation may be mediated, at least in part, by the remarkable magnetic properties that some nanoparticle preparations can display. This methodology offers prospects for achieving polarization levels of 10-50% or more for many nuclear species, with a wide range of potential applications in structural biology and medicine.

Medical Countermeasures for Radiation Exposure and Related Injuries: Characterization of Medicines, FDA-Approval Status and Inclusion into the Strategic National Stockpile

PubMed Central

Singh, Vijay K.; Romaine, Patricia L.P.; Seed, Thomas M.

2015-01-01

Abstract World events over the past decade have highlighted the threat of nuclear terrorism as well as an urgent need to develop radiation countermeasures for acute radiation exposures and subsequent bodily injuries. An increased probability of radiological or nuclear incidents due to detonation of nuclear weapons by terrorists, sabotage of nuclear facilities, dispersal and exposure to radioactive materials, and accidents provides the basis for such enhanced radiation exposure risks for civilian populations. Although the search for suitable radiation countermeasures for radiation-associated injuries was initiated more than half a century ago, no safe and effective radiation countermeasure for the most severe of these injuries, namely acute radiation syndrome (ARS), has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The dearth of FDA-approved radiation countermeasures has prompted intensified research for a new generation of radiation countermeasures. In this communication, the authors have listed and reviewed the status of radiation countermeasures that are currently available for use, or those that might be used for exceptional nuclear/radiological contingencies, plus a limited few medicines that show early promise but still remain experimental in nature and unauthorized for human use by the FDA. PMID:25905522

Beyond Detection: Nuclear Physics with a Webcam in an Educational Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pallone, A.; Barnes, P.

2016-01-01

Basic understanding of nuclear science enhances our daily-life experience in many areas, such as the environment, medicine, electric power generation, and even politics. Yet typical school curricula do not provide for experiments that explore the topic. We present a means by which educators can use the ubiquitous webcam and inexpensive sources of…

Recent advances in nuclear cardiology Hot-spot and cold-spot myocardial scintigraphy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Willerson, J.T.; Lewis, S.E.; Buja, L.M.

1981-09-01

Nuclear cardiology is a comparatively new field of cardiovascular medicine in which technologic advances have provided relatively noninvasive means of evaluating cardiovascular abnormalities. The purpose of this two-part review is to emphasize some important recent advances and to place in perspective the advantages and disadvantages of those new techniques that are particularly useful clinically.

How to Stimulate Students' Interest in Nuclear Physics?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elbanowska-Ciemuchowska, Stefania; Giembicka, Magdalena Anna

2011-01-01

Teaching nuclear physics in secondary schools offers us a unique possibility to increase our students' awareness of the influence that modern science and its achievements have on the everyday life of contemporary people. Students gain an opportunity to learn in what ways the outcome of laboratory research is put to use in such fields as medicine,…

Status of Simulations for the Cyclotron Laboratory at the Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asova, G.; Goutev, N.; Tonev, D.; Artinyan, A.

2018-05-01

The Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy is preparing to operate a high-power cyclotron for production of radioisotopes for nuclear medicine, research in radiochemistry, radiobiology, nuclear physics, solid state physics. The cyclotron is a TR24 produced by ASCI, Canada, capable to deliver proton beams in the energy range of 15 to 24 MeV with current as high as 400 µA. Multiple extraction lines can be fed. The primary goal of the project is the production of PET and SPECT isotopes as 18F, 67,68Ga, 99mTc, etc. This contribution reports the status of the project. Design considerations for the cyclotron vault will be discussed for some of the target radioisotopes.

Human somatic cell nuclear transfer and cloning.

PubMed

2012-10-01

This document presents arguments that conclude that it is unethical to use somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) for infertility treatment due to concerns about safety; the unknown impact of SCNT on children, families, and society; and the availability of other ethically acceptable means of assisted reproduction. This document replaces the ASRM Ethics Committee report titled, "Human somatic cell nuclear transfer (cloning)," last published in Fertil Steril 2000;74:873-6. Copyright © 2012 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"Nuclear" medicine physicians as communicators: their point of view on the aftermath of "nuclear" disaster.

PubMed

Staudenherz, Anton; Sinzinger, Helmut

2012-02-01

On March 11th, 2011 earthquakes and a subsequent tsunami devastated northern Japan. The consecutive technical catastrophe in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was not only an additional local tragedy, it also turned out to be a global disaster. In this review we intend to discuss emerging problems and enlighten a way to communicate in such events, tell people how to react in such scenarios and prevent panic by providing rational information.

Nuclear medicine imaging system

DOEpatents

Bennett, G.W.; Brill, A.B.; Bizais, Y.J.C.; Rowe, R.W.; Zubal, I.G.

1983-03-11

It is an object of this invention to provide a nuclear imaging system having the versatility to do positron annihilation studies, rotating single or opposed camera gamma emission studies, and orthogonal gamma emission studies. It is a further object of this invention to provide an imaging system having the capability for orthogonal dual multipinhole tomography. It is another object of this invention to provide a nuclear imaging system in which all available energy data, as well as patient physiological data, are acquired simultaneously in list mode.

Personalized Medicine Based on Theranostic Radioiodine Molecular Imaging for Differentiated Thyroid Cancer.

PubMed

Ahn, Byeong-Cheol

2016-01-01

Molecular imaging based personalized therapy has been a fascinating concept for individualized therapeutic strategy, which is able to attain the highest efficacy and reduce adverse effects in certain patients. Theranostics, which integrates diagnostic testing to detect molecular targets for particular therapeutic modalities, is one of the key technologies that contribute to the success of personalized medicine. Although the term "theranostics" was used after the second millennium, its basic principle was applied more than 70 years ago in the field of thyroidology with radioiodine molecular imaging. Differentiated thyroid cancer, which arises from follicular cells in the thyroid, is the most common endocrine malignancy, and theranostic radioiodine has been successfully applied to diagnose and treat differentiated thyroid cancer, the applications of which were included in the guidelines published by various thyroid or nuclear medicine societies. Through better pathophysiologic understanding of thyroid cancer and advancements in nuclear technologies, theranostic radioiodine contributes more to modern tailored personalized management by providing high therapeutic effect and by avoiding significant adverse effects in differentiated thyroid cancer. This review details the inception of theranostic radioiodine and recent radioiodine applications for differentiated thyroid cancer management as a prototype of personalized medicine based on molecular imaging.

Cytosolic labile zinc: a marker for apoptosis in the developing rat brain.

PubMed

Lee, Joo-Yong; Hwang, Jung Jin; Park, Mi-Ha; Koh, Jae-Young

2006-01-01

Cytosolic zinc accumulation was thought to occur specifically in neuronal death (necrosis) following acute injury. However, a recent study demonstrated that zinc accumulation also occurs in adult rat neurons undergoing apoptosis following target ablation, and in vitro experiments have shown that zinc accumulation may play a causal role in various forms of apoptosis. Here, we examined whether intraneuronal zinc accumulation occurs in central neurons undergoing apoptosis during development. Embryonic and newborn Sprague-Dawley rat brains were double-stained for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labelling (TUNEL) detection of apoptosis and immunohistochemical detection of stage-specific neuronal markers, such as nestin, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), TuJ1 and neuronal nuclear specific protein (NeuN). The results revealed that apoptotic cell death occurred in neurons of diverse stages (neural stem cells, and dividing, young and adult neurons) throughout the brain during the embryonic and early postnatal periods. Further staining of brain sections with acid fuchsin or zinc-specific fluorescent dyes showed that all of the apoptotic neurons were acidophilic and contained labile zinc in their cell bodies. Cytosolic zinc accumulation was also observed in cultured cortical neurons undergoing staurosporine- or sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-induced apoptosis. In contrast, zinc chelation with CaEDTA or N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)ethylenediamine (TPEN) reduced SNP-induced apoptosis but not staurosporine-induced apoptosis, indicating that cytosolic zinc accumulation does not play a causal role in all forms of apoptosis. Finally, the specific cytosolic zinc accumulation may have a practical application as a relatively simple marker for neurons undergoing developmental apoptosis.

Baculovirus infection induces disruption of the nuclear lamina.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaomei; Xu, Kaiyan; Wei, Denghui; Wu, Wenbi; Yang, Kai; Yuan, Meijin

2017-08-10

Baculovirus nucleocapsids egress from the nucleus primarily via budding at the nuclear membrane. The nuclear lamina underlying the nuclear membrane represents a substantial barrier to nuclear egress. Whether the nuclear lamina undergoes disruption during baculovirus infection remains unknown. In this report, we generated a clonal cell line, Sf9-L, that stably expresses GFP-tagged Drosophila lamin B. GFP autofluorescence colocalized with immunofluorescent anti-lamin B at the nuclear rim of Sf9-L cells, indicating GFP-lamin B was incorporated into the nuclear lamina. Meanwhile, virus was able to replicate normally in Sf9-L cells. Next, we investigated alterations to the nuclear lamina during baculovirus infection in Sf9-L cells. A portion of GFP-lamin B localized diffusely at the nuclear rim, and some GFP-lamin B was redistributed within the nucleus during the late phase of infection, suggesting the nuclear lamina was partially disrupted. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed associations between GFP-lamin B and the edges of the electron-dense stromal mattes of the virogenic stroma, intranuclear microvesicles, and ODV envelopes and nucleocapsids within the nucleus, indicating the release of some GFP-lamin B from the nuclear lamina. Additionally, GFP-lamin B phosphorylation increased upon infection. Based on these data, baculovirus infection induced lamin B phosphorylation and disruption of the nuclear lamina.

Nuclear Export of Messenger RNA

PubMed Central

Katahira, Jun

2015-01-01

Transport of messenger RNA (mRNA) from the nucleus to the cytoplasm is an essential step of eukaryotic gene expression. In the cell nucleus, a precursor mRNA undergoes a series of processing steps, including capping at the 5' ends, splicing and cleavage/polyadenylation at the 3' ends. During this process, the mRNA associates with a wide variety of proteins, forming a messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) particle. Association with factors involved in nuclear export also occurs during transcription and processing, and thus nuclear export is fully integrated into mRNA maturation. The coupling between mRNA maturation and nuclear export is an important mechanism for providing only fully functional and competent mRNA to the cytoplasmic translational machinery, thereby ensuring accuracy and swiftness of gene expression. This review describes the molecular mechanism of nuclear mRNA export mediated by the principal transport factors, including Tap-p15 and the TREX complex. PMID:25836925

A risk index for pediatric patients undergoing diagnostic imaging with 99mTc-dimercaptosuccinic acid that accounts for body habitus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Reilly, Shannon E.; Plyku, Donika; Sgouros, George; Fahey, Frederic H.; Treves, S. Ted; Frey, Eric C.; Bolch, Wesley E.

2016-03-01

Published guidelines for administered activity to pediatric patients undergoing diagnostic nuclear medicine imaging are currently obtained through expert consensus of the minimum values as a function of body weight as required to yield diagnostic quality images. We have previously shown that consideration of body habitus is also important in obtaining diagnostic quality images at the lowest administered activity. The objective of this study was to create a series of computational phantoms that realistically portray the anatomy of the pediatric patient population which can be used to develop and validate techniques to minimize radiation dose while maintaining adequate image quality. To achieve this objective, we have defined an imaging risk index that may be used in future studies to develop pediatric patient dosing guidelines. A population of 48 hybrid phantoms consisting of non-uniform B-spline surfaces and polygon meshes was generated. The representative ages included the newborn, 1 year, 5 year, 10 year and 15 year male and female. For each age, the phantoms were modeled at their 10th, 50th, and 90th height percentile each at a constant 50th weight percentile. To test the impact of kidney size, the newborn phantoms were modeled with the following three kidney volumes:  -15%, average, and  +15%. To illustrate the impact of different morphologies on dose optimization, we calculated the effective dose for each phantom using weight-based 99mTc-DMSA activity administration. For a given patient weight, body habitus had a considerable effect on effective dose. Substantial variations were observed in the risk index between the 10th and 90th percentile height phantoms from the 50th percentile phantoms for a given age, with the greatest difference being 18%. There was a dependence found between kidney size and risk of radiation induced kidney cancer, with the highest risk indices observed in newborns with the smallest kidneys. Overall, the phantoms and techniques in this study can be used to provide data to refine dosing guidelines for pediatric nuclear imaging studies while taking into account the effects on both radiation dose and image quality. This work was supported by:R01 EB013558 with the National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB).

