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bis-Phenol A (BPA), bis-Phenol S (BPS), and bis-Phenol F (BPF) are important polymer industry plasticizers. Regulatory measures have restricted the use of BPA in plastic formulations, especially for those which come in contact with food products. Rapid, accurate spectroscopic measurements are required for distinguishing which of the three are present. The bis-phenol groups are structurally identical. The second set of bis-groups (CH3-C-CH3, O=S=O, and H-C-H, respectively) are discretely different chemically, but vibrational modes corresponding to these groups are not unique identifiers, routinely overlapping with wavenumbers present in other members of the set. The dual modality method identifies the specific wavenumbers in which the Infrared (IR) signal is near zero and the Raman relative intensity is maximum, and those in which the Raman signal is minimum and the IR signal is maximum. The normalized intensity ratio between IR and Raman enhances the signal [BPA 10.6 (1508 cm−1); BPS 7.4 (751 cm−1); BPF 5.1 (1100 cm−1)]. The ratio between Raman and IR in BPF is also enhanced: 6.3 (845 cm−1). Discerning which specific wavenumbers are most enhanced is experimentally feasible, though not necessarily at present theoretically predictable. This study demonstrates that IR and Raman spectra are not just complimentary, but together they are confirmatory even when the normalized intensity ratios of corresponding wavenumbers are most different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is limited empirical research and insight into the experiences of therapy trainees who are being taught more than one psychotherapeutic approach during their training. Further understanding is warranted to ensure that a dual modality approach to training (that is, where therapists are trained in two paradigmatically distinct modalities) is experienced as worthwhile and acceptable to trainees and to better understand any challenges faced when transitioning between approaches. The aim of this study was to investigate trainees' experiences of transitioning from psychodynamic counselling to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) on a two‐year master's degree that offers a dual modality approach to training. Data were collected from a sample of 8 trainees using an online semistructured questionnaire. These data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's (2020) reflexive thematic analysis. Four main themes were identified: (1) perceived competence; (2) preparedness; (3) professional advantages; and (4) external challenges. The findings suggested considerable individual variation in the ease with which participants navigated the transition between therapeutic modalities. Those who found the transition easier used the structure of CBT to provide a framework and point of difference that allowed them to temporarily suspend their psychodynamic learning in order to embrace a new therapeutic approach. Others experienced the move to CBT as posing a threat to their developing identities as counsellors. Recommendations are made on how to prepare trainees for the transition including exploring the psychological impact of transitions, increasing opportunities for reflective practice and facilitating exploration of what it means to be a therapist trained in two distinct therapeutic modalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to generate visually useful imagery by preventing cropping while maintaining resolution and minimizing the degradation of stability and distortion to enhance the stability of a video for Augmented Reality applications. The focus is placed on conducting research that balances maintaining execution speed with performance improvements. By processing Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensor data using the Versatile Quaternion-based Filter algorithm and optical flow, our research first applies motion compensation to frames of input video. To address cropping, PCA-flow-based video stabilization is then performed. Furthermore, to mitigate distortion occurring during the full-frame video creation process, neural rendering is applied, resulting in the output of stabilized frames. The anticipated effect of using an IMU sensor is the production of full-frame videos that maintain visual quality while increasing the stability of a video. Our technique contributes to correcting video shakes and has the advantage of generating visually useful imagery at low cost. Thus, we propose a novel hybrid full-frame video stabilization algorithm that produces full-frame videos after motion compensation with an IMU sensor. Evaluating our method against three metrics, the Stability score, Distortion value, and Cropping ratio, results indicated that stabilization was more effectively achieved with robustness to flow inaccuracy when effectively using an IMU sensor. In particular, among the evaluation outcomes, within the "Turn" category, our method exhibited an 18% enhancement in the Stability score and a 3% improvement in the Distortion value compared to the average results of previously proposed full-frame video stabilization-based methods, including PCA flow, neural rendering, and DIFRINT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

bis-Phenol A (BPA), bis-Phenol S (BPS), and bis-Phenol F (BPF) are important polymer industry plasticizers. Regulatory measures have restricted the use of BPA in plastic formulations, especially for those which come in contact with food products. Rapid, accurate spectroscopic measurements are required for distinguishing which of the three are present. The bis-phenol groups are structurally identical. The second set of bis-groups (CH3-C-CH3, O=S=O, and H-C-H, respectively) are discretely different chemically, but vibrational modes corresponding to these groups are not unique identifiers, routinely overlapping with wavenumbers present in other members of the set. The dual modality method identifies the specific wavenumbers in which the Infrared (IR) signal is near zero and the Raman relative intensity is maximum, and those in which the Raman signal is minimum and the IR signal is maximum. The normalized intensity ratio between IR and Raman enhances the signal [BPA 10.6 (1508 cm−1); BPS 7.4 (751 cm−1); BPF 5.1 (1100 cm−1)]. The ratio between Raman and IR in BPF is also enhanced: 6.3 (845 cm−1). Discerning which specific wavenumbers are most enhanced is experimentally feasible, though not necessarily at present theoretically predictable. This study demonstrates that IR and Raman spectra are not just complimentary, but together they are confirmatory even when the normalized intensity ratios of corresponding wavenumbers are most different.

