ACPSEM position paper: recommendations for a digital general X-ray quality assurance program.

This guideline has been prepared by the ACPSEM to provide a standardised quality assurance program to be used within General X-ray imaging environments. The guideline includes the responsibilities of various multidisciplinary team members within medical imaging facilities. It must be noted that the listed tests and testing frequencies are not intended to replace or become regulatory requirements.

Automating population dose survey processing-An Australian feasibility study.

Background: A comprehensive collection of data on doses in adult computed tomography procedures in Australia has not been undertaken for some time. This is largely due to the effort involved in collecting the data required for calculating the population dose. This data collection effort can be greatly reduced, and the coverage increased, if the process can be automated without major changes to the workflow of the imaging facilities providing the data.

Effectiveness of low dose computed tomography to detect fractures in paediatric suspected physical abuse: a systematic review.

Purpose: The skeletal survey X-ray series is the current 'gold standard' when investigating suspected physical abuse (SPA) of children, in addition to a non-contrast computed tomography (CT) brain scan. This systematic literature review synthesised findings of published research to determine if low dose computed tomography (LDCT) could detect subtle fractures and therefore replace the skeletal survey X-ray series in the investigation of SPA in children aged under 3 years.

Methods: Five electronic databases and grey literature were systematically searched from their inception to 28 April 2022.

Comparison of typical radiation doses and risks using an anthropomorphic 'bone fracture' phantom for commonly performed X-ray projections in a 5-year-old.

Introduction: Diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) are typical dose levels for medical imaging examinations for groups of standard-sized patients or standard phantoms for broadly defined types of equipment used as a tool to aid optimisation of protection for medical exposures. Currently, there are no paediatric DRLs for conventional radiography (i.e.

Typical median effective radiation doses using an anthropomorphic bone fracture phantom for initial radiographic skeletal surveys in the investigation of suspected physical abuse.

Background: A series of 31 radiographs is recommended by the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) when investigating suspected physical abuse (SPA).

Objective: To determine the radiation dose delivered for skeletal surveys performed for SPA in Victorian radiology departments based on their local protocols.

Materials And Methods: A 5-year-old paediatric bone fracture phantom was radiographed at five radiology sites using both the RCR recommended protocol and, where applicable, the local departmental SPA protocol.

Updated Australian diagnostic reference levels for adult CT.

Introduction: In 2018, ARPANSA published updated national DRLs for adult CT, which were first published in 2012, and augmented the national DRL categories. This paper presents the updated national DRLs and describes the process by which they were produced.

Methods: Examine patient survey data submitted to the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) National Diagnostic Reference Level Service (NDRLS).

Establishing IAEA TRS-457 diagnostic X-ray beam qualities at the Australian primary standard dosimetry laboratory.

This paper reports the process and findings in establishing the diagnostic beam qualities for the calibration of diagnostic dose meters in the Australian primary standard dosimetry laboratory at the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, ARPANSA. A novel iterative method to achieve the RQR beam quality requirements described by IEC 61267 is presented. The correction factors for the primary standard free-air chamber and their uncertainties are reported.

Benchmarking the performance of fixed-image receptor digital radiography systems. Part 2: system performance metric.

This is part two of a two-part study in benchmarking system performance of fixed digital radiographic systems. The study compares the system performance of seven fixed digital radiography systems based on quantitative metrics like modulation transfer function (sMTF), normalised noise power spectrum (sNNPS), detective quantum efficiency (sDQE) and entrance surface air kerma (ESAK). It was found that the most efficient image receptors (greatest sDQE) were not necessarily operating at the lowest ESAK.

Benchmarking the performance of fixed-image receptor digital radiographic systems part 1: a novel method for image quality analysis.

This is the first part of a two-part study in benchmarking the performance of fixed digital radiographic general X-ray systems. This paper concentrates on reporting findings related to quantitative analysis techniques used to establish comparative image quality metrics. A systematic technical comparison of the evaluated systems is presented in part two of this study.

Polyethylenimine-based amphiphilic core-shell nanoparticles: study of gene delivery and intracellular trafficking.

Amphiphilic core-shell nanoparticle, which is composed of a hydrophobic core and a branched polyethylenimine (PEI) shell, has been designed and synthesized as a novel gene delivery nanocarrier. In our previous study, we demonstrated that the core-shell nanoparticle was not only able to efficiently complex with plasmid DNA (pDNA) and protect it against enzymatic degradation, but also three times less cytotoxic, and threefold more efficient in gene transfection than branched 25 kDa PEI. This paper reports our further studies in the following three aspects: (1) the ability of the PEI-based nanoparticles to deliver gene in various mammalian cell lines; (2) intracellular distributions of the nanoparticles and their pDNA complexes in HeLa cells; and (3) incorporation of nuclear targeting agent into the nanoparticle/pDNA complexes to enhance the nuclear targeting ability.

Characterisation of Cl⁻ transporter and channels in experimentally induced myopic chick eyes.

Background: Experimental evidence has shown that myopic and hyperopic optical defocus induces thickening and thinning of the choroids, respectively, moving the retina forward and backward toward the plane of focus; however, the underlying mechanism of this phenomenon remains elusive. It has been hypothesised that the change in choroidal thickness might be elicited by the alteration of ion and fluid transport across the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Therefore, the aims of the present study were to determine the content of specific Cl(-) transporter/channel mRNA and proteins in chick RPE in a normal, untreated state and in lens-induced myopia.