Machine learning to predict environmental dose rates from a radionuclide therapy service - a proof of concept study.

The Ionising Radiation Regulations 2017 requires prior risk assessment calculations and regular environmental monitoring of radiation doses. However, the accuracy of prior risk assessments is limited by assumptions and monitoring only provides retrospective evaluation. This is particularly challenging in nuclear medicine for areas surrounding radionuclide therapy patient bathroom wastewater pipework.

The Mental Health Burden of Patients with Colorectal Cancer Receiving Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results of the PICO-SM Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented changes to the lives of patients with cancer. To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and well-being of patients with colorectal cancer, we conducted a prospective longitudinal questionnaire study at a UK tertiary cancer centre. In total, 216 participants were included: mean age 65 years, 57% ( = 122) male, 92% ( = 198) of white ethnicity.

The Impact of Changes in Service Delivery in Patients With Colorectal Cancer During the Initial Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has imposed significant changes in cancer service delivery resulting in increased anxiety and distress in both patients and clinicians. We aimed to investigate how these changes have been perceived by patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer and identify determinants of increased anxiety.

Patients And Methods: An anonymized 32-item survey in the specialized lower gastrointestinal cancer outpatient clinics at a tertiary cancer center in North West England between May 18 and July 1, 2020.

A case report of cerebral arterial gas embolism (CAGE) associated with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

A 43-year-old female scuba diver was retrieved and treated following a rapid ascent and presumed cerebral arterial gas embolism (CAGE). She subsequently developed respiratory distress and was found to have Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, with transient left ventricular dysfunction, elevated cardiac enzymes, and normal CT coronary angiography. We believe this to be the first report of CAGE associated with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

The Influence of Adjuvant Systemic Regimens on Contralateral Breast Cancer Risk and Receptor Subtype.

Background: An increasing number of breast cancer (BC) survivors are at risk of developing contralateral breast cancer (CBC). We aimed to investigate the influence of various adjuvant systemic regimens on, subtype-specific, risk of CBC.

Methods: This population-based cohort study included female patients diagnosed with first invasive BC between 2003 and 2010; follow-up was complete until 2016.

Risk factors for metachronous contralateral breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The risk of developing metachronous contralateral breast cancer (CBC) is a recurrent topic at the outpatient clinic. We aimed to provide CBC risk estimates of published patient, pathological, and primary breast cancer (PBC) treatment-related factors.

Methods: PubMed was searched for publications on factors associated with CBC risk.

Extracardiac F-florbetapir imaging in patients with systemic amyloidosis: more than hearts and minds.

Purpose: F-Florbetapir has been reported to show cardiac uptake in patients with systemic light-chain amyloidosis (AL). This study systematically assessed uptake of F-florbetapir in patients with proven systemic amyloidosis at sites outside the heart.

Methods: Seventeen patients with proven cardiac amyloidosis underwent F-florbetapir PET/CT imaging, 15 with AL and 2 with transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR).

Independent replication of polymorphisms predicting toxicity in breast cancer patients randomized between dose-dense and docetaxel-containing adjuvant chemotherapy.

Introduction: Although pharmacogenomics has evolved substantially, a predictive test for chemotherapy toxicity is still lacking. We compared the toxicity of adjuvant dose-dense doxorubicin-cyclophosphamide (ddAC) and docetaxel-doxorubicin-cyclophosphamide (TAC) in a randomized multicenter phase III trial and replicated previously reported associations between genotypes and toxicity.

Results: 646 patients (97%) were evaluable for toxicity (grade 2 and higher).

Patient-specific optimisation of administered activity and acquisition times for F-FDG PET imaging.

Background: The purpose of this study is to identify a method for optimising the administered activity and acquisition time for F-FDG PET imaging, yielding images of consistent quality for patients with varying body sizes and compositions, while limiting radiation doses to patients and staff. Patients referred for FDG scans had bioimpedance measurements. They were injected with 3 MBq/kg of F up to 370 MBq and scanned on a Siemens Biograph mCT at 3 or 4 min per bed position.

Adjuvant radiotherapy for primary breast cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers and risk of contralateral breast cancer with special attention to patients irradiated at younger age.

The purpose of this study was to estimate the influence of adjuvant radiotherapy for primary breast cancer (BC) on the risk of contralateral BC (CBC) in BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) mutation carriers, with special attention to patients irradiated at age younger than 40 years. Additionally, tendencies in locoregional treatments and rates of contralateral risk-reducing mastectomy over time were explored. In this retrospective cohort study, 691 BRCA1/2-associated BC patients treated between 1980 and 2013 were followed from diagnosis until CBC or censoring event including ipsilateral BC recurrence, distant metastasis, contralateral risk-reducing mastectomy, other invasive cancer diagnosis, death, or loss to follow up.

Evaluation of image enhancement software as a method of performing half-count bone scans.