This study aims to generate visually useful imagery by preventing cropping while maintaining resolution and minimizing the degradation of stability and distortion to enhance the stability of a video for Augmented Reality applications. The focus is placed on conducting research that balances maintaining execution speed with performance improvements. By processing Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensor data using the Versatile Quaternion-based Filter algorithm and optical flow, our research first applies motion compensation to frames of input video. To address cropping, PCA-flow-based video stabilization is then performed. Furthermore, to mitigate distortion occurring during the full-frame video creation process, neural rendering is applied, resulting in the output of stabilized frames. The anticipated effect of using an IMU sensor is the production of full-frame videos that maintain visual quality while increasing the stability of a video. Our technique contributes to correcting video shakes and has the advantage of generating visually useful imagery at low cost. Thus, we propose a novel hybrid full-frame video stabilization algorithm that produces full-frame videos after motion compensation with an IMU sensor. Evaluating our method against three metrics, the Stability score, Distortion value, and Cropping ratio, results indicated that stabilization was more effectively achieved with robustness to flow inaccuracy when effectively using an IMU sensor. In particular, among the evaluation outcomes, within the “Turn” category, our method exhibited an 18% enhancement in the Stability score and a 3% improvement in the Distortion value compared to the average results of previously proposed full-frame video stabilization-based methods, including PCA flow, neural rendering, and DIFRINT.

Background: Gastrectomy with extended (D2) lymphadenectomy is considered standard of care for gastric cancer to provide the best possible outcomes and pathologic staging. However, D2 gastrectomy is a technically demanding operation and reported to be associated with increased complications and mortality. Application of sentinel lymph node (SLN) concept in gastric cancer has the potential to reduce patient morbidity; however, SLN techniques are not established for gastrectomy, in part due to lack of practical tracers. An effective and convenient tracer with enhanced SLN accumulation is critically needed. Methods: Mannose-labelled magnetic tracer 'FerroTrace' and fluorescent dye indocyanine green (ICG) were injected laparoscopically into the stomach submucosa of 8 healthy swine under general anaesthesia. Intraoperative fluorescence imaging was used to highlight draining lymphatic pathways containing ICG, while preoperative T2-weighted MRI and ex vivo magnetometer probe measurements were used to identify nodes containing FerroTrace. Lymphadenectomy was performed either robotically (n = 2) or via laparotomy (n = 6). Results: Mixing ICG and FerroTrace ensured concurrence of fluorescent and magnetic signals in SLNs. An initial trial with robotic dissection removed all magnetic LNs (n = 4). In the subsequent laparotomy study that targeted all ICG-LNs based on intraoperative fluorescence imaging, dissection removed an average of 4.7 ± 1.2 fluorescent, and 2.0 ± 1.3 magnetic LNs per animal. Both MRI and magnetometer detected 100% of SLNs (n = 7). FerroTrace demonstrated high specificity to SLNs, which contained 76 ± 30% of total lymphotropic iron, and 88 ± 20 % of the overall magnetometer signal. Conclusions: Through utilisation of this dual tracer approach, SLNs were identified via preoperative MRI, visualised intraoperatively with fluorescence imaging, and confirmed with a magnetometer. This combination pairs the sensitivity of ICG with SLN-specific FerroTrace and can be used for reliable SLN detection in gastric cancer, with potential applications in neoadjuvant therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a new dual modality monitoring technique is presented to demonstrate its interest to investigate the salt precipitation dynamics induced by gas flow-through drying. It consists of imaging simultaneously a core flood using both Neutron and X-ray beams. A method to calibrate and process the two signals is presented. It takes advantage of the difference in attenuation between the two ionizing radiations to quantify the different phase saturations and compositions as well as the reduction of porosity caused by salt precipitation. A set of experiments has been conducted at the NeXT-Grenoble beamline of the Institute Laue-Langevin facilities (ILL, France). Experiments were conducted on a homogeneous rock sample of Bentheimer sandstone using dry nitrogen and a 100 g/L KBr brine. The two first experiments aimed to calibrate the dual modality for the different phases. The last two experiments have been conducted with a brine capillary contact maintained at the gas outlet. Experimental data have given new insights into the organization of the three phases (the brine, the gas, and the precipitated salt) when a salt bank is formed in the sample. These quantities computed using dual-modality imaging show great similarities with published work. The salt accumulation was used to estimate the flow rate of brine pumped through the capillary contact to compensate for the brine evaporation in the gas phase. Observations have shown that a reduction of the initial porosity in some sections of the sample by 12–14% was enough to trigger a gas draw-down characterized by the migration of the salt toward the gas inlet. In some conditions (low gas inlet pressure for example), the rise of the water could be fast enough to form a second salt bank higher in the sample. It has been observed that the formation of the second salt bank could spread the precipitated salt in a less damaging configuration for the gas flow, triggering a phase of gas build-up characterized by the withdrawal of the water. These phases of gas draw-down and build-up could alternate until the sample clogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Purpose To develop a novel fluorine-18 (18F)-labeled arginine–glycine–aspartic acid (RGD)-coupled ultra-small iron oxide nanoparticle (USPIO) (hereafter, referred to as 18F-RGD@USPIO) and conduct an in-depth investigation to monitor the anti-angiogenic therapeutic effects by using a novel dual-modality PET/MRI probe. Methods The RGD peptide and 18F were coupled onto USPIO by click chemistry. In vitro experiments including determination of stability, cytotoxicity, cell binding of the obtained 18F-RGD@USPIO were carried out, and the targeting kinetics and bio-distribution were tested on an MDA-MB-231 tumor model. A total of 20 (n = 10 per group) MDA-MB-231 xenograft-bearing mice were treated with bevacizumab or placebo (intraperitoneal injections of bevacizumab or a volume-equivalent placebo solution at the dose of 5 mg/kg for consecutive 7 days, respectively), and underwent PET/CT and MRI examinations with 18F-RGD@USPIO before and after treatment. Imaging findings were validated by histological analysis with regard to β3-integrin expression (CD61 expression), microvascular density (CD31 expression), and proliferation (Ki-67 expression). Results Excellent stability, low toxicity, and good specificity to endothelial of 18F-RGD@USPIO were confirmed. The best time point for MRI scan was 6 h post-injection. No intergroup differences were observed in tumor volume development between baseline and day 7. However, 18F-RGD@USPIO binding was significantly reduced after bevacizumab treatment compared with placebo, both on MRI (P

The combination of metal detection (MD) and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has been successfully deployed to combat the threat from buried antipersonnel landmines. A number of issues arise from the close integration of these two sensing modalities. One issue is the proximity of the metallic GPR antennas to the MD coils, which affects the performance of the MD due to the eddy currents created within the GPR antenna structure. In this article, the effect of traditional solid bowtie antenna design on an MD is investigated, and avenues for the reduction of the eddy currents are explored. Three modifications to the solid bowtie design are proposed and evaluated. This article presents the measurements of the MD response to all four antenna designs using a magnetic induction spectroscopy sensor. It was found that the MD response to the bowtie antenna can be reduced by 91%–98% across the MD operating frequency band, without significantly altering the RF performance, such as reflection and transmission coefficient and radiation pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There is a clinical need for agents that target glioma cells for non-invasive and intraoperative imaging to guide therapeutic intervention and improve the prognosis of glioma. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-14 is overexpressed in glioma with negligible expression in normal brain, presenting MMP-14 as an attractive biomarker for imaging glioma. In this study, we designed a peptide probe containing a near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) dye/quencher pair, a positron emission tomography (PET) radionuclide, and a moiety with high affinity to MMP-14. This novel substrate-binding peptide allows dual modality imaging of glioma only after cleavage by MMP-14 to activate the quenched NIRF signal, enhancing probe specificity and imaging contrast. Methods: MMP-14 expression and activity in human glioma tissues and cells were measured in vitro by immunofluorescence and gel zymography. Cleavage of the novel substrate and substrate-binding peptides by glioma cells in vitro and glioma xenograft tumors in vivo was determined by NIRF imaging. Biodistribution of the radiolabeled MMP-14-binding peptide or substrate-binding peptide was determined in mice bearing orthotopic patient-derived xenograft (PDX) glioma tumors by PET imaging. Results: Glioma cells with MMP-14 activity showed activation and retention of NIRF signal from the cleaved peptides. Resected mouse brains with PDX glioma tumors showed tumor-to-background NIRF ratios of 7.6–11.1 at 4 h after i.v. injection of the peptides. PET/CT images showed localization of activity in orthotopic PDX tumors after i.v. injection of 68Ga-binding peptide or 64Cu-substrate-binding peptide; uptake of the radiolabeled peptides in tumors was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) by blocking with the non-labeled-binding peptide. PET and NIRF signals correlated linearly in the orthotopic PDX tumors. Immunohistochemistry showed co-localization of MMP-14 expression and NIRF signal in the resected tumors. Conclusions: The novel MMP-14 substrate-binding peptide enabled PET/NIRF imaging of glioma models in mice, warranting future image-guided resection studies with the probe in preclinical glioma models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) probe integrating white‐light microscopy (WLM) modality that provides guidance for PAM imaging and complementary information is implemented. One single core of an imaging fiber bundle is employed to deliver a pulsed laser for photoacoustic excitation for PAM mode, which provides high resolution with deep penetration. Meanwhile, for WLM mode, the imaging fiber bundle is used to transmit two‐dimensional superficial images. Lateral resolution of 7.2 μm for PAM is achieved. Since miniature components are used, the probe diameter is only 1.7 mm. Imaging of phantom and animals in vivo is conducted to show the imaging capability of the probe. The probe has several advantages by introducing the WLM mode, such as being able to conveniently identify regions of interest and align the focus for PAM mode. The prototype of an endoscope shows potential to facilitate clinical photoacoustic endoscopic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insect herbivores use olfactory and visual cues during host plant finding. Although insect responses to these cues typically are assessed separately, in nature herbivores respond to olfactory and visual cues simultaneously. We demonstrate the functionality of a "double-stacked y-tube device" (D-SYD) to measure bioassay responses of a specialist herbivore to olfactory and visual cues of potential host plants either presented individually or in combination. We tested the ability of the Eurasian specialist seed-feeding weevil, Mogulones borraginis, to distinguish between its Eurasian host, Cynoglossum officinale, which is invasive in North America, and a closely related confamilial native North American non-target, Andersonglossum occidentale. Weevils distinguished C. officinale from A. occidentale based on olfactory and visual cues. When olfactory and visual cues were offered simultaneously, weevils preferentially selected C. officinale more strongly and more rapidly than when either single cue was offered. When olfactory and visual cues were mismatched, weevils were no longer able to discriminate between the plant species and exhibited longer response times. There were no differences in behavioral responses to floral scents from greenhouse-propagated plants and those collected from plants in the field using a portable volatile collection system (PVCS). The bioassay approach demonstrated here using D-SYD and PVCS can assess behavioral responses of insects to olfactory and visual plant cues alone or together and measure their relative contributions to host discrimination. This will have utility for theoretical and applied questions concerning the host selection behavior of insect herbivores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Cooperative catalysis between HRP and nanocomposite improved sensitivity of sensor. • DNA-switching protocol