Development of a universal medical X-ray imaging phantom prototype.

Diagnostic X-ray imaging depends on the maintenance of image quality that allows for proper diagnosis of medical conditions. Maintenance of image quality requires quality assurance programs on the various X-ray modalities, which consist of pro-jection radiography (including mobile X-ray units), fluoroscopy, mammography, and computed tomography (CT) scanning. Currently a variety of modality-specific phantoms are used to perform quality assurance (QA) tests.

Diagnostic reference levels in low- and middle-income countries: early "ALARAm" bells?

Background In 1996 the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) introduced diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) as a quality assurance tool for radiation dose optimization. While many countries have published DRLs, available data are largely from high-income countries. There is arguably a greater need for DRLs in low- and middle-income-countries (LMICs), where imaging equipment may be older and trained imaging technicians are scarce.

Influence of sanitizers on the lipopolysaccharide toxicity of Escherichia coli strains cultivated in the presence of Zygosaccharomyces bailii.

The influence of sublethal concentrations of two sanitizers, liquid iodophor and liquid hypochlorite (LH), on the growth rates and toxicity of food-borne pathogenic Escherichia coli strains grown in the presence of spoilage yeast Zygosaccharomyces bailii was assessed. When grown in combination with Z. bailii both E.

In-house development of a neonatal chest simulation phantom.

The aim of the study was to design and construct an anatomical and radiological phantom of a neonatal chest for investigating image quality and patient entrance surface dose (ESD). The density, elemental composition, scatter, attenuation, and absorption characteristics of different possible substitute materials were compared to that of neonatal tissues for radiological equivalence. Availability and cost of possible substitute materials were also considered.

Isolation, identification and typification of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris and Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius strains from orchard soil and the fruit processing environment in South Africa.

Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris and Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius are thermo-acidophilic, non-pathogenic, spore-forming bacteria that can survive the typical heat processing of fruit juices and concentrates. Bacterial endospores then germinate, grow and cause spoilage of acid food products. Species of Alicyclobacillus were isolated from orchard soil and a fruit concentrate production factory in South Africa.

Isolation and identification of species of Alicyclobacillus from orchard soil in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Alicyclobacilli were isolated from orchard soil collected from an apple and pear farm in Elgin, Western Cape, South Africa. Morphological, biochemical and physiological characteristics of the isolates were used to presumptively classify them as belonging to the genus Alicyclobacillus. Strains were identified to species level by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with genus-specific primers, and 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing.