We investigated the applicability of Ion Beam Induced Luminescence (IBIL) analysis for identifying biological components in sequentially collected airborne particulate matter (PM) samples obtained ...using the automated sampler. A series of micro-IBIL spectroscopies were performed on a PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) membrane tape filter from the Atmospheric Environmental Regional Observation System (AEROS) during a highly concentrated air pollution event on 26–27 March 2020, collected at Ota, Japan (36.290°n, 139.381°e) using an external 3 MeV proton microprobe. IBIL at typical wavelengths associated with organic compounds such as NADH and riboflavin were identified through the series of IBIL analyses, which is a key factor for identifying existence of organic pollutions, or bioaerosols. The decay times of the IBIL indicate that the peak measured is due to organic compounds rather than inorganic particles or ambient substances. These results suggest that micro-IBIL spectroscopy can be used to identify bioaerosols in hourly collected AEROS PTFE membrane tape filters taken from the atmosphere.
We investigated element composition ratios in two sets of sequentially collected airborne particulate matter (PM) samples obtained through the automatic sampler of the Atmospheric Environmental ...Regional Observation System (AEROS). A series of micro-PIXE analyses and imaging were performed on a PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) membrane tape filter corresponding to two hourly time slots through a high-concentration air pollution event from 26th to 27th March 2020 sampled at Ota, Japan (36.290° N, 139.381° E) by utilizing an external 3 MeV proton microprobe. Latent variables of sequentially collected PM samples were analyzed by the non-linear least square method and classified by those clustering driven by house-made data analysis software. Micro-PIXE imaging effectively confirmed the presence of large elemental agglomerations on the PTFE membrane tape filter of AEROS that often appeared as outliners in data analysis.
In recent years, robots have been equipped with the ability to express emotions and have begun building social relationships with people. However, the significance and effectiveness of incorporating ...emotion in industrial robots, which have a strong instrumental nature, is not fully understood. We investigated how emotional expressions of an industrial robot influence human collaborative decision-making. The participants (n=52), in a laboratory experiment, engaged in a dessert survival task with an arm robot in a 2 (emotion expression: present vs. absent) × 2 (competence: high vs. low) between-participants study. Emotion was expressed using color through a LED strip of lights - e.g., anger was conveyed by flashing red. The results showed that emotion expression and competence did not influence the final agreement and, in fact, emotion expressions made the interaction longer, emphasizing the difficulty in communicating emotion and the reason for those expressions. We discuss lessons learnt and provide insight on improving the value of emotion expression in industrial robots.
A 54-year-old Japanese woman, hospitalized for recurrent chronic alcoholic pancreatitis, manifested bloody stools. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed active bleeding from the papilla of Vater. ...Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) revealed a pseudoaneurysm in the pancreatic pseudocyst (hemosuccus pancreaticus). Angiography demonstrated pseudoaneurysm of the dorsal pancreatic artery branch. We selected N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA) as an embolus material because of the existing coagulopathy and difficulty in selecting the arterial branch. The administered NBCA outflowed into the pancreatic duct over the pseudoaneurysm. However, transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) was successful, and no complication or rebleeding was observed after TAE. CECT showed NBCA cast in the pancreatic duct; however, the chronic pancreatitis improved. NBCA may be used to regulate hemosuccus pancreaticus in emergency settings; however, interventional radiologists must carefully consider the complications caused by NBCA.
OBJECTIVETo improve the estimation of Tc mercaptoacetyltriglycine clearance in the renal uptake method by optimizing the conditions of renal depth, background, threshold for renal boundary ...determination, and time interval for integrating renal counts.
METHODSDynamic renal imaging was performed in 232 patients with dual energy window acquisition (main, 140±14 keV; sub, 122.5±3.5 keV). For drawing renal regions of interest (ROIs), cut-off methods with 50% and 70% of the highest renal pixel counts were used. For drawing the backgrounds, circumferential and lateral-inferior quadrant peri-renal ROIs were used. For setting the time interval, periods of 1–2, 1–2.5, 1.5–2.5, 1.5–3 and 2–3 min post-injection were used. For determining renal depth, three methods of a theoretical exponential function using scatter fraction, Tønnesenʼs formula, and linear combination of scatter fraction and Tønnesenʼs formula were used. The scatter fraction was calculated using the counts in renal ROIs in the two energy windows. Using every combination of these conditions, renal uptake was calculated. As a reference, one-sample clearance was calculated from a blood sample taken at 30 min post-injection following Bubeckʼs formula. According to the methods for estimating renal depth, three non-linear regression models were derived to convert renal uptake to clearance. Using one-sample clearance and integrated renal counts as dependent and independent variables, data were fitted to the models to determine the necessary constants. The correlations between the model estimated clearances and one-sample clearance were investigated.
RESULTSOne-sample clearance ranged from 11 to 404 ml·min per 1.73 m. More than half of the regression using renal depth determined by the scatter fraction alone failed to converge. Among the successfully converged regressions, all model estimated clearances showed significant correlations (P<0.01) with one-sample clearance. The best correlation was observed in the model using renal depth determined by the combination of scatter fraction and Tønnesenʼs formulas, renal ROIs by 50% cut-off, lateral-inferior background and time interval of 2–3 min (r=0.898, P<0.001).
CONCLUSIONThe renal uptake method for estimating the clearance of mercaptoacetyltriglycine can be improved by the processing conditions proposed here.
A case of adamantinoma is reported in which three-phase radionuclide bone imaging was performed to characterize the lesion. A 16-year-old boy was hospitalized with left lower leg pain and swelling. ...On a plain radiograph, an osteolytic lesion was shown in the left tibia. A three-phase bone scan with Tc-99m MDP showed increased blood flow, increased blood pooling, and localized increased accumulation in the area corresponding to the lesion seen on the radiograph, in respective phases. Surgical biopsy revealed that the lesion was an adamantinoma. Adamantinoma should be included in the gamut of positive findings on three-phase bone imaging.
A 38-year-old woman was hospitalized for syncope. Because an electrocardiogram showed intermittent ventricular tachycardia, myocardial perfusion imaging with technetium-99m tetrofosmin was performed ...to screen for coronary artery disease. Left ventricular myocardial perfusion was within normal limits. However, symmetric bilateral breast uptake was noted. According to her clinical history, she had been breast-feeding her 5-month-old infant until this admission. In these circumstances, the breast uptake of Tc-99m tetrofosmin was thought to be physiologic and related to lactation.
A 64-year-old man was hospitalized for examination of a neck tumor. A computed tomographic (CT) scan showed a thyroid tumor, including calcification and cystic changes in the right lobe, and soft ...tissue density masses were seen in the neck and mediastinum. Tc-99m pertechnetate imaging showed a defect in the area corresponding to the mass seen on CT. Tl-201 imaging showed marked accumulation in the mass both in the early and delayed images. On Ga-67 imaging, there was accumulation comparable to that seen with Tl-201 in the same area. Surgical biopsy revealed that the tumor was squamous cell carcinoma. Because no other primary lesion was detected, the lesion was thought to be thyroid in origin.
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