toward AFB 1 overcomes complex matrices interference. • The limit of 0.2 pg/mL for AFB 1 is qualified for the safety inspection of AFB 1. • Dual-modality strategy provides an accurate means for monitoring trace pollutants. Herein, the cooperative catalysis effect between nanocomposite (AgPd NPs/POD-M/PEI-rGO) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was applied for the fast and sensitive detection of aflatoxin B1 (AFB 1). Upon specific and competitive binding of HRP@DNA and AFB 1 to cDNA, the working electrode presented different catalytic capacities for supporting electrolytes (TMB and H 2 O 2). In the redox mechanism of TMB and H 2 O 2 , HRP and nanocomposite effectively catalyzed the oxidization of TMB to form the one-electron oxidation intermediate TMB+, and contributed the electrical signals and absorbance signals. Electrochemistry and colorimetric analyses were successfully realized for AFB 1 detection with 0.2 pg/mL and 8 pg/mL of detection limits, respectively, which is much lower than that of traditional HPLC methods. Overall, this method had significant reliability and sensitivity, offering a promising potential for conveniently evaluating the quality of agri-products polluted with AFB 1. Moreover, this approach provides a new idea for fast and accurate detection of mycotoxin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A hybrid (CNN + LSTM) deep learning bimodal CAD algorithm is developed. • Automated features extracted using CNN are input to LSTM for classification. • Proposed approach is used to classify breast lesions using dual modality. • The proposed method outperforms the traditional unimodal CAD systems. • Higher classification accuracy is achieved using proposed bimodal approach. Traditional methods of diagnosing breast cancer (BC) suffer from human errors, are less accurate, and consume time. A computer-aided detection (CAD) system can overcome the above-stated limitations and help radiologists with accurate decision-making. However, the existing studies using single imaging modalities have shown limited clinical use due to its low diagnostic accuracy and reliability when compared to multimodal system. Thus, we aim to develop a hybrid deep learning bimodal CAD algorithm for the classification of breast lesions using mammogram and ultrasound imaging modalities combined. A combined convolutional neural network (CNN) and long-short term memory (LSTM) model is implemented using images from both mammogram and ultrasound modalities to improve the early diagnosis of BC. A new real-time dataset consisting of 43 mammogram images and 43 ultrasound images collected from 31 patients is used in this work. Further, each group consists of 25 benign and 18 malignant images. The number of images is increased to 1032 (516 for each modality) using different data augmentation techniques. The proposed bimodal CAD algorithm achieves a classification accuracy of 99.35% and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.99 over the traditional unimodal CAD systems, which attain the classification accuracy of 97.16% and 98.84% using mammogram and ultrasound, respectively. The proposed bimodal CAD algorithm using combined mammogram and ultrasound outperforms the traditional unimodal CAD systems. The bimodal CAD algorithm can avoid unnecessary biopsies and encourage its clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Imaging is a very important technique in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer diseases. This study developed a dual modality (fluorescence/MR) imaging technique for cancer cell lines (HeLa) and T 2 -weighted phantom imaging by using a mixed lanthanide (Dy/Er/Tb) oxide nanoparticles. To further enhance the solubility, stability and biocompatibility of mixed lanthanide oxide, the nanoparticles were coated with folic acid as well as G4.5 PAMAM dendrimer. The coated nanoparticles were then compared, the later with results demonstrating pronounced effects in both T 2 weighted phantom MR and fluorescence imaging of the cancer cell lines. Imaging enhancement was attributed to a synergistic effect of the fluorescent properties and higher water solubility of the PAMAM dendrimer when compared to the folic acid. Besides, mixed lanthanides of Dy and Tb were used for T 2 weighted MR imaging, while mixed lanthanides of Er and Tb were used for fluorescence imaging in the near infrared and visible regions, and were synthesized in the facile composition control. Hence, the mixed lanthanide oxides are packed together, and stable, which is used to facilitate biomedical imaging in vitro . To conclude, the G4.5 PAMAM dendrimer coated mixed lanthanide oxide nanoparticles will be used for dual-modality (fluorescence/MR imaging) cancer cell line detection in both in vitro and in vivo study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an electromagnetic sensor which can operate simultaneously in capacitive and inductive modalities with sensitivities to permittivity, conductivity, and permeability is developed, and a novel measurement strategy is proposed accordingly. The sensor is composed of two planar spiral coils with a track width of 4 mm, which promotes its capacitive mode. The capacitive coupling is measured in common mode, while the inductive coupling is measured in differential mode. In capacitive mode, the sensor is sensitive to changes in permittivity, i.e., the dielectric material distribution; while in inductive mode, it is sensitive to magnetically permeable material and electrically conductive material. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the sensor can simultaneously measure dielectric and conductive materials. This novel sensing element has been designed and implemented. Experimental results verified its effectiveness in dual modality measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The synthesis and application of porphyrins has seen a huge shift towards research in porphyrin bio-molecular based systems in the past decade. The preferential localization of porphyrins in tumors, as well as their ability to generate reactive singlet oxygen and low dark toxicities has resulted in their use in therapeutic applications such as photodynamic therapy. However, their inherent lack of bio-distribution due to water insolubility has shifted research into porphyrin-nanomaterial conjugated systems to address this challenge. This has broadened their bio-applications, viz. bio-sensors, fluorescence tracking, in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET)/CT imaging to photo-immuno-therapy just to highlight a few. This paper reviews the unique theranostic role of porphyrins in disease diagnosis and therapy. The review highlights porphyrin conjugated systems and their applications. The review ends by bringing current challenges and future perspectives of porphyrin based conjugated systems and their respective applications into light.

