Investigation of Yersinia pestis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strains from Georgia and neighboring countries in the Caucasus by high-density SNP microarray.

Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is a recently evolved clone of the enteropathogenic bacterium Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Y. pestis has been extensively studied for decades; however, there are insufficient data about the intra-species diversity of this microorganism in certain parts of the world, including the Caucasus region.

Systematic radiation dose optimization of abdominal dual-energy CT on a second-generation dual-source CT scanner: assessment of the accuracy of iodine uptake measurement and image quality in an in vitro and in vivo investigations.

Purpose: To assess the accuracy of iodine quantification in a phantom study at different radiation dose levels with dual-energy dual-source CT and to evaluate image quality and radiation doses in patients undergoing a single-energy and two dual-energy abdominal CT protocols.

Methods: In a phantom study, the accuracy of iodine quantification (4.5-23.

Seroepidemiology and molecular diversity of Leishmania donovani complex in Georgia.

Background: Leishmaniasis includes multiple clinical syndromes, most notably visceral, cutaneous, and mucosal forms. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar, is a potentially fatal disease endemic to large parts of Africa and Asia, and in South-Eastern Europe (Greece, Turkey, Georgia). Visceral leishmaniasis is a parasitic zoonosis caused by species of the L.

Comparative Proteomic Studies of Yersinia pestis Strains Isolated from Natural Foci in the Republic of Georgia.

Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is a highly virulent bacterium responsible for millions of human deaths throughout history. In the last decade, two natural plague foci have been described in the Republic of Georgia from which dozens of Y. pestis strains have been isolated.

Assessment of image quality and low-contrast detectability in abdominal CT of obese patients: comparison of a novel integrated circuit with a conventional discrete circuit detector at different tube voltages.

Objectives: To compare image quality and low-contrast detectability of an integrated circuit (IC) detector in abdominal CT of obese patients with conventional detector technology at low tube voltages.

Methods: A liver phantom with 45 lesions was placed in a water container to mimic an obese patient and examined on two different CT systems at 80, 100 and 120 kVp. The systems were equipped with either the IC or conventional detector.