18F-FDG PET/CT contribution to tuberculous vertebral osteomyelitis diagnosis: a case report.

Tuberculous vertebral osteomyelitis (TVO) is an extrapulmonary tuberculosis form characterized by difficulty and delay in diagnosis. PET/CT is a valuable, well-established tool in the diagnostic workup of cancer and fever of unknown origin, which is increasingly appreciated in the management of infectious diseases. We report a TVO case where PET/CT had a valuable contribution towards diagnosis and monitoring of treatment response, highlighting its advantages and future perspectives when dealing with infectious diseases.

Mechanical, Electrical, and Thermal Properties of Carbon Nanotube Buckypapers/Epoxy Nanocomposites Produced by Oxidized and Epoxidized Nanotubes.

High volume fraction carbon nanotube (CNT) composites (7.5-16% vol.) were fabricated by the impregnation of CNT buckypapers into epoxy resin.

Diagnostic Value of F-FDG-PET/CT in Patients with FUO.

Conventional diagnostic imaging is often ineffective in revealing the underlying cause in a considerable proportion of patients with fever of unknown origin (FUO). The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-FDG-PET/CT) in patients with FUO. We retrospectively reviewed F-FDG-PET/CT scans performed on 50 consecutive adult patients referred to our department for further investigation of classic FUO.

Comparison of White Blood Cell Scintigraphy, FDG PET/CT and MRI in Suspected Diabetic Foot Infection: Results of a Large Retrospective Multicenter Study.

Diabetic foot infections (DFIs) represent one of the most frequent and disabling morbidities of longstanding diabetes; therefore, early diagnosis is mandatory. The aim of this multicenter retrospective study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of white blood cell scintigraphy (WBC), F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ((F) FDG PET/CT), and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in patients with suspected DFI. Images and clinical data from 251 patients enrolled by five centers were collected in order to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of WBC, FDG, and MRI in diagnosing osteomyelitis (OM), soft-tissue infection (STI), and Charcot osteoarthropathy.

Sanitary effect of FE-DBD cold plasma in ambient air on sewage biosolids.

Sewage sludge is treated by means of cold plasma and stabilization in terms of biological load deactivation is achieved. The plasma is produced by floating electrode dielectric barrier discharge operating with air under atmospheric pressure conditions. The process is presented in detail and the discharge is characterized electrically.

Study of Si Nanowires Produced by Metal-Assisted Chemical Etching as a Light-Trapping Material in n-type c-Si Solar Cells.

Si nanowires (SiNWs) produced by metal-assisted chemical etching on n-type Si were investigated for their use as a light-trapping material in c-Si solar cells. The nanowires were fabricated before junction formation (on a lightly doped Si substrate) so that their core was bulk and nonporous. The above fabrication process was implemented in solar cell fabrication.

Tubular Intestinal Duplication Harboring Gastric Ectopia Accurately Diagnosed by Tc-99m Pertechnetate Single-photon Emission Computed Tomography/Computed Tomography Meckel's Scan.

A 7-year-old girl with an episode of hematochezia and melena, suspicious for bleeding Meckel's diverticulum, was referred for a Tc-99m pertechnetate Meckel's scan. On dynamic planar scan, apart from prompt gastric visualization an oval-shaped, area of inhomogeneous tracer uptake was observed in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen. Subsequent single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography localized this to intestinal lumen, thus establishing the diagnosis of intestinal duplication (ID) with functional gastric mucosa.

Plasma high sensitivity C-reactive protein and its relationship with cytokine levels in children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes and ketoacidosis.

Background: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and pro-inflammatory cytokines have been suggested as sensitive markers of endothelial dysfunction. Our aim was to monitor plasma hs-CRP levels at different time-points and in different degrees of ketoacidosis severity, its association with cytokine levels and its role as a marker of severe ketoacidosis complications.

Patients And Methods: We studied in 38 newly diagnosed children with type 1 diabetes and ketoacidosis, aged 7.

Is 0.75 mm Breslow thickness the correct cut-off point for performing sentinel node biopsy in patients with melanoma?

Currently, in patients with malignant melanoma there is no clear cut-off point of Breslow thickness in order to avoid unnecessary lymph node excision surgery, without missing metastatic nodes. We retrospectively studied a cohort of 64 patients, with pathologically proven malignant melanoma, who underwent lymph node scintigraphy and surgical resection of the sentinel node, during the last two years. The patients were divided into 5 groups: Group 1: Ten patients, mean age 46 ± 6 years (range 40-55 years), with Breslow thickness of the lesion 0.

High volume fraction carbon nanotube-epoxy composites.

A versatile processing technique for fabricating epoxy nanocomposites with a high weight fraction of oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes is presented. Thin carbon nanotube based preforms were prepared through an oxidation-filtration protocol and then immersed in a pre-polymerized epoxy/curing agent solution in acetone. By adjusting the conditions for the oxidation of carbon nanotubes and the epoxy concentration in the as-prepared solution, high loading of graphitic nanostructures was obtained.

(99m)Tc-sestamibi uptake in rat skeletal muscle and heart: physiological determinants and correlations.

The lipophilic cationic radiotracer (99m)Tc-sestamibi, known to be concentrated within mitochondria, is widely used for myocardial perfusion and to a lesser extent for muscle metabolism imaging. However, the exact distribution pattern in skeletal muscle has not been yet studied in detail. The present study aims to investigate the (99m)Tc-sestamibi uptake in rat skeletal muscle and myocardium in relation to their metabolic characteristics.

Effect of aerobic training on 99mTc-methoxy isobutyl isonitrile (99mTc-sestamibi) uptake by myocardium and skeletal muscle: implication for noninvasive assessment of muscle metabolic profile.

Aim: The effect of long-term endurance training on skeletal muscle and myocardial uptake of (99m)Tc-sestamibi, a radiopharmaceutical accumulating in the mitochondria, was investigated.

Methods: Twenty-six Wistar rats were divided into a trained (5 days week(-1) endurance running for 14 weeks) and an untrained group. On completion of training, (99m)Tc-sestamibi was administered and, 2 h post-injection, the myocardium and the soleus, extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscles were removed for the measurement of cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) activity and (99m)Tc-sestamibi uptake.

Assessment of brown adipose tissue activity in rats by 99mTc-sestamibi uptake.

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) physiology and imaging have recently attracted considerable attention. BAT is characterized both by enhanced perfusion and increased mitochondrial activity. (99m)Tc-sestamibi is a lipophilic cationic tracer that concentrates in mitochondria.

Effect of quinapril or losartan alone and in combination on left ventricular systolic and diastolic functions in asymptomatic patients with diabetic autonomic neuropathy.

Objective: To investigate the effect of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition (ACE-I) or angiotensin receptor blockade (ARB), and their combination, on both diabetic autonomic neuropathy (DAN) and left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) in asymptomatic patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Materials And Methods: Sixty-two patients (34 women) with long-term DM (24 with Type 1) and DAN, aged 51.7+/-13.

Heart rate is the major determinant of diastolic filling pattern during growth: a radionuclide ventriculography assessment.

Left ventricular diastolic filling is a fundamental constituent of cardiac performance. Diastolic function in both adults and children can be routinely assessed by radionuclide ventriculography (RNV). It has previously been shown that factors such as heart rate (HR) and age can significantly modify diastolic performance in adults, thus limiting the clinical applicability of RNV diastolic indices.