The aim of this study is to develop a copolymer-based single-photon emission computed tomography/magnetic resonance (SPECT/MR) dual-modality imaging agent that can be labeled with both technetium-99m (99mTc) and gadolinium (Gd) and target asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) via galactose. Monomers of N-p-vinylbenzyl-6-(2-(4-dimethylamino) benzaldehydehydrazono) nicotinate (VNI) for labeling of 99mTc, 5,8-bis(carboxymethyl)-3-oxo-11-(2-oxo-2-((4-vinylbenzyl)amino)ethyl)-1-(4-vinylphenzyl)-2,5,8,11-tetraazatridecan-13-oic acid (V2DTPA) for labeling of Gd, and vinylbenzyl-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-D-gluconamide (VLA) for targeting ASGPR were synthesized, respectively. Then the copolymer P(VLA-co-VNI-co-V2DTPA) (pVLND2) was synthesized and characterized by gel permeation chromatography, dynamic light scattering, and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. After labeling with 99mTc and Gd simultaneously, the radiochemical purity, toxicity, relaxivity (r1), and in vivo SPECT/MR imaging in mice were evaluated. Single-photon emission computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging and biodistribution results showed that pVLND2 could target ASGPR well. The significantly improved signal to noise ratio was observed in mice liver during MR imaging. All the results suggest that this novel kind of copolymer has the potential to be further developed as a functional SPECT/MR imaging agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-phase flow imaging is a very challenging problem in industrial process tomography. A particular interest here is three phase flow including both conductive and non-conductive phases. Currently there is no robust solution to this problem. Electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) has been applied to visualize the permittivity distribution by measuring inter-capacitance between electrodes around sensing area. Magnetic inductance tomography (MIT) is a technique to image the conductivity distribution through the inductance measurements over the coils around the sensing area. In this paper, the three-phase flow is classified into two scenarios: air background and water background. A dual-modality method of ECT and MIT is proposed to image both the conductive and dielectric components under test. As a result of this experiment, the dual-modality method is able to solve air-background three-phase flow imaging, but a problem has been raised in the water-background scenario. The static experiment results are promising for such contactless three phase flow imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malaria invasion of red blood cells involves multiple parasite-specific targets that are easily accessible to inhibitory compounds, making it an attractive target for antimalarial development. However, no current antimalarial agents act against host cell invasion. Results: Here, we demonstrate that the clinically used macrolide antibiotic azithromycin, which is known to kill human malaria asexual blood-stage parasites by blocking protein synthesis in their apicoplast, is also a rapid inhibitor of red blood cell invasion in human (Plasmodium falciparum) and rodent (P. berghei) malarias. Multiple lines of evidence demonstrate that the action of azithromycin in inhibiting parasite invasion of red blood cells is independent of its inhibition of protein synthesis in the parasite apicoplast, opening up a new strategy to develop a single drug with multiple parasite targets. We identified derivatives of azithromycin and erythromycin that are better invasion inhibitors than parent compounds, offering promise for development of this novel antimalarial strategy. Conclusions: Safe and effective macrolide antibiotics with dual modalities could be developed to combat malaria and reduce the parasite's options for resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We designed a Ga labeled FeO nano-biocomposite for dual applications as diagnostic imaging agent in positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The nano-biocomposites (GaNHFCNP) were fabricated via surface modified iron oxide nanoparticles and NOTA as bi-functional chelating agent with Ga isotopes from Ge/Ga generator. The structure and morphological properties of nano-biocomposite was characterized by XRD, TEM and IR analysis. GaNHFCNPs exhibits very low cytotoxicity and high cellular uptake upon SK-BR-3 and CT-26 cell lines. The advantages of high biocompatibility, magnetism and cell uptake make this composite promising as a potential probe of PET/MRI for effective detection of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computed tomography (CT) is currently the standard modality to provide anatomical reference for positron emission tomography (PET) in molecular imaging applications. Since both PET and CT rely on detecting radiation to generate images, using the same detection system for data acquisition is a compelling idea even though merging PET and CT hardware imposes stringent requirements on detectors. These requirements include large signal dynamic range with high signal-to-noise ratio for good energy resolution in PET and energy-resolved photon-counting CT, high pixelization for suitable spatial resolution in CT, and high count rate capability for reasonable CT acquisition time. To meet these criteria, the avalanche photodiode (APD)-based LabPET II module is proposed as the building block for a truly combined PET/CT scanner. The module is made of two monolithic 4\times 8 APD pixel arrays mounted side-by-side on a custom ceramic holder. Individual APD pixels have an active area of 1.1\times 1.1~\mm^2 at a 1.2 mm pitch. The APD arrays are coupled to a 12-mm high, 8 \times 8 LYSO scintillator array made of 1.12 \times 1.12~\mm^2 pixels also at a pitch of 1.2 mm to ensure direct one-to-one coupling to individual APD pixels. The scintillator array was designed with unbound specular reflective material between pixels to maximize the difference between refractive indices and enhance total internal reflection at the crystal side surfaces for better light collection, and the APD quantum efficiency was improved to \sim60\% at 420 nm to optimize intrinsic detector performance. Mean energy resolution was 20 \pm 1\% at 511 keV and 41\pm 4\% at 60 keV. The measured intrinsic spatial and time resolution for PET were respectively 0.81 \pm 0.04~\mm~FWHM/1.57 \pm 0.04~\mm FWTM and 3.6\pm 0.3~\ns FWHM with an energy threshold of 400 keV. Initial phantom images obtained using a CT test bench demonstrated excellent contrast linearity as a function of material density. With a magnification factor of 2, a CT spatial resolution of 0.66 mm FWHM/1.2 mm FWTM, corresponding to 1.18 lp/mm at MTF10\%/0.67~\lp/mm at MTF50\%, was measured, allowing 0.75 mm air holes in an Ultra-Micro Hot Spot resolution phantom to be clearly distinguished. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Dual modality molecular imaging can capture concurrent molecular events and evaluate therapeutic efficacy from uniquely different perspectives based on different molecular targets. In this work, dual modality tomographic imaging, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose based positron emission tomography and subsurface fluorescence molecular tomography ([18F]FDG-PET/subsurface FMT), is proposed to monitor tumor response to cisplatin on a mouse xenograft model in vivo. One mouse was administered with cisplatin (1.0 mg/kg) by intraperitoneal injection once every day for 14 days, and another mouse was administered with saline to serve as the control. Dual modality [18F]FDG-PET/subsurface FMT imaging was conducted on days 0, 2, 5, 9, 15, and 22. In vivo imaging and quantitative analysis demonstrated the feasibility of [18F]FDG-PET/subsurface FMT imaging in tracking the changes of [18F]FDG tumor uptake and amount of red fluorescent protein (RFP) synthesized by tumor cells in the same mouse simultaneously. Dual modality [18F]FDG-PET/subsurface FMT imaging may thus provide a powerful tool for better understanding disease progress and treatment evaluation from different perspectives. (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combined PET and SPECT scanning can give supplementary information. However, activity from PET radionuclides can cause background counts and increased dead time in camera g imaging (SPECT or planar) because the 511-keV photons can penetrate collimators designed for lower energies. This study investigated how to manage this issue, including what levels of PET radionuclides can be tolerated when γ-camera investigation is performed. Methods: Different combinations of 68Ga (PET radionuclide), 99mTc (low-energy radionuclide), and 111In (medium-energy radionuclide) were scanned by γ camera. Standard low-, medium-, and high-energy collimators were used with the γ camera. Dead time and counts near and distant from the sources were recorded. Results: Down scatter from 511 keV can give rise to a considerable number of counts within the 99mTc or 111In energy windows, especially when the PET source is close to the camera head. Over the full camera head, the PET source can result in more counts per megabecquerel than the SPECT source (99mTc or 111In). Counts from the PET source were distributed over a large region of the camera head. With medium- and high-energy collimators, the sensitivity to the PET radionuclide was found to be about 10% of the sensitivity to 99mTc and about 20% of the sensitivity to 111In, as measured within a 3-cm-radius region of interest. Conclusion: If PET radionuclides of activity 1 MBq or higher are present in the patient at the time of SPECT, a medium-energy collimator should be used. Counts from PET sources will in SPECT usually be seen as a diffuse background rather than as foci. The thick septa of high-energy collimators may result in structure in the image, and a high-energy collimator is recommended only if PET activity is greater than 10 MBq. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calderon's method was used to reconstruct electrical admittivity, i.e. conductivity as well as permittivity, for electrical tomography in this paper. It is a direct algorithm of the image reconstruction, as the value of the real and imaginary parts of the admittivity at any position can be obtained independently. A new way to construct the Dirichlet-to-Neumann map from the data collected through two-terminal/electrode excitation strategy was also introduced to calculate the scattering transform. The image reconstruction was implemented through numerical integration. Since the Gauss-Legendre quadrature was applied and can be predetermined, the image reconstruction process was fast and resulted in images of good quality. Both simulated and experimental results validated the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method in dual-modality electrical tomography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women with gynecological malignancies. In early stages of the disease (IB-IIA), surgical treatment alone is usually the treatment of choice. However, some high-risk patients are referred for postoperative chemo-radiotherapy, leading to increased morbidity. Maximal Standardized Uptake Value (SUV) is a positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT)-derived semiquantitative measurement of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in a defined lesion and may reflect tumor aggressiveness. The purpose of this study was to determine whether preoperative high SUV values can be used for the selection of initial therapy, thus reducing the side effects resulting from bimodal treatment. PET-CT studies of 46 cervical cancer patients who underwent surgery were reviewed, and SUV data were collected. Statistical analyses were performed to determine the relationships between SUV values and clinical parameters, modalities of treatment, and outcomes. SUV was found to correlate with depth of tumor invasion ( r = 0.46, p < 0.003). A statistically significant correlation was also found between SUV and histological grade, with the mean and variance of SUV significantly lower for grade one, as compared to grades two and three (mean 1.10, 11.06, and 8.88; variance 3.57, 45.60, and 29.79, respectively; p < 0.0001 and p = 0.076). A possible SUV cutoff value of 10.08 was identified as a potential indicator of increased risk for receiving bimodal treatment, with a sensitivity of 61.5 % and a specificity of 75.8 %. SUV can be used for differentiating early-stage cervical cancer patients who will need postoperative adjuvant treatment and therefore can serve as an additional modality to reduce the need for bimodal therapy