Reducing the radiation dose and scanning time of diagnostic tests is often desirable. One method uses image enhancement software such as Pixon, which processes lower-count scans and aims to produce high-quality images. However, it is essential that diagnostic accuracy is not compromised.

Domiciliary humidification improves lung mucociliary clearance in patients with bronchiectasis.

Inspired air humidification has been reported to show some benefit in bronchiectatic patients. We have investigated the possibility that one effect might be to enhance mucociliary clearance. Such enhancement might, if it occurs, help to lessen the risks of recurrent infective episodes.

Training of staff for the delivery of PET/CT services in the UK.

Evidence for the cost effectiveness of PET/CT imaging is now driving the widespread introduction of PET/CT services throughout the UK. The provision of PET/CT facilities will require a workforce of medical, scientific, technical and engineering staff who are adequately trained and fit for purpose. Suitably trained staff in this speciality are scarce.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase expression is restricted to fetal trophoblast giant cells during murine gestation and is maternal genome specific.

Pharmacologic inhibition of indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase (IDO) activity during murine pregnancy results in rejection of allogeneic fetuses by the maternal immune system. Here, we show that IDO expression is restricted to perinuclear regions of primary trophoblast giant cells (TGCs) of fetal origin at mid-gestation (E10.5).

SPECT imaging of feet using uniplanar fad-beam collimators.

Background: This study was performed to assess the utility of bone SPECT in the feet using a new commercially available uniplanar fan-beam collimator originally designed for cardiac imaging.

Methods: 18 patients with symptoms or signs of probable skeletal pathology in either the foot or ankle were imaged using a two headed gamma camera fitted with uniplanar fan-beam collimators. All patients were imaged 2.

A novel form of manually assisted ventilation.

We report an individual with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy who has devised a way to assist her respiration by using her hands braced against the tray of her wheelchair. Utilizing this method, she was able to increase her tidal volume (VT) and lower her respiratory rate compared to unassisted spontaneous breathing, thereby maintaining a stable minute volume. The manually assisted VT measurements were comparable to those achieved using an intermittent abdominal pressure respirator (pneumatic belt).

Ciliary neurotrophic factor induces glial fibrillary acidic protein in retinal Müller cells through the JAK/STAT signal transduction pathway.

Purpose: Intravitreal injection of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) is known to induce glial intermediate filament protein (GFAP) expression in retinal Müller cells. Because CNTF binding can activate multiple signaling kinases, we have examined the involvement of JAK/STAT pathway in GFAP induction in Müller cells.

Methods: CNTF was injected intravitreally into mouse eyes.

The cationic C-terminus of rat Muc2 facilitates dimer formation post translationally and is subsequently removed by furin.

Earlier immunolocalization experiments showed that the extreme cationic C-terminus of the rat intestinal mucin Muc2 (RMC) was present at the base of intestinal goblet cells in the vicinity of ER and golgi compartments, but was not found with the rest of the mucin in apical storage granules. This prompted us to investigate the possibility that an early proteolytic cleavage reaction occurs post-translationally. A plasmid pRMC, encoding the C-terminal 534 amino acids of the mucin, was expressed in COS-7 cells and was shown to undergo cleavage at an R-T-R-R sequence located within the C-terminal 14 amino acids.

Roles of calreticulin and calnexin during mucin synthesis in LS180 and HT29/A1 human colonic adenocarcinoma cells.

Molecular chaperones are presumed to associate with large secretory mucin glycoproteins during their synthesis in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), but have not been identified to date. We decided to look for possible involvement of the chaperones calreticulin (CRT) and calnexin (CLN) during synthesis of two similar gastrointestinal mucins, MUC2 and MUC5AC. Pulse-chase labelling of MUC2 and MUC5AC with [(35)S]methionine/cysteine ([(35)S]Promix) was performed using LS180 and HT29/A1 colonic carcinoma cell lines and was followed by immunoprecipitation with anti-mucin and anti-chaperone antibodies.

Regulated and unregulated pathways for MUC2 mucin secretion in human colonic LS180 adenocarcinoma cells are distinct.

We have shown previously [McCool, Forstner and Forstner (1994) Biochem. J. 302, 111-118] using pulse-chase labelling of mucin with [3H]threonine that LS180 colonic tumour cells synthesize and secrete MUC2 without the addition of secretagogues.

Photoreceptor cells in the vitiligo mouse die by apoptosis. TRPM-2/clusterin expression is increased in the neural retina and in the retinal pigment epithelium.

Purpose: To determine the mechanism of photoreceptor cell death in the vitiligo mouse, a model of retinal degeneration in which the genetic defect is not retina specific but is instead caused by single point mutation in the microphthalmia (mi) gene that codes for a basic helix-loop-helix DNA transcription factor.

Methods: Detection of apoptotic cells was performed in fixed retinal tissue using the TUNEL assay in animals 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 16, 32, 40, and 52 weeks. Electron microscopic analysis was used to confirm the morphologic hallmarks of apoptosis, and Southern blot analysis was used to detect internucleosomal DNA fragmentation.