Objectives: Recently, there have been important advances in the clinical application of targeted hybrid near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent-radioactive tracers. ICG-99mTc-nanocolloid, for example, is already being used by some centres for sentinel lymph node biopsy in head and neck cancer. The radioactive component allows imaging at depths which would not be possible with NIR alone and, once exposed, the NIR fluorescence reporter can be imaged at very high resolution. Gamma detection is currently carried out with a separate hand-held gamma camera or with a non-imaging probe. Visualisation of NIR fluorescence during surgery requires a dedicated NIR camera, several of which are available commercially. We describe a novel hand-held hybrid NIR-gamma small field of view camera, capable of displaying co-aligned images from both modalities, which can be fused into one image or viewed separately. This study is a preliminary investigation of the performance of the fluorescence component of this camera, including phantom studies and first images from a preclinical pilot study. Methods: The hybrid camera consists of a 1500 µm thick thallium doped caesium iodide columnar (CsI:Tl) scintillator coupled to an electron multiplying charged coupled device (EMCCD). A 1.0mm diameter tungsten pinhole collimator gives a 40mm x 40mm nominal field of view for an 8mm x 8mm CCD detection area. A fluorescence camera was aligned to provide the same field of view as the gamma camera with an LED ring as the excitation source. The performance of the fluorescence imaging was quantified in this study for the fluorophores ICG and IRDye800CW (CW800) using a range of bespoke phantom experiments. In vivo images were also obtained from a preclinical study of a targeted hybrid tracer (cRGD-CW800-TCO + TCO-DOTA-111In) in mice with HT29 colorectal cancer xenografts. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The portable hybrid camera prototype has been shown to successfully image dual NIR-gamma tracers using both in vitro and in vivo experimental models. With further development, this camera could be used intraoperatively, offering the benefits of gamma imaging at depth in tissues and high resolution surface NIR fluorescence imaging in a single imaging system.
Background: Tooth wear is one of the most common problems in the older dentate population which results from the interaction of three processes (attrition, abrasion and erosion) and it affects all societies, different age groups, and all cultures. This study was achieved to evaluate the prevalence and distribution of tooth wear among institutionalized residents in Baghdad city\ Iraq. Subjects and Methods: This survey was accomplished on four private and one governmental institution in Baghdad city. One-hundred twenty three (61 males, 62 females) aged 50-89 years were participated in this study. The diagnosis and recording of tooth wear were according to criteria of Smith and Knight. Results: The prevalence of tooth wear was 100% with a mean
... Show MoreThe emergence of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) or nanocomposite membranes embedded with inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) has opened up a possibility for developing different polymeric membranes with improved physicochemical properties, mechanical properties and performance for resolving environmental and energy-effective water purification. This paper presents an overview of the effects of different hydrophilic nanomaterials, including mineral nanomaterials (e.g., silicon dioxide (SiO2) and zeolite), metals oxide (e.g., copper oxide (CuO), zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), antimony tin oxide (ATO), iron (III) oxide (Fe2O3) and tungsten oxide (WOX)), two-dimensional transition (e.g., MXene), metal–organic framework (MOFs), c
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The study aims to build a training program based on the Connectivism Theory to develop e-learning competencies for Islamic education teachers in the Governorate of Dhofar, as well as to identify its effectiveness. The study sample consisted of (30) Islamic education teachers to implement the training program, they were randomly selected. The study used the descriptive approach to determine the electronic competencies and build the training program, and the quasi-experimental approach to determine the effectiveness of the program. The study tools were the cognitive achievement test and the observation card, which were applied before and after. The study found that the effectiveness of the training program
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The research aims to investigate the private sector attitudes toward operational contracting in special education schools. The research adopted the qualitative approach by using personal interviews with a sample of (45) private school owners and managers in Oman. The results of the research revealed that there is an agreement among the majority of respondents on the ability of the private sector to manage special education schools, the advantages of the partnership, as well as the need for guarantees to support this partnership. The government should fully assume it. The role of the private sector remains to raise the operational efficiency of schools. Opinions vary about the level of powers granted to t
... Show MoreThis search seeks to know the trends of academics in the field of Press and audio, video and read press about paper press compared with continued development and widespread deployment of web journalism. This research belongs to descriptive studies which depends on sample survey approach adopted by five-meter design measuring trends. It contains 28 items having applied honesty and reliability transaction and the scale form is distributed to the sample studied of about 110 professors and then the researcher collects them and then applying the appropriate statistical program to get the results. This search seeks to know the trends of academics in the field of Press and audio, video and read press about paper press compared with continu
... Show Morestudy aims to examine education and the challenges of globalization in light of Corona pandemic. The examination involves surveying a randomly selected sample from the University of Baghdad’s professors, particularly from the colleges of Education for Women, Arts, and Sciences. The purpose of this examination is to learn about the dimensions of globalization, its effects on the educational process, and the importance of distance education during the spread of Corona virus quarantine. To achieve this, the researcher followed a descriptive and analytical approach by applying a questionnaire to a sample of 70 teachers who were randomly selected electronically. Results have shown that 78.6% emphasized the contribution of globalization duri
... Show MoreThis research means a study (the impact of the Arab-Islamic environment on contemporary painting, the artist Abd al-Rahman al-Suleiman as a model). The research falls into two axes: the first: the theoretical axis, and the second: the applied axis. The first axis dealt with an introduction that contained: (the research problem, its importance, its goal, its limits, and the definition of terms). This research aims to uncover (the impact of the Arab-Islamic environment on contemporary painting, and the artist Suleiman was a model). And the research limits spatially: Saudi Arabia, and temporally: 2010-2014. This theme included two topics: The first: the characteristics of the Saudi environment and its impact on art. The second: the s
... Show MoreOver the past decades, several studies have examined the subcellular localization of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) P6 protein by tagging it with GFP (P6-GFP). These investigations have been essential in the development of models for inclusion body formation, nuclear transport, and microfilament-associated intracellular movement of P6 inclusion bodies for delivery of virions to plasmodesmata. Although it was shown early on that the translational transactivation function of P6-GFP was comparable to wild type P6, it has not been possible to incorporate a P6-GFP gene into an infectious clone of CaMV. Consequently, it has not been possible to formally prove that a P6-GFP fusion is comparable in function to the unmodified P6 protein. Here w
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