Radionuclide metrology research for nuclear site decommissioning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Judge, S. M.; Regan, P. H.

2017-11-01

The safe and cost-effective decommissioning of legacy nuclear sites relies on accurate measurement of the radioactivity content of the waste materials, so that the waste can be assigned to the most appropriate disposal route. Such measurements are a new challenge for the science of radionuclide metrology which was established largely to support routine measurements on operating nuclear sites and other applications such as nuclear medicine. In this paper, we provide a brief summary of the international measurement system that is established to enable nuclear site operators to demonstrate that measurements are accurate, independent and fit for purpose, and highlight some of the projects that are underway to adapt the measurement system to meet the changing demands from the industry.

78 FR 20920 - Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-08

... data to see how much contamination is at a site, where it is, and how people might come into contact... such as medicines taken, food eaten, hobbies, jobs, etc. In addition, ATSDR asks questions on... contamination. Investigations tend to focus on the most highly exposed at the site, such as those living in...

Ischemic Stroke Penumbra and Extracorporeal Ozone Treatment

PubMed Central

Wasser, G.

2013-01-01

The course of events in ischemic strokes is normally seen from a point in which the penumbra is already in place. Since there is no known treatment for edema reduction, mainstream medicine focuses on re-opening the occluded vessel. Here we show that reducing the penumbra saves neuronal units from undergoing apoptosis. PMID:23859279

75 FR 42091 - Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-20

... Prevention (CDC). Background and Brief Description On October 30, 2000, the Energy Employees Occupational... Energy and certain of its vendors, contractors and subcontractors. This legislation also provided for... Nuclear Weapons Workers'') on December 7, 2000 (65 FR 77487), assigning primary responsibility for...

Medical Image Processing Server applied to Quality Control of Nuclear Medicine.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vergara, C.; Graffigna, J. P.; Marino, E.; Omati, S.; Holleywell, P.

2016-04-01

This paper is framed within the area of medical image processing and aims to present the process of installation, configuration and implementation of a processing server of medical images (MIPS) in the Fundación Escuela de Medicina Nuclear located in Mendoza, Argentina (FUESMEN). It has been developed in the Gabinete de Tecnologia Médica (GA.TE.ME), Facultad de Ingeniería-Universidad Nacional de San Juan. MIPS is a software that using the DICOM standard, can receive medical imaging studies of different modalities or viewing stations, then it executes algorithms and finally returns the results to other devices. To achieve the objectives previously mentioned, preliminary tests were conducted in the laboratory. More over, tools were remotely installed in clinical enviroment. The appropiate protocols for setting up and using them in different services were established once defined those suitable algorithms. Finally, it’s important to focus on the implementation and training that is provided in FUESMEN, using nuclear medicine quality control processes. Results on implementation are exposed in this work.

Online Appointment Scheduling for a Nuclear Medicine Department in a Chinese Hospital

PubMed Central

Feng, Ya-bing

2018-01-01

Nuclear medicine, a subspecialty of radiology, plays an important role in proper diagnosis and timely treatment. Multiple resources, especially short-lived radiopharmaceuticals involved in the process of nuclear medical examination, constitute a unique problem in appointment scheduling. Aiming at achieving scientific and reasonable appointment scheduling in the West China Hospital (WCH), a typical class A tertiary hospital in China, we developed an online appointment scheduling algorithm based on an offline nonlinear integer programming model which considers multiresources allocation, the time window constraints imposed by short-lived radiopharmaceuticals, and the stochastic nature of the patient requests when scheduling patients. A series of experiments are conducted to show the effectiveness of the proposed strategy based on data provided by the WCH. The results show that the examination amount increases by 29.76% compared with the current one with a significant increase in the resource utilization and timely rate. Besides, it also has a high stability for stochastic factors and bears the advantage of convenient and economic operation. PMID:29849748

Technical errors in planar bone scanning.

PubMed

Naddaf, Sleiman Y; Collier, B David; Elgazzar, Abdelhamid H; Khalil, Magdy M

2004-09-01

Optimal technique for planar bone scanning improves image quality, which in turn improves diagnostic efficacy. Because planar bone scanning is one of the most frequently performed nuclear medicine examinations, maintaining high standards for this examination is a daily concern for most nuclear medicine departments. Although some problems such as patient motion are frequently encountered, the degraded images produced by many other deviations from optimal technique are rarely seen in clinical practice and therefore may be difficult to recognize. The objectives of this article are to list optimal techniques for 3-phase and whole-body bone scanning, to describe and illustrate a selection of deviations from these optimal techniques for planar bone scanning, and to explain how to minimize or avoid such technical errors.

Job-sharing in nuclear medicine: an 8-year experience (1998-2006).

PubMed

Als, Claudine; Brautigam, Peter

2006-01-01

Job-sharing is generally defined as a situation in which a single professional position is held in common by two separate individuals, who alternatively, on a timely basis, deal with the workload and the responsibilities. The aim of the present paper is to discuss prerequisites and characteristics of job-sharing by medical doctors and implications in a department of nuclear medicine. Job-sharing facilitates the combination of family life with professional occupation and prevents burnout. The time schedule applied by job-sharers is relevant: will both partners work for half-days, half-weeks, or rather alternatively during one to two consecutive weeks? This crucial choice, depending on personal as well as on professional circumstances, certainly influences the workflow of the department.

A comparative study of indium-111 DTPA radionuclide and iothalamate meglumine roentgenographic arthrography in the evaluation of painful total hip arthroplasty

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maxon, H.R.; Schneider, H.J.; Hopson, C.N.

1989-08-01

Fifteen patients with painful total hip prostheses were referred for nuclear medicine and roentgenographic arthrography studies to exclude loosening of the acetabular and/or the femoral component. A new radioisotopic technique suitable for the evaluation of both components was developed using dual-isotope single-photon tomography with {sup 99m}technetium methylene diphosphonate bone imaging and indium-111 diethylenetriaminepentacetic acid arthrography. Thirteen of the 15 subjects were subsequently treated with additional surgery. The surgical findings were compared with the nuclear medicine and roentgenographic results. The overall diagnostic accuracy of both arthrographic procedures was approximately 80%, but the roentgenographic arthrogram was more sensitive and the radionuclide arthrogrammore » was more specific.« less

Knockdown of zebrafish Fancd2 causes developmental abnormalities via p53-dependent apoptosis.

PubMed

Liu, Ting Xi; Howlett, Niall G; Deng, Min; Langenau, David M; Hsu, Karl; Rhodes, Jennifer; Kanki, John P; D'Andrea, Alan D; Look, A Thomas

2003-12-01

Mechanisms underlying the multiple developmental defects observed in Fanconi anemia (FA) patients are not well defined. We have identified the zebrafish homolog of human FANCD2, which encodes a nuclear effector protein that is monoubiquitinated in response to DNA damage, targeting it to nuclear foci where it preserves chromosomal integrity. Fancd2-deficient zebrafish embryos develop defects similar to those found in children with FA, including shortened body length, microcephaly, and microophthalmia, which are due to extensive cellular apoptosis. Developmental defects and increased apoptosis in Fancd2-deficient zebrafish were corrected by injection of human FANCD2 or zebrafish bcl2 mRNA, or by knockdown of p53, indicating that in the absence of Fancd2, developing tissues spontaneously undergo p53-dependent apoptosis. Thus, Fancd2 is essential during embryogenesis to prevent inappropriate apoptosis in neural cells and other tissues undergoing high levels of proliferative expansion, implicating this mechanism in the congenital abnormalities observed in human infants with FA.

Radiological Protection in Medicine; OCHRONA RADIOLOGICZNA W MEDYCYNIE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

1961-01-01

A handbook is presented for the application of nuclear phenomena and techniques to medical diagnostics and treatment. A large portion is devoted to fundamental nuclear chemistry and physics, paying special attention to tracer techniques. In addition to principles of dosimetry the government regulations applicable to medical exposures are described together with a survey of the fleld of health physics. (TTT)

2009 Mississippi Curriculum Framework: Postsecondary Nuclear Medicine Technology. (Program CIP: 51.0905 - Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boney, Linda; Lee, Joanne; Pyles, Alice; Whitfield, Stacy

2009-01-01

As the world economy continues to evolve, businesses and industries must adopt new practices and processes in order to survive. Quality and cost control, work teams and participatory management, and an infusion of technology are transforming the way people work and do business. Employees are now expected to read, write, and communicate…

Differential basal-to-apical accessibility of lamin A/C epitopes in the nuclear lamina regulated by changes in cytoskeletal tension.

PubMed

Ihalainen, Teemu O; Aires, Lina; Herzog, Florian A; Schwartlander, Ruth; Moeller, Jens; Vogel, Viola

2015-12-01

Nuclear lamins play central roles at the intersection between cytoplasmic signalling and nuclear events. Here, we show that at least two N- and C-terminal lamin epitopes are not accessible at the basal side of the nuclear envelope under environmental conditions known to upregulate cell contractility. The conformational epitope on the Ig-domain of A-type lamins is more buried in the basal than apical nuclear envelope of human mesenchymal stem cells undergoing osteogenesis (but not adipogenesis), and in fibroblasts adhering to rigid (but not soft) polyacrylamide hydrogels. This structural polarization of the lamina is promoted by compressive forces, emerges during cell spreading, and requires lamin A/C multimerization, intact nucleoskeleton-cytoskeleton linkages (LINC), and apical-actin stress-fibre assembly. Notably, the identified Ig-epitope overlaps with emerin, DNA and histone binding sites, and comprises various laminopathy mutation sites. Our findings should help decipher how the physical properties of cellular microenvironments regulate nuclear events.

Differential basal-to-apical accessibility of lamin A/C epitopes in the nuclear lamina regulated by changes in cytoskeletal tension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ihalainen, Teemu O.; Aires, Lina; Herzog, Florian A.; Schwartlander, Ruth; Moeller, Jens; Vogel, Viola

2015-12-01

Nuclear lamins play central roles at the intersection between cytoplasmic signalling and nuclear events. Here, we show that at least two N- and C-terminal lamin epitopes are not accessible at the basal side of the nuclear envelope under environmental conditions known to upregulate cell contractility. The conformational epitope on the Ig-domain of A-type lamins is more buried in the basal than apical nuclear envelope of human mesenchymal stem cells undergoing osteogenesis (but not adipogenesis), and in fibroblasts adhering to rigid (but not soft) polyacrylamide hydrogels. This structural polarization of the lamina is promoted by compressive forces, emerges during cell spreading, and requires lamin A/C multimerization, intact nucleoskeleton-cytoskeleton linkages (LINC), and apical-actin stress-fibre assembly. Notably, the identified Ig-epitope overlaps with emerin, DNA and histone binding sites, and comprises various laminopathy mutation sites. Our findings should help decipher how the physical properties of cellular microenvironments regulate nuclear events.

Iran's growing nuclear weapons program: A catalyst for regional instability in the Middle East. Study project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deyermond, J.J.

1993-03-10

Following the end of the Cold War, the United States as well as other nations around the world now find themselves in a state of political, economic, and military transition. While the US and other nations such as the Islamic Republic of Iran are undergoing significant increases in military spending. This increase has been primarily in the area of conventional forces, however there is growing evidence that Iran is also attempting to develop a nuclear weapons capability as well. This study examines Iran's nuclear weapons program in detail, and Tehran's increasing ability to emerge as a regional power in themore » Middle East.« less

Practice of forensic medicine and pathology in Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Balachandra, A Thambirajah; Vadysinghe, Amal N; William, Anita L

2011-02-01

The practice of forensic medicine and pathology in Sri Lanka is based on the British model. Medical students during their third and fourth years receive approximately 50 hours of lectures and tutorials in forensic medicine and pathology and then undergo an examination. After completing an internship, these doctors are sent to various hospitals throughout Sri Lanka where they may be asked to perform medicolegal examinations on victims and suspects in rape cases, persons suspected of being under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, and, injured live patients. As well, they may be asked to perform medicolegal autopsies. Depending upon their experience, some medical officers may be designated as judicial medical officers and appointed full time to do medicolegal work. Up until 1980, judicial medical officers with at least 2 years of work experience were allowed to obtain their postgraduate qualifications in the United Kingdom. However, since 1981 and the establishment of its own Postgraduate Institute of Medicine in Colombo, Sri Lanka, medical officers are offered 2 postgraduate programs in forensic medicine and pathology, a diploma in legal medicine and a doctorate in medicine (forensic medicine). After completing the doctorate in forensic medicine, doctors are allowed to train abroad for a further year in an approved center. Upon return they can then be appointed as consultant judicial medical officers. The practice of forensic medicine and pathology in Sri Lanka is unique and vibrant. However, due to the country's prevailing civil war, the practice of forensic medicine and pathology is suboptimal.

A strategy for management of intraoperative Addisonian crisis during coronary artery bypass grafting.

PubMed

D'Silva, Celma; Watson, Dale; Ngaage, Dumbor

2012-04-01

Patients with Addison's disease undergoing cardiac surgery are at risk of developing a crisis. There is no consensus on the preoperative and intraoperative management of this group of patients undergoing cardiac surgery so the recommendations for non-cardiac patients are often used. The consensus statement from the international task force of the American College of Critical Care medicine recommends 100 mg of intravenous hydrocortisone for patients with adrenal insufficiency in septic shock, but in patients undergoing surgery, especially with extracorporeal circulation, the dosage may even be higher. We report our management of a patient with well-controlled adrenal insufficiency for 30 years who developed intraoperative Addisonian crisis despite the recommended preoperative corticosteroid supplementation. The importance of adequate corticosteroid supplementation for cardiac surgery patients, adapting the surgical strategy to allow for optimal management of potential complications and close monitoring with heightened awareness are discussed.

Detection of intestinal dysplasia using angle-resolved low coherence interferometry

PubMed Central

Terry, Neil; Zhu, Yizheng; Thacker, Julie K. M.; Migaly, John; Guy, Cynthia; Mantyh, Christopher R.; Wax, Adam

2011-01-01

Angle-resolved low coherence interferometry (a/LCI) is an optical biopsy technique that allows for depth-resolved, label-free measurement of the average size and optical density of cell nuclei in epithelial tissue to assess the tissue health. a/LCI has previously been used clinically to identify the presence of dysplasia in Barrett's Esophagus patients undergoing routine surveillance. We present the results of a pilot, ex vivo study of tissues from 27 patients undergoing partial colonic resection surgery, conducted to evaluate the ability of a/LCI to identify dysplasia. Performance was determined by comparing the nuclear morphology measurements with pathological assessment of co-located physical biopsies. A statistically significant correlation between increased average nuclear size, reduced nuclear density, and the presence of dysplasia was noted at the basal layer of the epithelium, at a depth of 200 to 300 μm beneath the tissue surface. Using a decision line determined from a receiver operating characteristic, a/LCI was able to separate dysplastic from healthy tissues with a sensitivity of 92.9% (13/14), a specificity of 83.6% (56/67), and an overall accuracy of 85.2% (69/81). The study illustrates the extension of the a/LCI technique to the detection of intestinal dysplasia, and demonstrates the need for future in vivo studies. PMID:22029349

Detection of intestinal dysplasia using angle-resolved low coherence interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terry, Neil; Zhu, Yizheng; Thacker, Julie K. M.; Migaly, John; Guy, Cynthia; Mantyh, Christopher R.; Wax, Adam

2011-10-01

Angle-resolved low coherence interferometry (a/LCI) is an optical biopsy technique that allows for depth-resolved, label-free measurement of the average size and optical density of cell nuclei in epithelial tissue to assess the tissue health. a/LCI has previously been used clinically to identify the presence of dysplasia in Barrett's Esophagus patients undergoing routine surveillance. We present the results of a pilot, ex vivo study of tissues from 27 patients undergoing partial colonic resection surgery, conducted to evaluate the ability of a/LCI to identify dysplasia. Performance was determined by comparing the nuclear morphology measurements with pathological assessment of co-located physical biopsies. A statistically significant correlation between increased average nuclear size, reduced nuclear density, and the presence of dysplasia was noted at the basal layer of the epithelium, at a depth of 200 to 300 μm beneath the tissue surface. Using a decision line determined from a receiver operating characteristic, a/LCI was able to separate dysplastic from healthy tissues with a sensitivity of 92.9% (13/14), a specificity of 83.6% (56/67), and an overall accuracy of 85.2% (69/81). The study illustrates the extension of the a/LCI technique to the detection of intestinal dysplasia, and demonstrates the need for future in vivo studies.

1987 Nuclear Science Symposium, 34th, and 1987 Symposium on Nuclear Power Systems, 19th, San Francisco, CA, Oct. 21-23, 1987, Proceedings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armantrout, Guy A.

1988-02-01

The present conference consideres topics in radiation detectors, advanced electronic circuits, data acquisition systems, radiation detector systems, high-energy and nuclear physics radiation detection, spaceborne instrumentation, health physics and environmental radiation detection, nuclear medicine, nuclear well logging, and nuclear reactor instrumentation. Attention is given to the response of scintillators to heavy ions, phonon-mediated particle detection, ballistic deficits in pulse-shaping amplifiers, fast analog ICs for particle physics, logic cell arrays, the CERN host interface, high performance data buses, a novel scintillating glass for high-energy physics applications, background events in microchannel plates, a tritium accelerator mass spectrometer, a novel positron tomograph, advancements in PET, cylindrical positron tomography, nuclear techniques in subsurface geology, REE borehole neutron activation, and a continuous tritium monitor for aqueous process streams.

Studies of the pharmacology of 17α-ethynyl-androst-5-ene-3β,7β,17β-triol, a synthetic anti-inflammatory androstene

PubMed Central

Ahlem, Clarence N; Kennedy, Michael R; Page, Theodore M; Reading, Christopher L; White, Steven K; McKenzie, John J; Cole, Phaedra I; Stickney, Dwight R; Frincke, James M

2011-01-01

17α-Ethynyl-androst-5ene-3β, 7β, 17β-triol (HE3286) is an orally bioavailable analogue of androst-5-ene-3β,7β,17β-triol, a non-glucocorticoid anti-inflammatory metabolite of the adrenal steroid, dehydroepiandrosterone. The pharmacology of HE3286 was characterized in preparation for clinical trials in type 2 diabetes mellitus and other diseases of inflammation. Interactions with nuclear hormone receptors and P450 enzymes were measured in vitro. Drug metabolism was studied preclinically in mice, rats, dogs, and monkeys. Neurological and cardiopulmonary safety and dose-ranging and chronic toxicity studies were conducted in rats and dogs in accordance with FDA guidelines. Pharmacokinetics and metabolites were measured in Phase I clinical trials. HE3286 was differentially metabolized between species. HE3286 and metabolites did not bind or transactivate steroid binding nuclear hormone receptors or inhibit P450 enzymes. There were no adverse effects in safety pharmacology and canine toxicology studies. Although HE3286 did not elicit systemic toxicity in rats, mild estrogenic effects were observed, but without apparent association to hormonal changes. Safety margins were greater than 20-fold in rats and dogs with respect to the most commonly used clinical dose of 10 mg/day. The terminal half-life in humans was 8 hours in males and 5.5 hours in females. HE3286 is the first derivative of the DHEA metabolome to undergo a comprehensive pharmacological and safety evaluation. The results of these investigations have shown that HE3286 has a low potential for toxicity and possesses pharmacological properties generally suitable for use in human medicine. The favorable profile of HE3286 warrants further exploration of this new class of anti-inflammatory agents. PMID:21686136

Screening of medicinal plants for PPPAR-alpha and PPAR-gamma activation and evaluation of their effects on glucose uptake and 3T3-L1 adipogenesis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Medicinal plants are a rich source of ligands for nuclear receptors. The present study was aimed to screen a collection of plant extracts for PPAR-alpha/gamma activating properties and identify the active extract that can stimulate cellular glucose uptake without enhancing the adipogenesis. A report...

Practicing "Safe" Technical Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dombrowski, Paul M.

2011-01-01

The nuclear power industry is undergoing a renaissance, led by initiatives from the Obama administration and several states. In light of this development and the growing information economy, it is crucial that the public be well-informed, effective, and responsible regarding important technological issues. For this reason, undergraduate education,…

Role of nuclear reactions on stellar evolution of intermediate-mass stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Möller, H.; Jones, S.; Fischer, T.; Martínez-Pinedo, G.

2018-01-01

The evolution of intermediate-mass stars (8 - 12 solar masses) represents one of the most challenging subjects in nuclear astrophysics. Their final fate is highly uncertain and strongly model dependent. They can become white dwarfs, they can undergo electron-capture or core-collapse supernovae or they might even proceed towards explosive oxygen burning and a subsequent thermonuclear explosion. We believe that an accurate description of nuclear reactions is crucial for the determination of the pre-supernova structure of these stars. We argue that due to the possible development of an oxygen-deflagration, a hydrodynamic description has to be used. We implement a nuclear reaction network with ∼200 nuclear species into the implicit hydrodynamic code AGILE. The reaction network considers all relevant nuclear electron captures and beta-decays. For selected relevant nuclear species, we include a set of updated reaction rates, for which we discuss the role for the evolution of the stellar core, at the example of selected stellar models. We find that the final fate of these intermediate-mass stars depends sensitively on the density threshold for weak processes that deleptonize the core.

Medicinal plant knowledge and its erosion among the Mien (Yao) in northern Thailand.

PubMed

Srithi, Kamonnate; Balslev, Henrik; Wangpakapattanawong, Prasit; Srisanga, Prachaya; Trisonthi, Chusie

2009-06-22

We studied local knowledge and actual uses of medicinal plants among the Mien in northern Thailand, documenting traditional medical practices and its transfer between generations. With the assumption that discrepancies between knowledge and actual use represent knowledge erosion, we studied whether actual use of medicinal plants corresponded to people's knowledge of such uses. We used local knowledge from four specialist informants as the domain for semi-structured interviews with 34 randomly selected non-specialist informants. We calculated informant consensus, use value, and fidelity level for each species and use category and performed statistical analyses with Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, Pearson correlation coefficient, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, and paired-sample t-tests. We found significant discrepancies between knowledge and actual use of medicinal plants. The number of known and actually used plants increased with increasing informant age and decreased with increasing years of formal education. Medicinal plant knowledge and use in these Mien communities is undergoing inter-generational erosion because of acculturation and interrupted knowledge transmission. Preservation of Mien medicinal plant intellectual heritage requires continued documentation concerning use, conservation, and sustainable management of this resource, which should be publicized to younger Mien.

Towards aging mechanisms of cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) cable insulation materials in nuclear power plants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Shuaishuai; Fifield, Leonard S.; Bowler, Nicola

Cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) cable insulation material undergoes simultaneous, accelerated thermal and gamma-radiation aging to simulate the long-term aging environment within nuclear power plants (NPPs). A variety of materials characterization tests, including scanning electron microscopy, thermo-gravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, oxidation induction time, gel-fraction and dielectric properties measurement, are conducted on pristine and differently aged XLPE samples. A preliminary model of one possible aging mechanism of XLPE cable insulation material under gamma radiation at elevated temperature of 115 °C is suggested.