in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Due to the shortage of established platforms/methods for multimodality probe construction, in this study, we developed a heterofunctional chelator, BaAn(Boc)Sar, from sarcophagine cage as a general platform for dual-modality probe construction. Procedures: A dual-modality probe for positron-emission tomography (PET) and fluorescence imaging was synthesized using the developed BaAn(Boc)Sar chelator. The c(RGDyK) peptide (denoted as RGD) and fluorescence dye Cy5.5 were conjugated with BaAn(Boc)Sar to form BaAnSar-RGD-Cy5.5. Then, BaAnSar-RGD-Cy5.5 was labeled with Cu in ammonium acetate buffer. PET and fluorescent imaging were carried out to evaluate Cu-BaAnSar-RGD-Cy5.5 in nude mice bearing U87MG glioblastoma xenograft. Results: The BaAnSar-RGD-Cy5.5 was labeled with Cu very efficiently in 0.1 M NHOAc buffer within 10 min at 37 °C in the yield of 86.7 ± 4.4 % ( n = 3). The specific activity of Cu-BaBaSar-RGD was controlled at 50-200 mCi/μmol for the consideration of both PET and optical imaging. MicroPET quantification analysis shows that the U87MG tumor uptake is 6.41 ± 0.28, 6.51 ± 1.45, and 5.92 ± 1.57 %ID/g at 1, 4, and 20 h postinjection, respectively. Good correlation was obtained between the tumor to muscle ratios measured by the radioactivity and fluorescence intensity. As a proof of concept, an animal surgery study demonstrated that this dual-modality probe would greatly benefit the patients because the PET moiety could be used for tumor detection, and the fluorescent moiety would allow image-guided surgery. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated the effectiveness and feasibility of preparing dual-modality imaging probes based on the sarcophagine scaffold. The resulting PET and fluorescent imaging probe also holds a great potential for clinical translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Hyaluronic acid-ceramide (HACE)-based nanoprobes for magnetic resonance (MR) and optical imaging were developed for cancer diagnosis. Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic dianhydride (DTPA) was conjugated to HACE for the chelation of gadolinium (Gd) as an MR contrast agent. Cy5.5 was also conjugated to the HACE backbone as a near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging dye. The self-assembled HACE-based nanoprobe, Cy5.5-HACE-DTPA-Gd, exhibited a uniformly distributed particle size and morphological shape. The HACE-based nanoprobe did not induce serious cytotoxicity in U87-MG (low expression of CD44 receptor) and SCC7 (high expression of CD44 receptor) cells. The cellular uptake efficiency of the HACE-based nanoprobe was higher in SCC7 cells than in U87-MG cells, indicating an HA-CD44 receptor interaction. In vitro MR signal enhancement of the HACE-based nanoprobe was confirmed compared with a commercial formulation (Magnevist). Moreover, in vivo MR contrast enhancement of the HACE-based nanoprobe in the tumor region was verified in an SCC7 tumor xenograft mouse model. The tumor targetability of the developed nanoprobe was monitored by an NIRF imaging study, and improved accumulation of the nanoprobe in the tumor region was observed. Therefore, this HACE-based dual-imaging nanoprobe can be used to make a more accurate diagnosis of cancer based on its passive and active tumor targeting strategies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Specific bioprobes for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have enormous potential for use in cancer imaging in near-future clinical settings. The authors describe the development of dual modality molecular imaging bioprobes, in the form of magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) conjugated to antibodies, for SPECT and MRI of mesothelin-expressing cancers. The bioprobes were developed by conjugating 111In labeled antimesothelin antibody mAbMB to superparamagnetic iron oxide NPs. Our experimental findings provide evidence that such bioprobes retain their magnetic properties as well as the ability to specifically localize in mesothelin-expressing tumors. It is anticipated that combining SPECT with MR will help obtain both functional and anatomical imaging information with high signal sensitivity and contrast, thereby providing a powerful diagnostic tool for early diagnosis and treatment planning of mesothelin-expressing cancers. From the Clinical Editor: This team of investigators presents a dual-modality functionalized contrast material that enables tumor visualization both via MRI and SPECT. Similar systems are likely to be utilized in future cancer research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: For oil production fields, there is a need for downhole measurements of the gas/water/oil multiphase flow. In extreme conditions a relatively simple, robust, and non-intrusive system will be appropriate. A measurement setup that combines multiple gamma beam (MGB) and dual modality densitometry (DMD) measurements, would be able to determine the gas volume fraction (GVF) independently of the flow pattern, and monitor changes in water salinity. MGB measurements of gamma-ray transmission along multiple sections across the oil pipe will provide information on the flow pattern. Whereas the DMD principle will give information on changes in salinity from a combination of transmission and scattering gamma-radiation measurements. In this work we present the results from MGB and DMD measurements of a multiphase flow with high-speed gamma-ray tomograph measurements as reference for the flow pattern. The MGB measurements should enable us to distinguish between stratified or wavy/slug and annular or slug flow. Flow patterns with several minor components distributed evenly over the measurement cross section, like bubble flow, will be interpreted as homogeneous flow. The DMD measurements can be used to monitor salinity changes of the water component for intervals where the GVF is low and the water cut of the liquid is high. Combined with other gauges for water cut measurements, the MGB and DMD measurement setup should improve the multiphase flow measurements, and enable increased oil/gas recovery and production water monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Process tomography is a technique to realize flow imaging in a process vessel or pipeline by using the sensor system. This technique involves the