Pilot Study for Correlation of Heart Rate Variability and Dopamine Transporter Brain Imaging in Patients with Parkinsonian Syndrome.

Background: Parkinsonian syndrome (PS) is a broad category of neurodegenerative movement disorders that includes Parkinson disease, multiple system atrophy (MSA), progressive supranuclear palsy, and corticobasal degeneration. Parkinson disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder with loss of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra and, thus, dysfunction of the nigrostriatal pathway. In addition to the motor symptoms of bradykinesia, rigidity, tremors, and postural instability, nonmotor symptoms such as autonomic dysregulation (AutD) can also occur.

Diagnosis of Pulmonary Embolism on 99mTc-Labeled Macroaggregated Albumin Lung Imaging After Hepatic Arterial Injection for Planning of Radioembolization.

A 54-year-old man with hepatocellular carcinoma from alcohol-induced cirrhosis presented with hepatic encephalopathy and refractory ascites related to decompensated liver disease. MRI confirmed disease progression adjacent the site of prior radiofrequency ablation, performed 2 years prior, with associated right hepatic vein tumor thrombus. 99mTc-labeled macroaggregated albumin lung shunt imaging performed before 90Y radioembolization identified a left lower lobe wedge-shaped defect, confirmed as pulmonary embolism on CT pulmonary angiography and MRI.

Pearls and Pitfalls of Quantitative Software Analysis of Dopamine Transporter SPECT.

Dopamine transporter SPECT with I-N-ω-fluoropropyl-2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-iodophenyl) nortropane (I-ioflupane) aids in the diagnosis of parkinsonian syndrome by demonstrating loss of striatal dopamine transporters, proportional to nigrostriatal dopaminergic neuronal loss. Quantitative software analysis (QSA) is a helpful adjunct to visual interpretation. An atlas of pearls and pitfalls of QSA is presented.

Foam superstabilization by polymer microrods.

Few foam systems stabilized by solid particles have been reported, and usually the particles have been used in combination with surfactants. We report how foams can be stabilized solely with a new class of anisotropic particles, hydrophobic polymer microrods of diameter less than 1 mum and length of a few tens of micrometers. The obtained foams were extraordinary stable, retaining a constant volume over many days and even surviving drying of most of the free liquid.