Family Medicine, the specialty of the future: the Portuguese situation within the European context

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

General Practice/Family Medicine is a specialty focused on the provision of comprehensive, continuing, and community oriented, person-centred care. The lack of prestige and the difficulty in attracting trainees to the specialty have been longstanding problems in most countries around the world. In Europe, General Practice/Family Medicine is also hampered for not being recognized as a specialty throughout Europe. As for Portugal, General Practice/Family Medicine is undergoing a massive organizational reform, as well as unprecedented levels of popularity among trainees. General Practice/Family holds tremendous latent potential, and is thus a specialty with a bright future ahead. It could well establish itself as the specialty of the future if it is able to overcome the barriers that currently make of General Practice/Family Medicine an unpopular career choice. It is important to train confident, competent and polyvalent family physicians, but it is also necessary to overhaul payment schemes, to invest in primary care infra-structure and organization, and to continue to attract more and more bright and motivated trainees. PMID:19906299

Collaborative biomedicine in the age of big data: the case of cancer.

PubMed

Shaikh, Abdul R; Butte, Atul J; Schully, Sheri D; Dalton, William S; Khoury, Muin J; Hesse, Bradford W

2014-04-07

Biomedicine is undergoing a revolution driven by high throughput and connective computing that is transforming medical research and practice. Using oncology as an example, the speed and capacity of genomic sequencing technologies is advancing the utility of individual genetic profiles for anticipating risk and targeting therapeutics. The goal is to enable an era of "P4" medicine that will become increasingly more predictive, personalized, preemptive, and participative over time. This vision hinges on leveraging potentially innovative and disruptive technologies in medicine to accelerate discovery and to reorient clinical practice for patient-centered care. Based on a panel discussion at the Medicine 2.0 conference in Boston with representatives from the National Cancer Institute, Moffitt Cancer Center, and Stanford University School of Medicine, this paper explores how emerging sociotechnical frameworks, informatics platforms, and health-related policy can be used to encourage data liquidity and innovation. This builds on the Institute of Medicine's vision for a "rapid learning health care system" to enable an open source, population-based approach to cancer prevention and control.

The Rise of Mitochondria in Medicine

PubMed Central

Picard, Martin; Wallace, Douglas C; Burelle, Yan

2016-01-01

Once considered exclusively the cell's powerhouse, mitochondria are now recognized to perform multiple essential cellular functions beyond energy production, impacting most areas of cell biology and medicine. Since the emergence of molecular biology and the discovery of pathogenic mitochondrial DNA defects in the 1980's, research advances have revealed a number of common human diseases which share an underlying pathogenesis involving mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondria undergo function-defining dynamic shape changes, communicate with each other, regulate gene expression within the nucleus, modulate synaptic transmission within the brain, release molecules that contribute to oncogenic transformation and trigger inflammatory responses systemically, and influence the regulation of complex physiological systems. Novel “mitopathogenic” mechanisms are thus being uncovered across a number of medical disciplines including genetics, oncology, neurology, immunology, and critical care medicine. Increasing knowledge of the bioenergetic aspects of human disease has provided new opportunities for diagnosis, therapy, prevention, and in connecting various domains of medicine. In this article, we overview specific aspects of mitochondrial biology that have contributed to – and likely will continue to enhance the progress of modern medicine. PMID:27423788

The regulatory mechanism of fungal elicitor-induced secondary metabolite biosynthesis in medical plants.

PubMed

Zhai, Xin; Jia, Min; Chen, Ling; Zheng, Cheng-Jian; Rahman, Khalid; Han, Ting; Qin, Lu-Ping

2017-03-01

A wide range of external stress stimuli trigger plant cells to undergo complex network of reactions that ultimately lead to the synthesis and accumulation of secondary metabolites. Accumulation of such metabolites often occurs in plants subjected to stresses including various elicitors or signal molecules. Throughout evolution, endophytic fungi, an important constituent in the environment of medicinal plants, have known to form long-term stable and mutually beneficial symbiosis with medicinal plants. The endophytic fungal elicitor can rapidly and specifically induce the expression of specific genes in medicinal plants which can result in the activation of a series of specific secondary metabolic pathways resulting in the significant accumulation of active ingredients. Here we summarize the progress made on the mechanisms of fungal elicitor including elicitor signal recognition, signal transduction, gene expression and activation of the key enzymes and its application. This review provides guidance on studies which may be conducted to promote the efficient synthesis and accumulation of active ingredients by the endogenous fungal elicitor in medicinal plant cells, and provides new ideas and methods of studying the regulation of secondary metabolism in medicinal plants.

Comparative analysis of three sperm DNA damage assays and sperm nuclear protein content in couples undergoing assisted reproduction treatment.

PubMed

Simon, L; Liu, L; Murphy, K; Ge, S; Hotaling, J; Aston, K I; Emery, B; Carrell, D T

2014-05-01

Is there an association between sperm DNA damage, measured by three different assays, sperm nuclear protein content and clinical outcomes in assisted reproduction treatment (ART)? Sperm DNA damage measured by terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) and the Comet assay were significantly associated with ART outcomes in our single institution study. Abnormal protamine expression is known to be associated with sperm DNA damage and male infertility. A number of studies have shown a significant relationship between sperm DNA damage and ART outcomes. To date, there are no large studies providing direct comparisons of DNA damage tests within the same study population. Thus, the prognostic value for each method remains unknown. Cross-sectional study of 238 men from infertile couples undergoing ART at the University Center for Reproductive Medicine, Utah, USA, between April 2011 and March 2013. Sperm from men undergoing ART were tested for DNA damage using the alkaline Comet assay, TUNEL and flow cytometric chromatin evaluation (FCCE) assays. Histone retention was analysed using the aniline blue staining method, whereas protamine content (proteins P1 and P2) and ratio were analysed using acid urea gel electrophoresis. The prognostic value of each sperm DNA test to predict clinical pregnancy was calculated. Histone retention was associated with sperm DNA damage (P < 0.001), reduced embryo quality (P = 0.005) and clinical pregnancies (P < 0.001). The mean percentage of sperm with DNA damage was significantly higher in sperm from non-pregnant couples compared with that from pregnant couples, as measured by TUNEL assay (15.04 ± 1.16% versus 8.79 ± 0.56%; P < 0.001) and alkaline Comet assay (72.79 ± 2.49% versus 55.86 ± 2.29%; P < 0.001). There was no association between clinical pregnancies and DNA fragmentation index measured by FCCE (12.97 ± 1.46 versus 14.93 ± 1.65; P = 0.379). Of the protamine parameters analysed, only the P1/P2 ratio was associated with sperm count (P = 0.013), men's age (P = 0.037), maturity (P = 0.049) and blastocyst quality (P = 0.012). Histone retention and sperm DNA damage measured by Comet and TUNEL assays were associated with fertilization rate (P < 0.05), embryo quality (P < 0.05) and implantation rate (P < 0.05). A potential drawback of this study is that it is cross-sectional. Generally in such studies there is more than one variable that could cause the effect. Analysing sperm is one part of the equation; there are also a number of female factors that have the potential to influence ART outcomes. Therefore, given the large and well-established role of female factors in infertility, normal sperm DNA integrity and protamination do not necessarily ensure clinical pregnancy in ART. Thus, female factors can reduce the prognostic value of sperm DNA tests. Further, our use of native semen instead of prepared sperm may have iatrogenically increased the DNA damage. Alteration in sperm nuclear protein affects sperm DNA integrity. Further, with the current dataset, TUNEL and Comet assays appeared more predictive of ART success than FCCE. No personal or direct financial support has been received for any of this work. The authors declare no competing interests. N/A.

TH-AB-206-01: Advances in Radionuclide Therapy - From Radioiodine to Nanoparticles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Humm, J.

In the past few decades, the field of nuclear medicine has made long strides with the continued advancement of related sciences and engineering and the availability of diagnostic and therapeutic radionuclides. Leveraging these advancements while combining the advantages of therapeutic and diagnostic radionuclides into one radiopharmaceutical has also created a new subfield “theranostics” in nuclear medicine that has the potential to further propel the field into the future. This session is composed of two talks; one focused on the physics principles of theranostics from properties of beta and alpha emitting radionuclides to dosimetric models and quantification; while the second describesmore » preclinical and clinical applications of theranostics and discusses the challenges and opportunities of bringing them to the clinic. At the end of the session the listener should be able to identify: The different properties of beta and alpha emitting radionuclides Which radionuclides are selected for which nuclear medicine therapies and why How PET can be used to accurately quantify the uptake of tumor targeting molecules How individualized dosimetry can be performed from the management of thyroid cancer to novel radiolabeled antibody therapies Promising pre-clinical radiopharmaceutical pairs in prostate cancer and melanoma. Promising clinical Theranostics in neuroendocrine cancers. Challenges of bringing Theranostics to the clinic. E. Delpassand, RITA Foundation -Houston; SBIR Grant; CEO and share holder of RadioMedix.« less

Reactor shutdown delays medical procedures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gwynne, Peter

2008-01-01

A longer-than-expected maintenance shutdown of the Canadian nuclear reactor that produces North America's entire supply of molybdenum-99 - from which the radioactive isotopes technetium-99 and iodine-131 are made - caused delays to the diagnosis and treatment of thousands of seriously ill patients last month. Technetium-99 is a key component of nuclear-medicine scans, while iodine-131 is used to treat cancer and other diseases of the thyroid. Production eventually resumed, but only after the Canadian government had overruled the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), which was still concerned about the reactor's safety.

Radiation Protection Research Needs Workshop: Summary Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dewji, Shaheen A.; Davis, Jason; Hertel, Nolan E.

In order to protect humans and the environment when using ionizing radiation for the advancement and benefit of society, accurately quantifying radiation and its potential effects remains the driver for ensuring the safety and secure use of nuclear and radiological applications of technology. In the realm of radiation protection and its various applications with the nuclear fuel cycle, (nuclear) medicine, emergency response, national defense, and space exploration, the scientific and research needs to support state and federal radiation protection needs in the United States in each of these areas are still deficient.

Human somatic cell nuclear transfer and reproductive cloning: an Ethics Committee opinion.

PubMed

2016-04-01

This document presents arguments that conclude that it is unethical to use somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) for infertility treatment due to concerns about safety; the unknown impact of SCNT on children, families, and society; and the availability of other ethically acceptable means of assisted reproduction. This document replaces the ASRM Ethics Committee report titled, "Human somatic cell nuclear transfer and cloning," last published in Fertil Steril 2012;98:804-7. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Consequences for military medicine of new nuclear weapons developments].

PubMed

Vogler, H

1985-01-15

The development and production of qualitatively new nuclear weapons (e.g. neutron weapons) has consequences also for the medical protection under conditions of war. In the present paper the peculiarities of these new systems of arms as well as the profile of injured persons which is to be expected after use of neutron weapons are analysed and general conclusions for the medical service are drawn.

Radiopharmaceuticals in nuclear medicine practice

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kowalsky, R.J.; Perry, J.R.

1987-01-01

This book discusses the basic principles and clinical applications of radiopharmaceuticals. Topics include atomic physics as applied to radiopharmaceuticals, radionuclide generator function, nuclear pharmacy and safety, and radiopharmaceutical use in evaluating the major organ systems of the body. For each body system the author explains rationale for use, typical procedures, current agents of choice, and interpretation of results. Images, tables, and graphs illustrate normal and abnormal studies.

The industry of wildcrafting, gathering, and harvesting of NTFPs: an insider's perspective

Treesearch

Barb Letchworth

2001-01-01

The natural products industry has been undergoing a tremendous amount of change in the past few years. Large corporations including pharmaceutical companies, food and drug store chains, and even department stores have been adding medicinal herbs to their offerings. We can find anything from naturally raw bulk herbs, to standardized extracts, to time-released...

Counselling and Psychotherapy, Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the Future of Healthcare

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lees, John; Tovey, Phil

2012-01-01

The counselling and psychotherapy profession is undergoing considerable change as a result of government intervention in the form of regulation, funding and efficacy research. In this paper we argue that these changes, even though they challenge some of the basic ways of thinking which have come to underpin the profession since its inception, also…

A study on quantitative analysis of exposure dose caused by patient depending on time and distance in nuclear medicine examination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, H. S.; Cho, J. H.; Shin, S. G.; Dong, K. R.; Chung, W. K.; Chung, J. E.