use of tomographic imaging methods to manipulate data from sensors in order to collect sufficient information about the flow in the pipeline. The overall aim of this paper is to investigate the benefits of dual modality (optical and electrodynamic) tomography system for the measurement of tomographic images of solids flow. This research will investigate the distribution of conveying plastic beads in a conveying pipe by placing optical and electrodynamic sensors around the pipe without interrupting the flow inside the pipe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are developing a Positron Emission Tomography and field-cycled Magnetic Resonance Imaging (PET/FCMRI) dual modality system. The low magnetic field strength of a FCMRI system makes it possible to implement a PET system based upon novel photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), instead of solid-state photodetectors. In this work, the performance of a fine-mesh PMT (Hamamatsu H6153-70) has been investigated. In the static magnetic field, the response of gain, energy resolution, time resolution and efficiency of the mesh PMT, as well as its angular response and positioning uniformity were studied as a function of field strength (from zero up to 24 mT). In the dynamic magnetic field, the short-term recovery behavior and the long-term performance stability of the mesh PMT were studied under three dB/dt configurations (7.3, 11.0 and 14.5 T/s). The relevance of these results to the possible integration of PET with FCMRI systems is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There are currently several approaches to the development of combined PET/MRI systems, all of which need to address adverse interactions between the two systems. Of particular relevance to the majority of proposed PET/MRI systems is the effect that static and dynamic magnetic fields have on the performance of PET detection systems based on photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). In the work reported in this paper, performance of two conventional PMTs has been systematically investigated and characterized as a function of magnetic field exposure conditions. Detector gain, energy resolution, time resolution, and efficiency were measured for static field exposures between 0 and 6.3mT. Additionally, the short-term recovery and long-term stability of gain and energy resolution were measured in the presence of repeatedly applied dynamic magnetic fields changing at 4T/s. It was found that the detectors recovered normal operation within several milliseconds following the end of large pulsed magnetic fields. In addition, the repeated applications of large pulsed magnetic fields did not significantly affect detector stability. Based on these results, we implemented a proof-of-principle PET/field-cycled MRI (FCMRI) system for small animal imaging using commercial PMT-based PET detectors. The first PET images acquired within the PET/FCMRI system are presented. The image quality, in terms of spatial resolution, was compared between standalone PET and the PET/FCMRI system. Finally, the relevance of these results to various aspects of PET/MRI system design is discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

While the mathematics, physics, and technology behind magnetic resonance (MR) and fluorescence image formation are distinctively different, the two modalities have significant complementary features to impart strong preclinical and clinical application synergies. Traditionally, hybrid MR and fluorescence imaging implied the use of a system where optical and MR signals can be concurrently acquired. In this case, the common geometry allows for the superposition of fluorescence images of cellular and subcellular processes onto anatomical and functional MR images. More recently, a different hybrid imaging paradigm is strongly evolving by utilizing hybrid MR-fluorescence nanoparticles. This approach offers a second paradigm of hybrid visualization where the common underlying contrast enables the coregistration of MR and fluorescence images acquired under different geometries. We review herein progress with the evolving field of multimodality MR and fluorescence imaging and discuss how these strategies offer a highly promising outlook in established and in novel preclinical and clinical applications. Elucidating Structure and Function In Vivo With Hybrid Fluorescence and Magnetic Resonance Imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce a novel combined-temperature-and-conductivity needle probe measuring system for local void fraction measurements in multiphase-flow experiments. The system is able to deal with direct sheathed microthermocouples as well as open thermocouples. It consists of a thermoneedle probe connected to a special electronic circuit using an ac measuring technique for the conductivity measurements and a high-gain instrumentation amplifier with very high common-mode rejection for the amplification of the Seebeck voltage generated by the microthermocouple. After system buildup and calibration, the system has been tested in different experiments. In a dropping experiment, the time constant of the temperature measurement of the needle probe system was determined as 3.6 ms. Additionally, steam-water and gas-steam-water flow experiments have been carried out to demonstrate the system performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a previously developed dual modality imaging system is applied to image the flow of granular matter with different electrical properties in cylindrical vessels. The imaging system is based on both capacitance and power measurements acquired by an electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) sensor located around the vessel. The measurement data are then used to reconstruct cross-sectional images of both permittivity and conductivity distributions. A neural network multi-criterion optimization reconstruction technique (NN-MOIRT) is used for the inverse (reconstruction) problem. The contribution of this technology to the field of granular matters is explored through review of research articles that can be a direct application of this development. We discuss the capabilities of this dual-modality acquisition system using synthetic data for granular matter with different electrical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]