Fourier temporal interpolation improves electrocardiograph-gated myocardial perfusion SPECT.

Unlabelled: The optimal temporal sampling rate in electrocardiograph-gated myocardial SPECT is questionable: low rates, typically 8 frames per cardiac beat (8fr/cb), favor image quality, whereas high rates, typically 16 frames per cardiac beat (16fr/cb), favor the accuracy of left ventricular (LV) functional parameters. We examined whether Fourier temporal interpolation (FTI) from 8fr/cb to 16fr/cb can combine the advantages of low and high rates.

Methods: In 34 patients imaged after stress injection of (99m)Tc-sestamibi, 4 sets of reconstructed gated slices were compared: a raw 16fr/cb acquisition (R16), a raw 8fr/cb acquisition (R8), a 16fr/cb set obtained by FTI of 8fr/cb projections (IP), and a 16fr/cb set obtained by FTI of 8fr/cb reconstructed slices (IS).

Comparative myocardial uptake of technetium-99 m sestamibi and technetium-99m tetrofosmin one hour after stress injection.

Technetium-99m sestamibi and 99mTc-tetrofosmin are at present the preferred tracers for simultaneous assessment of myocardial perfusion and function by gated single-photon emission tomography (SPET). The aim of this work was to compare sestamibi and tetrofosmin myocardial uptake 1 h after stress injection. Consecutive unselected patients were studied either with sestamibi or with tetrofosmin on a random basis, until at least 100 patients had been enrolled for each gender and tracer.

Degradation of Raw Starch by a Wild Amylolytic Strain of Lactobacillus plantarum.

Lactobacillus plantarum A6, isolated from fermented cassava, can break down cassava raw starch that has not been subjected to preliminary physicochemical treatment. When the pH was kept at 6, the microorganism cultured in a bioreactor excreted a high alpha-amylase activity (60 U/ml). Synthesis of the enzyme occurred during the stationary phase and resulted in full hydrolysis of the cassava starch granules.