2013-01-01

This study evaluated possible actions that can help protect against and reduce radiation exposure by measuring the exposure dose for each type of isotope that is used frequently in nuclear medicine before performing numerical analysis of the effective half-life based on the measurement results. From July to August in 2010, the study targeted 10, 6 and 5 people who underwent an 18F-FDG (fludeoxyglucose) positron emission tomography (PET) scan, 99mTc-HDP bone scan, and 201Tl myocardial single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scan, respectively, in the nuclear medicine department. After injecting the required medicine into the subjects, a survey meter was used to measure the dose depending on the distance from the heart and time elapsed. For the 18F-FDG PET scan, the dose decreased by approximately 66% at 90 min compared to that immediately after the injection and by 78% at a distance of 1 m compared to that at 0.3 m. In the 99mTc-HDP bone scan, the dose decreased by approximately 71% in 200 min compared to that immediately after the injection and by approximately 78% at a distance of 1 m compared to that at 0.3 m. In the 201Tl myocardial SPECT scan, the dose decreased by approximately 30% in 250 min compared to that immediately after the injection and by approximately 55% at a distance of 1 m compared to that at 0.3 m. In conclusion, the dose decreases by a large margin depending on the distance and time. In conclusion, this study measured the exposure doses by isotopes, distance from the heart and exposure time, and found that the doses were reduced significantly according the distance and the time.

Very small embryonic-like stem cells: implications in reproductive biology.

PubMed

Bhartiya, Deepa; Unni, Sreepoorna; Parte, Seema; Anand, Sandhya

2013-01-01

The most primitive germ cells in adult mammalian testis are the spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) whereas primordial follicles (PFs) are considered the fundamental functional unit in ovary. However, this central dogma has recently been modified with the identification of a novel population of very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs) in the adult mammalian gonads. These stem cells are more primitive to SSCs and are also implicated during postnatal ovarian neo-oogenesis and primordial follicle assembly. VSELs are pluripotent in nature and characterized by nuclear Oct-4A, cell surface SSEA-4, and other pluripotent markers like Nanog, Sox2, and TERT. VSELs are considered to be the descendants of epiblast stem cells and possibly the primordial germ cells that persist into adulthood and undergo asymmetric cell division to replenish the gonadal germ cells throughout life. Elucidation of their role during infertility, endometrial repair, superovulation, and pathogenesis of various reproductive diseases like PCOS, endometriosis, cancer, and so on needs to be addressed. Hence, a detailed review of current understanding of VSEL biology is pertinent, which will hopefully open up new avenues for research to better understand various reproductive processes and cancers. It will also be relevant for future regenerative medicine, translational research, and clinical applications in human reproduction.

Tc-NGA imaging in liver transplantation: preliminary clinical experience

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woodle, E.S.; Ward, R.E.; Stadalnik, R.C.

1989-03-01

Technetium-99m galactosyl-neoglycoalbumin (Tc-NGA) is a new liver imaging agent that binds to hepatic-binding protein, a hepatocyte-specific membrane receptor. The purpose of this study was to determine the potential of Tc-NGA imaging in clinical liver transplantation. A total of 25 studies were performed in nine patients. Imaging studies performed in the early posttransplant period in patients with good hepatic allograft function revealed diffuse patchiness in tracer distribution, a manifestation of preservation damage. Left lobar infarction was demonstrated within a few hours of ischemic injury. Right posterior segmental infarction was seen in another patient. Comparison of kinetic, clinical, and biochemical data revealedmore » good correlation between hepatic allograft function and Tc-NGA kinetics. Major kinetic alterations were noted during periods of preservation injury, hepatic infarction, and acute rejection. These studies indicate: (1) major alterations in Tc-NGA kinetics occur during preservation injury, hepatic infarction, and acute rejection, and (2) Tc-NGA kinetic data appear to provide an accurate reflection of hepatic allograft function. Tc-NGA imaging has the advantages of being noninvasive and of utilizing standard nuclear medicine instrumentation, including portable imaging devices. In conclusion, Tc-NGA imaging provides a promising noninvasive approach for evaluation of liver function in patients undergoing hepatic transplantation.« less

Mesenchymal stem cells generate distinct functional hybrids in vitro via cell fusion or entosis.

PubMed

Sottile, Francesco; Aulicino, Francesco; Theka, Ilda; Cosma, Maria Pia

2016-11-09

Homotypic and heterotypic cell-to-cell fusion are key processes during development and tissue regeneration. Nevertheless, aberrant cell fusion can contribute to tumour initiation and metastasis. Additionally, a form of cell-in-cell structure called entosis has been observed in several human tumours. Here we investigate cell-to-cell interaction between mouse mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and embryonic stem cells (ESCs). MSCs represent an important source of adult stem cells since they have great potential for regenerative medicine, even though they are also involved in cancer progression. We report that MSCs can either fuse forming heterokaryons, or be invaded by ESCs through entosis. While entosis-derived hybrids never share their genomes and induce degradation of the target cell, fusion-derived hybrids can convert into synkaryons. Importantly we show that hetero-to-synkaryon transition occurs through cell division and not by nuclear membrane fusion. Additionally, we also observe that the ROCK-actin/myosin pathway is required for both fusion and entosis in ESCs but only for entosis in MSCs. Overall, we show that MSCs can undergo fusion or entosis in culture by generating distinct functional cellular entities. These two processes are profoundly different and their outcomes should be considered given the beneficial or possible detrimental effects of MSC-based therapeutic applications.

The role of traditional Japanese medicine (Kampo) in the practice of psychosomatic medicine: the usefulness of Kampo in the treatment of the stress-related symptoms of women, especially those with peri-menopausal disorder.

PubMed

Ushiroyama, Takahisa

2013-10-22

A serious problem currently plaguing the medical field is the widening gap between academic medicine, which studies the features and causes of illness, and the medical care that patients desire. An example of this gap can be observed in the practice of psychotherapy, which is effective only for certain patients. Kampo medicine that combines the advantages of Western medicine with those of traditional Japanese medicine is currently undergoing a revival in the healthcare sector. The therapeutic policies underlying Kampo medicine are based on the physical constitution and current symptoms of each patient. For this reason, Kampo medicine is referred to as "tailor-made medicine" and has properties similar to "mind and body" or psychosomatic medicine. Some women exhibit multiple undefined stress-related symptoms during the peri-menopausal period. In order to accurately diagnose and provide patient-specific treatment, physicians should not only investigate the various stress factors in patients' lives but should also provide a Sho, or a Kampo diagnosis. The therapeutic approach in Kampo medicine is aimed at harmonizing the mind, body, and spirit; this practice involves the use of narrative and holistic medication that treats the entire being of the patient, resulting in an increased number of specialized treatment plans.There are many Kampo prescriptions tailored to treat women who exhibit various stress-related symptoms. Both Kampo and psychosomatic medicine are based on the principles of narrative-based medicine, and by integrating these two medical systems, an ideal system can be devised to better cope with the various needs of patients. This new medical system established by integrating and harmonizing Western and Eastern medicine can be used for the treatment of women with stress-related symptoms.

Prognostic implications of atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography.

PubMed

Abidov, Aiden; Hachamovitch, Rory; Rozanski, Alan; Hayes, Sean W; Santos, Marcia M; Sciammarella, Maria G; Cohen, Ishac; Gerlach, James; Friedman, John D; Germano, Guido; Berman, Daniel S

2004-09-01

The aim of this research was to determine whether presence of atrial fibrillation (AF) provides incremental prognostic information relative to myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (MPS) with respect to risk of cardiac death (CD). The prognostic significance of AF in patients undergoing MPS is not known. A total of 16,048 consecutive patients undergoing MPS were followed-up for a mean of 2.21 +/- 1.15 years for the development of CD. Of those, 384 patients (2.4%) had AF. Cox proportional hazards method was used to compare clinical and perfusion data for the prediction of CD in patients with and without AF. Atrial fibrillation was a significant predictor of CD in patients with normal (1.6% per year vs. 0.4% per year in non-AF patients), mildly abnormal (6.3% per year vs. 1.2% per year), and severely abnormal MPS (6.4% per year vs. 3.7% per year) (p < 0.001 for all). By multivariable analysis, AF patients had worse survival (p = 0.001) even after adjustment for the variables most predictive of CD: age, diabetes, shortness of breath, use of vasodilator stress, rest heart rate, and the nuclear variables. In the 4,239 patients with left ventricular ejection fraction evaluated by gated MPS, AF demonstrated incremental prognostic value not only over clinical and nuclear variables, but also over left ventricular ejection in predicting CD (p = 0.014). The presence of AF independently increases the risk of cardiac events over perfusion and function variables in patients undergoing MPS. Patients with AF have a high risk of CD, even when MPS is only mildly abnormal. Whether patients with AF and mildly abnormal MPS constitute a group more deserving of early referral to cardiac catheterization is a question warranting further study.

One-year clinical experience with a fully digitized nuclear medicine department: organizational and economical aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anema, P. C.; de Graaf, C. N.; Wilmink, J. B.; Hall, David R.; Hoekstra, A. G.; van Rijk, P. P.; Van Isselt, J. W.; Viergever, Max A.

1991-07-01

At the department of nuclear medicine of the University Hospital Utrecht a single-modality PACS has been operational since mid-1990. After one year of operation the functionality, the organizational and economical consequences, and the acceptability of the PACS were evaluated. The functional aspects reviewed were: viewing facilities, patient data management, connectivity, reporting facilities, archiving, privacy, and security. It was concluded that the improved quality of diagnostic viewing and the potential integration with diagnosis, reporting, and archiving are highly appreciated. The many problems that have occurred during the transition period, however, greatly influence the appreciation and acceptability of the PACS. Overall, it is felt that in the long term there will be a positive effect on the quality and efficiency of the work.

[Conservative calibration of a clearance monitor system for waste material from nuclear medicine].

PubMed

Wanke, Carsten; Geworski, Lilli

2014-09-01

Clearance monitor systems are used for gross gamma measurements of waste potentially contaminated with radioactivity. These measurements are to make sure that legal requirements, e.g. clearance criteria according to the german radiation protection ordinance, are met. This means that measurement results may overestimate, but must not underestimate the true values. This paper describes a pragmatic way using a calibrated Cs-137 point source to generate a conservative calibration for the clearance monitor system used in the Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (MHH). The most important nuclides used in nuclear medicine are considered. The measurement result reliably overestimates the true value of the activity present in the waste. The calibration is compliant with the demands for conservativity and traceability to national standards. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Midi-maxi computer interaction in the interpretation of nuclear medicine procedures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schlapper, G.A.

1977-01-01

A study of renal function with an Anger Gamma Camera coupled with a Digital Equipment Corporation Gamma-11 System and an IBM System 370 demonstrates the potential of quantitative determinations of physiological function through the application of midi-maxi computer interaction in the interpretation of nuclear medicine procedures. It is shown that radiotracers can provide an opportunity to assess physiological processes of renal function by noninvasively following the path of a tracer as a function of time. Time-activity relationships obtained over seven anatomically defined regions are related to parameters of a seven compartment model employed to describe the renal clearance process. Themore » values obtained for clinically significant parameters agree with known renal pathophysiology. Differentiation of failure of acute, chronic, and obstructive forms is indicated.« less

Development of the voxel computational phantoms of pediatric patients and their application to organ dose assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Choonik

A series of realistic voxel computational phantoms of pediatric patients were developed and then used for the radiation risk assessment for various exposure scenarios. The high-resolution computed tomographic images of live patients were utilized for the development of the five voxel phantoms of pediatric patients, 9-month male, 4-year female, 8-year female, 11-year male, and 14-year male. The phantoms were first developed as head and torso phantoms and then extended into whole body phantoms by utilizing computed tomographic images of a healthy adult volunteer. The whole body phantom series was modified to have the same anthropometrics with the most recent reference data reported by the international commission on radiological protection. The phantoms, named as the University of Florida series B, are the first complete set of the pediatric voxel phantoms having reference organ masses and total heights. As part of the dosimetry study, the investigation on skeletal tissue dosimetry methods was performed for better understanding of the radiation dose to the active bone marrow and bone endosteum. All of the currently available methodologies were inter-compared and benchmarked with the paired-image radiation transport model. The dosimetric characteristics of the phantoms were investigated by using Monte Carlo simulation of the broad parallel beams of external phantom in anterior-posterior, posterior-anterior, left lateral, right lateral, rotational, and isotropic angles. Organ dose conversion coefficients were calculated for extensive photon energies and compared with the conventional stylized pediatric phantoms of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The multi-slice helical computed tomography exams were simulated using Monte Carlo simulation code for various exams protocols, head, chest, abdomen, pelvis, and chest-abdomen-pelvis studies. Results have found realistic estimates of the effective doses for frequently used protocols in pediatric radiology. The results were very crucial in understanding the radiation risks of the patients undergoing computed tomography. Finally, nuclear medicine simulations were performed by calculating specific absorbed fractions for multiple target-source organ pairs via Monte Carlo simulations. Specific absorbed fractions were calculated for both photon and electron so that they can be used to calculated radionuclide S-values. All of the results were tabulated for future uses and example dose assessment was performed for selected nuclides administered in nuclear medicine.

