Advances in molecular imaging of pancreatic beta cells.

The development of non-invasive imaging methods for early diagnosis of beta cell associated metabolic diseases, including type 1 and type 2 diabetes (T1D and T2D), has recently drawn interest from the molecular imaging community and clinical investigators. Due to the challenges imposed by the location of the pancreas, the sparsely dispersed beta cell population within the pancreas, and the poor understanding of the pathogenesis of the diseases, clinical diagnosis of beta cell abnormalities is still limited. Current diagnostic methods are invasive, often inaccurate, and usually performed post-onset of the disease.

Vascular imaging of solid tumors in rats with a radioactive arsenic-labeled antibody that binds exposed phosphatidylserine.

Purpose: We recently reported that anionic phospholipids, principally phosphatidylserine, become exposed on the external surface of vascular endothelial cells in tumors, probably in response to oxidative stresses present in the tumor microenvironment. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that a chimeric monoclonal antibody that binds phosphatidylserine could be labeled with radioactive arsenic isotopes and used for molecular imaging of solid tumors in rats.

Experimental Design: Bavituximab was labeled with (74)As (beta(+), T(1/2) 17.

A new method for radiochemical separation of arsenic from irradiated germanium oxide.

Radioarsenic labelled radiopharmaceuticals could be a valuable asset to Positron Emission Tomography (PET). In particular, the long half-lives of (72)As (T(1/2)=26 h) and (74)As (T(1/2)=17.8 d) allow to investigate slow physiological or metabolical processes, like the enrichment and distribution of antibodies in tumor tissue.

Bone phenotype of the aromatase deficient mouse.

Estrogens are important for normal bone growth and metabolism. The mechanisms are incompletely understood. Thus, we have undertaken characterization of the skeletal phenotype of aromatase (ArKO) deficient mice.

Analytic treatment of resolution precision in electronically collimated SPECT imaging involving multiple-interaction gamma rays.

The widely applied single-interaction analytic expression characterizing the energy resolution component of the angular resolution precision for an electronically collimated point source is extended to include multiple-interaction Compton scatter sequences as well as sequences terminated by photoelectric absorption. The analytic formulation is developed using the statistical variance of the mean for components comprising composite, multivariate resolution precision estimators. It is demonstrated that enhanced resolution precision in the incident interaction scatter angle is attained when use is made of information from multiple interactions.

SPECT electronic collimation resolution enhancement using chi-square minimization.

An electronic collimation technique is developed which utilizes the chi-square goodness-of-fit measure to filter scattered gammas incident upon a medical imaging detector. In this data mining technique, Compton kinematic expressions are used as the chi-square fitting templates for measured energy-deposition data involving multiple-interaction scatter sequences. Fit optimization is conducted using the Davidon variable metric minimization algorithm to simultaneously determine the best-fit gamma scatter angles and their associated uncertainties, with the uncertainty associated with the first scatter angle corresponding to the angular resolution precision for the source.

[Medical observations in feeding rations consisting of food concentrates].

Ten therapeutic and surgical patients aged 19-30 received rations composed of food concentrates during 9 days, their state of health was satisfactory during the whole follow-up period. The palatability of the food was highly appreciated by all the patients at the initial period of their feeding with concentrates, and the food was eaten up completely, it was only on day 7-8 that the patients complained of the "monotony" of the dishes proposed to them, especially, of milk foods. The data of the medical follow-up and physiological examination of the patients revealed no functional changes in their body.

[Hygienic evaluation of a diet consisting of canned products containing milk and vegetable proteins].

An experiment was carried out on the volunteers who received during 3 weeks dinners composed of canned foods containing milk and vegetable proteins. Canned beef and mutton contained 33% of casein and 8% of soybean protein, 50% of casein and 14% of soybean protein were included into canned pork. During the whole period of the experiment the volunteers felt well and did accept the repeated dishes.

[Changes in body functional state of man receiving ready-to-use food concentrate bricks].

During 3 days 8 young volunteers received briquet food concentrates ready for use. The concentrates made up the pocket diet to be employed on an individualized basis. The mass of the diet was 600 g.

[Body function in nutrition with a diet made up of canned products during acclimatization to a hot climate].

Eight physically trained male volunteers living in tropical countries were examined. Being under high physical load they were given the diet (for 3 weeks) containing food concentrates and canned food with a caloric value of 3860 calories. Energy expenditures amounted to 3600-4100 kcal/day.

[Changes in various indicators of orthostatic stability in humans on long-term low-caloric diets].

Ten male volunteers received a low-caloric diet (LCD) (under 1200 kcal) containing 49.4 g protein, 28 g fat and 181 g carbohydrates for 3 weeks, with energy expenditure amounting to about 2900 kcal/day. During the time indicated, the body mass of the test subjects dropped by 7.

[Human body function indices in the long-term feeding of a low-calorie diet composed of canned products].

Five healthy trained men aged 27-46 with a body weight approximating an ideal one were kept on a diet containing 95.4 g protein, 552.6 g carbohydrates and 81.

[Effect of total fasting on testicular lipid fractions in rats].

Rats weighing 290 g each were fasting for 12 days with no changes occurring in the weight of the testicles, total lipids, phospholipids, di- and triglycerides content therein. The cholesterol ethers level increased by 53 per cent and in the composition of di- and triglycerides and the cholesterol ethers the relative content of high-molecular polyunsaturated fatty acids was going up, while the fatty acids composition of the phospholipids remained the same.