Utility of F-15 diuretic MAG3 renography in assessment of paediatric hydronephrosis.

Introduction: Diuretic renography is crucial in evaluation of paediatric hydronephrosis. Furosemide is conventionally given 15-20 min after radiolabelled tracer (F+15/F+20 protocol), however this is equivocal in around 15% of patients. Giving furosemide 15 min prior to tracer (F-15 MAG3 protocol) has been suggested as an additional tool in the investigation of patients with suspected upper urinary tract obstruction.

Low yield from imaging after non urine tract infections in children treated in primary care and emergency department.

Background: Imaging is recommended for selected children following urinary tract infections (UTIs) to look for actionable structural abnormalities. Non is considered high risk in many national guidelines, but evidence is mainly drawn from small cohorts from tertiary centres.

Objective: To ascertain imaging yield from infants and children <12 years diagnosed with their first confirmed UTI (pure single growth >100 000 cfu per ml) in primary care or an emergency department without admission stratified by bacteria type.

The prevalence of familial vesicoureteric reflux in infants with normal antenatal scans.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of familial vesicoureteric reflux (VUR) by studying the outcomes of screening in a contemporary cohort of newborns with normal antenatal kidney scans.

Methods: A review of screening outcomes in newborns with a first degree relative with VUR, normal antenatal scans and no prior urine infections between 2014-2019 at three maternity units in the North East of England was conducted. Imaging consisted of micturating cystourethrogram (MCUG) in all and renal tract ultrasound scan (RUS) routinely in two units and by clinician preference in one unit.

Diagnosing and treating occult vesicoureteric reflux using PIC cystography: Is it influenced by abnormalities on DMSA?

Background: Positioning the Instillation of Contrast cystography (PICc) is used to identify occult vesicoureteric reflux (VUR) in patients with recurrent urinary tract infections (UTI) despite optimized bladder and bowel function and without VUR demonstrated on conventional imaging.

Aim: To determine the incidence of finding occult VUR in such patients usingPICc and the benefit, if any, of treating it. We also assessed if this was influenced by abnormalities on the pre-operative DMSA.

Ratiology and a Complementary Class of Metrics for Cardiovascular Investigations.

Cardiovascular investigations often involve ratio-based metrics or differences: ejection fraction, arterial pressure augmentation index, coronary fractional flow reserve, pulse pressure. Focusing on a single number (ratio or difference) implies that information is lost. The lost companions constitute a well-defined but thus far unrecognized class, having additive value, a physical dimension, and often a physiological meaning.

The Pythagorean theorem reveals the inherent companion of cardiac ejection fraction.

Background: Quantification of ventricular performance requires a comprehensive metric which is manageable for patient care and clinical trials. Ejection fraction (EF) has been embraced as an attractive candidate. However, being a dimensionless ratio, EF has serious limitations.

Sex- and Age-Related Reference Values in Cardiology, with Annotations and Guidelines for Interpretation.

The definition of "abnormal" in clinical sciences is often based on so-called reference values which point to a range that experts by some sort of consensus consider as normal when looking at biological variables. Such a level is commonly calculated by taking (twice) the standard deviation from the mean, or considering certain percentiles. The suspicion or even confirmation of a disease is then established by demonstrating that the value measured exceeds the upper or lower reference value.

Ejection fraction as related to basic components in the left and right ventricular volume domains.

Background: Ejection fraction (EF) is commonly applied as a clinically relevant metric to assess ventricular function. The numerical value of EF depends on the interplay between end-systolic volume (ESV) and end-diastolic volume (EDV). Remarkably, the relative impact of the two constitutive components on EF received little attention.

Radioactive seed localization compared with wire-guided localization of non-palpable breast carcinoma in breast conservation surgery- the first experience in the United Kingdom.

Objective: In the UK, guidewires have traditionally been used for localization of non-palpable breast lesions in patients undergoing breast conservation surgery (BCS). Radioactive seed localization (RSL) using Iodine-125 seeds is an alternative localization method and involves inserting a titanium capsule, containing radioactive Iodine-125, into the breast lesion. We aim to demonstrate feasibility of RSL compared with guidewire-localization (GWL) for BCS in the UK.

Monte Carlo method applied to the evaluation of the relationship between ejection fraction and its constituent components.

Ventricular function is routinely assessed by applying the clinically accepted metric ejection fraction (EF). The numerical value of EF depends on the interplay between end-systolic volume (ESV) and end-diastolic volume (EDV). The relative impact of the two constitutive components has received little attention.

Effect of sex, age, and weight on ejection fraction and end-systolic volume reference limits in gated myocardial perfusion SPECT.

Background: The left-ventricular ejection fraction (EF) and end-systolic volume (ESV) are strong predictors of prognosis for cardiac death. Gated myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (gSPECT) may be used to measure ESV and EF. However, systematic differences may exist between referred populations.

The effect of imaging time, radiopharmaceutical, full fat milk and water on interfering extra-cardiac activity in myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography.

Background And Aim: Extra-cardiac activity can interfere with observer interpretation of myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images. Fatty meals and drinks to reduce interference have been tested; however, a simple study of delayed imaging with (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin and (99m)Tc-sestamibi has not been specifically addressed. The aim was to quantify the effects of imaging time, radiopharmaceutical and oral administration of full fat milk and water on interfering activity.

Exo-pi-bonding to an ortho-carborane hypercarbon atom: systematic icosahedral cage distortions reflected in the structures of the fluoro-, hydroxy- and amino-carboranes, 1-X-2-Ph-1,2-C2B10H10 (X=F, OH or NH2) and related anions.

The structures of derivatives of phenyl-ortho-carborane bearing on the second cage hypercarbon atom a pi-donor substituent (F, OH, O-, NH2, NH- and CH2-) were investigated by NMR, X-ray crystallography and computational studies. The molecular structures of these compounds, notably their cage C1-C2 distances and the orientations of their pi-donor substituents (OH, NH2, NH- and CH2-) show remarkable and systematic variations with the degree of exo pi-bonding, which varies as expected with the pi-donor characteristics of the substituent.