Nuclear weapons and medicine: some ethical dilemmas.

PubMed

Haines, A; de B White, C; Gleisner, J

1983-12-01

The enormous destructive power of present stocks of nuclear weapons poses the greatest threat to public health in human history. Technical changes in weapons design are leading to an increased emphasis on the ability to fight a nuclear war, eroding the concept of deterrence based on mutually assured destruction and increasing the risk of nuclear war. Medical planning and civil defence preparations for nuclear war have recently been increased in several countries although there is little evidence that they will be of significant value in the aftermath of a nuclear conflict. These developments have raised new ethical dilemmas for those in health professions. If there is any risk of use of weapons of mass destruction, then support for deterrence with these weapons as a policy for national or global security appears to be incompatible with basic principles of medical ethics and international law. The primary medical responsibility under such circumstances is to participate in attempts to prevent nuclear war.

Progress and challenges of nuclear science development in Vietnam - an outlook on the occassion of the 10-th anniversary of the Dalat Nuclear Research Reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hien, P.D.

1994-12-31

Over ten years since the commissioning of the Dalat nuclear research reactor a number of nuclear techniques have been developed and applied in Vietnam Manufacturing of radioisotopes and nuclear instruments, development of isotope tracer and nuclear analytical techniques for environmental studies, exploitation of filtered neutron beams, ... have been major activities of reactor utilizations. Efforts made during ten years of reactor operation have resulted also in establishing and sustaining the applications of nuclear techniques in medicine, industry, agriculture, etc. The successes achieved and lessons teamed over the past ten years are discussed illustrating the approaches taken for developing the nuclearmore » science in the conditions of a country having a very low national income and experiencing a transition from a centrally planned to a market-oriented economic system.« less

Radiation or chemoradiation: initial utility study of selected therapy for local advanced stadium cervical cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pramitasari, D. A.; Gondhowiardjo, S.; Nuranna, L.

2017-08-01

This study aimed to compare radiation only or chemo radiation treatment of local advanced cervical cancers by examining the initial response of tumors and acute side effects. An initial assessment employed value based medicine (VBM) by obtaining utility values for both types of therapy. The incidences of acute lower gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and hematology side effects in patients undergoing chemoradiation did not differ significantly from those undergoing radiation alone. Utility values for patients who underwent radiation alone were higher compared to those who underwent chemoradiation. It was concluded that the complete response of patients who underwent chemoradiation did not differ significantly from those who underwent radiation alone.

Implementation of Quality Systems in Nuclear Medicine: Why It Matters. An Outcome Analysis (Quality Management Audits in Nuclear Medicine Part III).

PubMed

Dondi, Maurizio; Paez, Diana; Torres, Leonel; Marengo, Mario; Delaloye, Angelika Bischof; Solanki, Kishor; Van Zyl Ellmann, Annare; Lobato, Enrique Estrada; Miller, Rodolfo Nunez; Giammarile, Francesco; Pascual, Thomas

2018-05-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) developed a comprehensive program-Quality Management Audits in Nuclear Medicine (QUANUM). This program covers all aspects of nuclear medicine practices including, but not limited to, clinical practice, management, operations, and services. The QUANUM program, which includes quality standards detailed in relevant checklists, aims at introducing a culture of comprehensive quality audit processes that are patient oriented, systematic, and outcome based. This paper will focus on the impact of the implementation of QUANUM on daily routine practices in audited centers. Thirty-seven centers, which had been externally audited by experts under IAEA auspices at least 1 year earlier, were invited to run an internal audit using the QUANUM checklists. The external audits also served as training in quality management and the use of QUANUM for the local teams, which were responsible of conducting the internal audits. Twenty-five out of the 37 centers provided their internal audit report, which was compared with the previous external audit. The program requires that auditors score each requirement within the QUANUM checklists on a scale of 0-4, where 0-2 means nonconformance and 3-4 means conformance to international regulations and standards on which QUANUM is based. Our analysis covering both general and clinical areas assessed changes on the conformance status on a binary manner and the level of conformance scores. Statistical analysis was performed using nonparametric statistical tests. The evaluation of the general checklists showed a global improvement on both the status and the levels of conformances (P < 0.01). The evaluation of the requirements by checklist also showed a significant improvement in all, with the exception of Hormones and Tumor marker determinations, where changes were not significant. Of the 25 evaluated institutions, 88% (22 of 25) and 92% (23 of 25) improved their status and levels of conformance, respectively. Fifty-five requirements, on average, increased from nonconformance to conformance status. In 8 key areas, the number of improved requirements was well above the average: Administration & Management (checklist 2); Radiation Protection & Safety (checklist 4); General Quality Assurance system (checklist 6); Imaging Equipment Quality Assurance or Quality Control (checklist 7); General Diagnostic (checklist 9); General Therapeutic (checklist 12); Radiopharmacy Level 1 (checklist 14); and Radiopharmacy Level 2 (checklist 15). Analysis of results related to clinical activities showed an overall positive impact on both the status and the level of conformance to international standards. Similar results were obtained for the most frequently performed clinical imaging and therapeutic procedures. Our study shows that the implementation of a comprehensive quality management system through the IAEA QUANUM program has a positive impact on nuclear medicine practices. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Research in Biological and Medical Sciences Including Biochemistry, Communicable Disease and Immunology, Internal Medicine, Nuclear Medicine, Physiology, Psychiatry, Surgery, and Veterinary Medicine. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-06-30

undertaken at Fort Hood. A standard complement fixation test was used to measure antibody titers to cytomegalovirus. Herpes simplex. Varicella ...96.4 - 100.00 VARICELLA : Hepatitis B Control 57.1 23.8 76.1 61.9 95.1 88.0 100.00 92.7 100.00 - Carrier 23.3 59.9 89.9 93.2 100.00...Boletin del Hospital Infantil ( Mexico ), 1974. 4. Chamey, A., Gots, R. E., Glannella, R. A.: Sodium Potassium ATPase In Isolated intestinal villus tip

The Wesselhoefts: A medical dynasty from the age of Goethe to the era of nuclear medicine.

PubMed

Davidson, Jonathan Rt

2017-11-01

For six generations, members of the Wesselhoeft family have practiced medicine in Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Canada and/or the USA. In the early decades of the 19th century, two Wesselhoeft brothers left Europe to eventually settle in New England, where they and their progeny gave rise to a regional medical dynasty. The Wesselhoeft doctors became well-known practitioners of homeopathy, hydropathy, conventional medicine and surgery, in academic and general clinical settings. An additional connection was established to the literary worlds of Germany and the USA, either through friendships or as personal physicians.

76 FR 25357 - Advisory Committee; Medical Imaging Drugs Advisory Committee; Reestablishment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-04

... and contrast media used in diagnostic radiology and makes appropriate recommendations to the... authorities knowledgeable in the fields of nuclear medicine, radiology, epidemiology or statistics, and...

Theory of time-resolved x-ray photoelectron diffraction from transient conformational molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuru, Shota; Sako, Tokuei; Fujikawa, Takashi; Yagishita, Akira

2017-04-01

We formulate x-ray photoelectron diffraction (XPD) from molecules undergoing photochemical reactions induced by optical laser pulses, and then apply the formula to the simulation of time-dependent XPD profiles from both dissociating I2 molecules and bending C S2 molecules. The dependence of nuclear wave-packet motions on the intensity and shape of the optical laser pulses is examined. As a result, the XPD simulations based on such nuclear wave-packet calculations are observed to exhibit characteristic features, which are compared with the XPD profiles due to classical trajectories of nuclear motions. The present study provides a methodology toward creating "molecular movies" of ultrafast photochemical reactions by means of femtosecond XPD with x-ray free-electron lasers.

(abstract) Effects of Radiation and Oxidative Stress on Development and Morphology of Intestinal Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Honda, Shuji; Nelson, Gregory; Schubert, Wayne

1993-01-01

Intestinal cells when subjected to oxidative stress or radiation exhibit abnormal nuclear divisions observed as: 1) supernumerary cell divisions in anterior intestinal cells or 2) incomplete nuclear division and the persistence of anaphase bridges between daughter nuclei. Two oxygen sensitive mutants, mev-1 and rad-8 were observed to exhibit spontaneous supernumerary nuclear divisions at low frequency. N2 can be induced to undergo these divisions by treatment with the superoxide dismutase (SOD) inhibitor diethyl dithicarbamate or with the free radical generator methyl viologen. By contrast, the free radical generator bleomycin produces anaphase bridges in N2 intestinal nuclei at high frequency. Intestinal anaphase bridges can be induced by ionizing radiation and their formation is dependent on dose and radiation type.

Discovery of rhenium and masurium (technetium) by Ida Noddack-Tacke and Walter Noddack. Forgotten heroes of nuclear medicine.

PubMed

Biersack, H-J; Stelzner, F; Knapp, F F

2015-01-01

The history of the early identification of elements and their designation to the Mendeleev Table of the Elements was an important chapter in German science in which Ida (1896-1978) and Walter (1893-1960) Noddack played an important role in the first identification of rhenium (element 75, 1925) and technetium (element 43, 1933). In 1934 Ida Noddack was also the first to predict fission of uranium into smaller atoms. Although the Noddacks did not for some time later receive the recognition for the first identification of technetium-99m, their efforts have appropriately more recently been recognized. The discoveries of these early pioneers are even more astounding in light of the limited technologies and resources which were available during this period. The Noddack discoveries of elements 43 and 75 are related to the subsequent use of rhenium-188 (beta/gamma emitter) and technetium-99m (gamma emitter) in nuclear medicine. In particular, the theranostic relationship between these two generator-derived radioisotopes has been demonstrated and offers new opportunities in the current era of personalized medicine.

Children's (Pediatric) Nuclear Medicine

MedlinePlus Videos and Cool Tools

... by other imaging techniques. top of page Additional Information and Resources The Alliance for Radiation Safety in ... Send us your feedback Did you find the information you were looking for? Yes No Please type ...

Osteoporosis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Riggs, B.L. Melton III, L.J.

This book contains 20 chapters. Some of the titles are: Radiology of asteoporosis; Quantitative computed tomography in assessment of osteoporosis; Nuclear medicine and densitometry; Assessment of bone turnover by histormorphometry in osteoporosis; and The biochemistry of bone.

Investigation of the Possibility of Using Nuclear Magnetic Spin Alignment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dent, William V., Jr.

1998-01-01

The goal of the program to investigate a "Gasdynamic fusion propulsion system for space exploration" is to develop a fusion propulsion system for a manned mission to the planet mars. A study using Deuterium and Tritium atoms are currently in progress. When these atoms under-go fusion, the resulting neutrons and alpha particles are emitted in random directions (isotropically). The probable direction of emission is equal for all directions, thus resulting in wasted energy, massive shielding and cooling requirements, and serious problems with the physics of achieving fusion. If the nuclear magnetic spin moments of the deuterium and tritium nuclei could be precisely aligned at the moment of fusion, the stream of emitted neutrons could be directed out the rear of the spacecraft for thrust and the alpha particles directed forward into an electromagnet ot produce electricity to continue operating the fusion engine. The following supporting topics are discussed: nuclear magnetic moments and spin precession in magnetic field, nuclear spin quantum mechanics, kinematics of nuclear reactions, and angular distribution of particles.

Volume regulation and shape bifurcation in the cell nucleus

PubMed Central

Kim, Dong-Hwee; Li, Bo; Si, Fangwei; Phillip, Jude M.; Wirtz, Denis; Sun, Sean X.

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Alterations in nuclear morphology are closely associated with essential cell functions, such as cell motility and polarization, and correlate with a wide range of human diseases, including cancer, muscular dystrophy, dilated cardiomyopathy and progeria. However, the mechanics and forces that shape the nucleus are not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that when an adherent cell is detached from its substratum, the nucleus undergoes a large volumetric reduction accompanied by a morphological transition from an almost smooth to a heavily folded surface. We develop a mathematical model that systematically analyzes the evolution of nuclear shape and volume. The analysis suggests that the pressure difference across the nuclear envelope, which is influenced by changes in cell volume and regulated by microtubules and actin filaments, is a major factor determining nuclear morphology. Our results show that physical and chemical properties of the extracellular microenvironment directly influence nuclear morphology and suggest that there is a direct link between the environment and gene regulation. PMID:26243474

Volume regulation and shape bifurcation in the cell nucleus.

PubMed

Kim, Dong-Hwee; Li, Bo; Si, Fangwei; Phillip, Jude M; Wirtz, Denis; Sun, Sean X

2015-09-15

Alterations in nuclear morphology are closely associated with essential cell functions, such as cell motility and polarization, and correlate with a wide range of human diseases, including cancer, muscular dystrophy, dilated cardiomyopathy and progeria. However, the mechanics and forces that shape the nucleus are not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that when an adherent cell is detached from its substratum, the nucleus undergoes a large volumetric reduction accompanied by a morphological transition from an almost smooth to a heavily folded surface. We develop a mathematical model that systematically analyzes the evolution of nuclear shape and volume. The analysis suggests that the pressure difference across the nuclear envelope, which is influenced by changes in cell volume and regulated by microtubules and actin filaments, is a major factor determining nuclear morphology. Our results show that physical and chemical properties of the extracellular microenvironment directly influence nuclear morphology and suggest that there is a direct link between the environment and gene regulation. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Micronuclei frequencies and nuclear abnormalities in oral exfoliated cells of nuclear power plant workers.

PubMed

Sagari, Shitalkumar G; Babannavar, Roopa; Lohra, Abhishek; Kodgi, Ashwin; Bapure, Sunil; Rao, Yogesh; J, Arun; Malghan, Manjunath

2014-12-01

Biomonitoring provides a useful tool to estimate the genetic risk from exposure to genotoxic agents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequencies of Micronuclei (MN) and other Nuclear abnormalities (NA) from exfoliated oral mucosal cells in Nuclear Power Station (NPS) workers. Micronucleus frequencies in oral exfoliated cells were done from individuals not known to be exposed to either environmental or occupational carcinogens (Group I). Similarly samples were obtained from full-time Nuclear Power Station (NPS) workers with absence of Leukemia and any malignancy (Group II) and workers diagnosed as leukemic patients and undergoing treatment (Group III). There was statistically significant difference between Group I, Group II & Group III. MN and NA frequencies in Leukemic Patients were significantly higher than those in exposed workers &control groups (p < 0.05). MN and other NA reflect genetic changes, events associated with malignancies. Therefore, there is a need to educate those who work in NPS about the potential hazard of occupational exposure and the importance of using protective measures.

The Role of Radiopharmaceuticals in Amiodarone-Induced Thyroid Pathology.

PubMed

Irimie, Alexandru; Piciu, Doina

2017-11-10

The use of amiodarone for the treatment of ventricular and supraventricular dysrhythmias brings in organism an increased amount of iodine, interfering with thyroid function. If the treatment needs to be interrupted, iodine remains at abnormal levels for months or even years. The aim of the study was to review the literature regarding the optimal tests for early diagnostic and to analyze the role of nuclear medicine tests in the differential and correct assessment of the amiodarone-induced thyroid pathology. We made a review of available publications in PUBMED referring the amiodaroneinduced thyroid pathology, focusing on the differential diagnosis, made by nuclear medicine tests, of hypothyroidism (AIH) and hyperthyroidism expressed as: type I amiodarone induced thyrotoxicosis (AIT I), type II amiodarone induced thyrotoxicosis (AIT II), and less frequently as a mixt form, type III amiodarone induced thyrotoxicosis (AIT III). We presented cases from the database of a tertiary center in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Despite the frequent complication of thyroid function, this pathology is underestimated and diagnosed. There is a limited number of studies and clear protocols, especially in the mixed forms cases. This increase in iodine uptake interferes seriously with thyroid hormone production and release. The nuclear medicine tests are essential in the correct assessment and differential diagnosis of different forms of induced thyroid dysfunction. The destruction of the follicular cells can result in the release of excessive thyroid hormone into the circulation, with potential development of atrial fibrillation, worsening the cardiac disease, so any benefic therapeutic procedure should be known; the use of radioiodine as therapy alternative, despite the known limitations induced by blockade was clear benefic in the case presented. A special attention needs to be addressed to those patients with differentiated thyroid cancer, which will be submitted to radioiodine therapy and are under chronic therapy with amiodarone. The nuclear medicine procedures are essential in the correct assessment and differential diagnosis of different forms of induced thyroid dysfunction. The radioiodine is not recommended in AIT, due to stunning effect induced by iodine excess, but in some special, lifethreatening condition, radioiodine I-131 might be a treatment option. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Measurement of doses to the extremities of nuclear medicine staff

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shousha, Hany A.; Farag, Hamed; Hassan, Ramadan A.

2010-01-01

Medical uses of ionizing radiation now represent>95% of all man-made radiation exposure, and is the largest single radiation source after natural background radiation. Therefore, it is important to quantify the amount of radiation received by occupational individuals to optimize the working conditions for staff, and further, to compare doses in different departments to ensure compatibility with the recommended standards. For some groups working with unsealed sources in nuclear medicine units, the hands are more heavily exposed to ionizing radiation than the rest of the body. A personal dosimetry service runs extensively in Egypt. But doses to extremities have not been measured to a wide extent. The purpose of this study was to investigate the equivalent radiation doses to the fingers for five different nuclear medicine staff occupational groups for which heavy irradiation of the hands was suspected. Finger doses were measured for (1) nuclear medicine physicians, (2) technologists, (3) nurses and (4) physicists. The fifth group contains three technicians handling 131I, while the others handled 99mTc. Each staff member working with the radioactive material wore two thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) during the whole testing period, which lasted from 1 to 4 weeks. Staff performed their work on a regular basis throughout the month, and mean annual doses were calculated for these groups. Results showed that the mean equivalent doses to the fingers of technologist, nurse and physicist groups were 30.24±14.5, 30.37±17.5 and 16.3±7.7 μSv/GBq, respectively. Equivalent doses for the physicians could not be calculated per unit of activity because they did not handle the radiopharmaceuticals directly. Their doses were reported in millisieverts (mSv) that accumulated in one week. Similarly, the dose to the fingers of individuals in Group 5 was estimated to be 126.13±38.2 μSv/GBq. The maximum average finger dose, in this study, was noted in the technologists who handled therapeutic 131I (2.5 mSv). In conclusion, the maximum expected annual dose to extremities is less than the annual limit (500 mSv/y).

Complete sequences of organelle genomes from the medicinal plant Rhazya stricta (Apocynaceae) and contrasting patterns of mitochondrial genome evolution across asterids.

PubMed

Park, Seongjun; Ruhlman, Tracey A; Sabir, Jamal S M; Mutwakil, Mohammed H Z; Baeshen, Mohammed N; Sabir, Meshaal J; Baeshen, Nabih A; Jansen, Robert K

2014-05-28

Rhazya stricta is native to arid regions in South Asia and the Middle East and is used extensively in folk medicine to treat a wide range of diseases. In addition to generating genomic resources for this medicinally important plant, analyses of the complete plastid and mitochondrial genomes and a nuclear transcriptome from Rhazya provide insights into inter-compartmental transfers between genomes and the patterns of evolution among eight asterid mitochondrial genomes. The 154,841 bp plastid genome is highly conserved with gene content and order identical to the ancestral organization of angiosperms. The 548,608 bp mitochondrial genome exhibits a number of phenomena including the presence of recombinogenic repeats that generate a multipartite organization, transferred DNA from the plastid and nuclear genomes, and bidirectional DNA transfers between the mitochondrion and the nucleus. The mitochondrial genes sdh3 and rps14 have been transferred to the nucleus and have acquired targeting presequences. In the case of rps14, two copies are present in the nucleus; only one has a mitochondrial targeting presequence and may be functional. Phylogenetic analyses of both nuclear and mitochondrial copies of rps14 across angiosperms suggests Rhazya has experienced a single transfer of this gene to the nucleus, followed by a duplication event. Furthermore, the phylogenetic distribution of gene losses and the high level of sequence divergence in targeting presequences suggest multiple, independent transfers of both sdh3 and rps14 across asterids. Comparative analyses of mitochondrial genomes of eight sequenced asterids indicates a complicated evolutionary history in this large angiosperm clade with considerable diversity in genome organization and size, repeat, gene and intron content, and amount of foreign DNA from the plastid and nuclear genomes. Organelle genomes of Rhazya stricta provide valuable information for improving the understanding of mitochondrial genome evolution among angiosperms. The genomic data have enabled a rigorous examination of the gene transfer events. Rhazya is unique among the eight sequenced asterids in the types of events that have shaped the evolution of its mitochondrial genome. Furthermore, the organelle genomes of R. stricta provide valuable genomic resources for utilizing this important medicinal plant in biotechnology applications.

Development of Career Opportunities for Technicians in the Nuclear Medicine Field, Phase I. Interim Report Number 1: Survey of Job Characteristics, Manpower Needs and Training Resources, July 1969.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Technical Education Research Center, Cambridge, MA.

Phase I of a multiphase research program in progress at the Technical Education Research Center, Inc., was conducted to analyze needs and resources in terms of job performance tasks, career opportunities, and training requirements for nuclear medical technicians. Data were gathered through personal interviews with 203 persons, mostly physicians,…

Photodetectors for Nuclear Medical Imaging

PubMed Central

Moses, William W.

2009-01-01

There have been a number of recent advances in photodetector technology, notably in photomultiplier tubes with high quantum efficiency (up to ~50%), hybrid photodetectors, and silicon-based Geiger-mode photodetectors. This paper looks at the potential benefits that these technologies can bring to nuclear medicine, notably SPECT and PET. We find that while the potential benefits to SPECT are relatively small, they can bring performance improvements in many areas for PET. PMID:20161403

Nuclear Matrix Proteins in Disparity of Prostate Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-07-01

Arlington, VA 22202- 4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to any penalty... VA Medical Center7, New Orleans, LA, and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine8, Nashville, TN. (** see attached abstract) 3. Manuscript...grant # PC081594). Citation Format: Yang Y, Jia D, Davis R, Moparty K, Thomas R, Moroz K, Agrawal K, Abdel- Mageed A. Heterogeneous nuclear

Evaluation of nuclear-reactor-produced iodine-123

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blue, J. W.; Sodd, V. J.

1976-01-01

Iodine-123 has such great potential for nuclear medicine that all possible production methods should be considered. In this report, an experimental study related to I-123 production at a high-intensity fast-flux reactor using the reaction Xe-124(n,2n)Xe-123 is considered. The conclusion is that I-123 could be made in small quantities and the cost would be higher than the cyclotron methods presently used.

Nuclear Science Symposium, 25th, and Symposium on Nuclear Power Systems, 10th, Washington, D.C., October 18-20, 1978, Proceedings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

Detectors of various types are discussed, taking into account drift chambers, calorimetry, multiwire proportional chambers, signal processing, the use of semiconductors, and photo/optical applications. Circuits are considered along with instrumentation for space, nuclear medicine instrumentation, data acquisition and systems, environmental instrumentation, reactor instrumentation, and nuclear power systems. Attention is given to a new approach to high accuracy gaseous detectors, the current status of electron mobility and free-ion yield in high mobility liquids, a digital drift chamber digitizer system, the stability of oxides in high purity germanium, the quadrant photomultiplier, and the theory of imaging with a very limited number of projections.

PREFACE: EPS Euroconference XIX Nuclear Physics Divisional Conference: New Trends in Nuclear Physics Applications and Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2006-06-01

It was with great pleasure that the Department of Nuclear and Theoretical Physics of the University of Pavia and the INFN (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare) Structure of Pavia organised the XIX Nuclear Physics Divisional Conference of the European Physical Society, which was held in the historical buildings of the University of Pavia from 5-9 September 2005. The Conference was devoted to the discussion of the most recent experimental and theoretical achievements in the field of Nuclear Physics applications, as well as of the latest developments in technological tools related to Nuclear Physics research. The University of Pavia has a long tradition in Physics and in Applied Physics, being the site where Alessandro Volta developed his "pila", the precursor of the modern battery. This is the place where the first experiments with electricity were conducted and where the term "capacitance" used for capacitors was invented. Today the University hosts a Triga Mark II nuclear reactor, which is used by the Departments of the University of Pavia and by other Universities and private companies as well. Moreover, Pavia is the site selected for the construction of the CNAO complex "Centro Nazionale di Adroterapia Oncologica" (National Centre for Oncological Hadrontherapy), planned for 2005-2008 which represents a unique facility in Italy and will be among the first complexes of this type in Europe. The Conference has gathered together experts in various fields from different countries and has been the occasion to review the present status and to discuss the new emerging trends in Nuclear Physics and its applications to multidisciplinary researches and the development of new technologies. The following topics were treated: Nuclear Techniques in Medicine and Life Sciences (Cancer Therapy, new Imaging and Diagnostics Tools, Radioisotope production, Radiation Protection and Dosimetry). Applications of Nuclear Techniques in Art, Archaeometry and other Interdisciplinary fields. Role of Nuclear Techniques in Environment Problems. Applications of Nuclear Techniques relevant for Civil Security (contraband and explosive detection, search for Weapons of Mass Destruction, Nuclear Safeguards). Nuclear Applications in Space Research. Material and Structure Testing in Research and Industry. New contributions of Nuclear Techniques to the solution of the Energy Production problems and Nuclear Waste Transmutation. Emerging experimental techniques, new detectors and new modeling tools. During the Monday morning Session of the Conference, the 2005 IBA-EUROPHYSICS PRIZE for Applied Nuclear Science and Nuclear Methods in Medicine, sponsored by the Belgian company IBA, was awarded to the two laureates Werner Heil (Mainz) and Pierre Jean Nacher (Paris) for the development of spin polarized 3He targets by optical pumping and their applications in nuclear science and medicine. The meeting was a real success, with 18 invited talks, 66 contributed talks and 31 posters and an overall participation, during five full days, of around 150 scientists from different European and non-European countries. It also hosted a three day industrial exhibition of a selection of Companies that sponsored the event. The Organisers take thos opportunity to thank the University of Pavia, the Amministrazione Comunale di Pavia and the Provincia di Pavia, as well as all exhibitors (Ametek, Ansaldo Superconduttori, Caen, Else, Hamamatsu, IBA, Micos, Micron Semiconductor), for their support of the Conference. The Organisers finally wish to thank the Scientific Secretary of the Conference, Dr Andrea Fontana of INFN Pavia, for the huge amount of work done in preparing the Conference, Mr Claudio Casella of the Department of Nuclear and Theoretical Physics of the University of Pavia for technical support and the Conference staff, Dr Gaia Boghen and the graduate students Federica Devecchi and Silvia Franchino, for their invaluable help. The very effective and professional work of the staff of PRAGMA Congressi, who took charge of all the administrative and accommodation procedures, is also acknowledged. The Local Organizing Committee (Pavia, January 2006)

Electromagnetic and nuclear radiation detector using micromechanical sensors

DOEpatents

Thundat, Thomas G.; Warmack, Robert J.; Wachter, Eric A.

2000-01-01

Electromagnetic and nuclear radiation is detected by micromechanical sensors that can be coated with various interactive materials. As the micromechanical sensors absorb radiation, the sensors bend and/or undergo a shift in resonance characteristics. The bending and resonance changes are detected with high sensitivity by any of several detection methods including optical, capacitive, and piezoresistive methods. Wide bands of the electromagnetic spectrum can be imaged with picoJoule sensitivity, and specific absorptive coatings can be used for selective sensitivity in specific wavelength bands. Microcantilevers coated with optical cross-linking polymers are useful as integrating optical radiation dosimeters. Nuclear radiation dosimetry is possible by fabricating cantilevers from materials that are sensitive to various nuclear particles or radiation. Upon exposure to radiation, the cantilever bends due to stress and its resonance frequency shifts due to changes in elastic properties, based on cantilever shape and properties of the coating.

Final Report for "Boron and Tin in Nuclear Medicien: The Development of Reactive Solid-State Reagents for PET and SPECT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

George W. Kabalka

The research program was directed at the use of functionalized organometallic reagents that would rapidly react with radiolabeled agents generated by a medical cyclotron or reactor. The radioisotopes included fluorine-18, oxgygen-15, nitrogen-13, carbon-11 and iodine-123; all short lived nuclides of importantce in nuclear medicine imaging studies utilizing emission tomography techniques. The early studies led to the development of extensive new isotope incorporation chemistry. These studies validated the feasibility of using reactive intermediates, such as the organoboranes, and acted as a catalyst for others to investigate organometallic agents based on mercury, tin, and silicon. A large number of radiolabeling techniques andmore » radiopharmaceuticals were developed. These included agents for use in oncology, neurology, and metabolism. The research resulted in the generation of one hundred and one journal articles, eighty seven refereed published abstracts and forty one invited lectures. Thirteen postdoctoral students, fourteen graduate students, and twenty eight undergraduate students were trained in the scientific aspects of nuclear medicine imaging under the asupices of this grant.« less

Measurement of gadolinium retention: current status and review from an applied radiation physics perspective.

PubMed

Gräfe, James L; McNeill, Fiona E

2018-06-28

This article briefly reviews the main measurement techniques for the non-invasive detection of residual gadolinium (Gd) in those exposed to gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs). Approach and Main results: The current status of in vivo Gd measurement is discussed and is put into the context of concerns within the radiology community. The main techniques are based on applied atomic/nuclear medicine utilizing the characteristic atomic and nuclear spectroscopic signature of Gd. The main emission energies are in the 40-200 keV region and require spectroscopic detectors with good energy resolution. The two main techniques, prompt gamma neutron activation analysis and x-ray fluorescence, provide adequate detection limits for in vivo measurement, whilst delivering a low effective radiation dose on the order of a few µSv. Gadolinium is being detected in measureable quantities in people with healthy renal function who have received FDA approved GBCAs. The applied atomic/nuclear medicine techniques discussed in this review will be useful in determining the significance of this retention, and will help on advising future administration protocols.

Chromatin insulator bodies are nuclear structures that form in response to osmotic stress and cell death

PubMed Central

Schoborg, Todd; Rickels, Ryan; Barrios, Josh

2013-01-01

Chromatin insulators assist in the formation of higher-order chromatin structures by mediating long-range contacts between distant genomic sites. It has been suggested that insulators accomplish this task by forming dense nuclear foci termed insulator bodies that result from the coalescence of multiple protein-bound insulators. However, these structures remain poorly understood, particularly the mechanisms triggering body formation and their role in nuclear function. In this paper, we show that insulator proteins undergo a dramatic and dynamic spatial reorganization into insulator bodies during osmostress and cell death in a high osmolarity glycerol–p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase–independent manner, leading to a large reduction in DNA-bound insulator proteins that rapidly repopulate chromatin as the bodies disassemble upon return to isotonicity. These bodies occupy distinct nuclear territories and contain a defined structural arrangement of insulator proteins. Our findings suggest insulator bodies are novel nuclear stress foci that can be used as a proxy to monitor the chromatin-bound state of insulator proteins and provide new insights into the effects of osmostress on nuclear and genome organization. PMID:23878275

Innovations in Nuclear Infrastructure and Education

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

John Bernard

The decision to implement the Innovation in Nuclear Infrastructure and Engineering Program (INIE) was an important first step towards ensuring that the United States preserves its worldwide leadership role in the field of nuclear science and engineering. Prior to INIE, university nuclear science and engineering programs were waning, undergraduate student enrollment was down, university research reactors were being shut down, while others faced the real possibility of closure. For too long, cutting edge research in the areas of nuclear medicine, neutron scattering, radiochemistry, and advanced materials was undervalued and therefore underfunded. The INIE program corrected this lapse in focus andmore » direction and started the process of drawing a new blueprint with positive goals and objectives that supports existing as well the next generation of educators, students and researchers.« less

Worldwide Report, Epidemiology.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-06

patients, particularly children, are undergoing treatment in Jamalpur Hospital . Meanwhile, the local medical practioners attributed such a large...injection and other relevant medicines in the government hospital and local markets. It is learnt that four persons of village Dalnia, three of village...30 (BSS)— Ophthalmia has broken out in an epidemic form in the town during the last fortnight. According to Narayanganj Modernised Hospital sources

Reaction between (Z)-arylchlorooximes and α-isocyanoacetamides: a procedure for the synthesis of aryl-α-ketoamide amides.

PubMed

Giustiniano, Mariateresa; Mercalli, Valentina; Cassese, Hilde; Di Maro, Salvatore; Galli, Ubaldina; Novellino, Ettore; Tron, Gian Cesare

2014-07-03

(Z)-Arylchlorooximes and α-isocyanoacetamides undergo a smooth reaction to produce 1,3-oxazol-2-oxime derivatives in good yields. Opening of the oxazole ring and deoximation reaction give a facile access to aryl-α-ketoamide amides, a class of privileged scaffolds in medicinal chemistry and important synthetic intermediates in organic chemistry.

Your Radiologist Explains Nuclear Medicine

MedlinePlus Videos and Cool Tools

... into the bloodstream, inhaled or swallowed. The radiotracer travels through the area being examined and gives off ... Radiology Info dot org. Thank you for your time! Spotlight Recently posted: Pancreatic Cancer The Limitations of ...

Preventive medicines: vaccination, prophylaxis of infectious diseases, disinfectants.

PubMed

Heininger, Ulrich

2011-01-01

Immunizations belong to the most successful interventions in medicine. Like other drugs, vaccines undergo long periods of pre-clinical development, followed by careful clinical testing through study Phases I, II, and III before they receive licensure. A successful candidate vaccine will move on to be an investigational vaccine to undergo three phases of pre-licensure clinical trials in a stepwise fashion before it can be considered for approval, followed by an optional fourth phase of post-marketing assessment. The overall risk-benefit assessment of a candidate vaccine is very critical in making the licensure decision for regulatory authorities, supported by their scientific committees. It includes analyses of immunogenicity, efficacy, reactogenicity or tolerability, and safety of the vaccine. Public trust in vaccines is a key to the success of immunization programs worldwide. Maintaining this trust requires knowledge of the benefits and scientific understanding of real or perceived risks of immunizations. Under certain circumstances, pre- or post-exposure passive immunization can be achieved by administration of immunoglobulines. In terms of prevention of infectious diseases, disinfection can be applied to reduce the risk of transmission of pathogens from patient to patient, health-care workers to patients, patients to health-care workers, and objects or medical devices to patients.