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Evaluation of chronic constipation is important, although it is often difficult to satisfactorily treat due to the complex interplay of factors. This study aimed to determine whether the volume of intraluminal contents and lateral diameter of the colon measured from computed tomography (CT) images were correlated with the symptoms of chronic constipation and stool consistency. Consecutive patients who underwent the Constipation Scoring System (CSS), Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS) questionnaires and simple abdominal CT were selected retrospectively. The intestinal tract diameter at each site was measured, and the amounts of stool and gas in the intestinal tract were evaluated at five levels. Of the 149 study participants, 54 were males and 95 were females and their mean age was 72.1 years. In the right hemi-colon, CSS5 (Time) correlated significantly with gas volume (p < 0.01). In the left hemi-colon, stool volume correlated significantly with CSS2 (Difficulty), CSS3 (Completeness), CSS5 (Time) and CSS total (p < 0.05). The BSFS negatively correlated with gas volume and diameter in the right hemi-colon and with gas volume in the rectum (p < 0.05). CT findings including stool volume, gas volume and diameter correlated with some constipation symptoms and stool consistency. These findings may be useful in evaluating and treating constipation.

[18F]Fluciclovine (anti-[18F]FACBC) has demonstrated diagnostic efficacy for cancers of the brain where [18F]fludeoxyglucose has limitations. We conducted a phase IIa study of anti-[18F]FACBC to assess its accumulation pattern and safety in patients with malignant glioma. Five patients with glioma scheduled for brain tumor resection received anti-[18F]FACBC. Brain positron emission tomography (PET) was performed following intravenous administration of anti-[18F]FACBC, and subsequently, preoperative gadolinium contrast-enhanced T1-weighted (CE-T1W) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed for surgery. Specimens for histopathological evaluation were collected during surgery, and their location was precisely determined on CE-T1W MRI and anti-[18F]FACBC PET/CT images. In addition, tumor extent defined on the MRI and PET/CT images was compared. To determine time–activity curves for anti-[18F]FACBC uptake in brain tumor and normal tissues, regions of interest were set in the brain tumor, contralateral normal tissue and the cerebellum, and their standardized uptake values (SUV) were calculated. The safety of anti-[18F]FACBC was assessed based on subjective symptoms and objective findings, electrocardiograms, vital signs, laboratory results, and the incidence of adverse events. Anti-[18F]FACBC accumulated in the malignant gliomas of all patients. CE-T1W MRI detected gliomas in all patients, but anti-[18F]FACBC PET/CT generally delineated wider regions of tumor extent than CE-T1W MRI. Two of the histopathologically confirmed tumors were located in regions that were defined using anti-[18F]FACBC PET/CT, but not using CE-T1W MRI. Two patients experienced three mild adverse events: one complained of a dull headache and later a mild headache, and the other showed general malaise. These symptoms resolved spontaneously without treatment. Only the mild headache could not be ruled out from having a causal relationship with anti-[18F]FACBC. Favorable T/N ratios regarding anti-[18F]FACBC uptake between tumors and normal control tissues were demonstrated in this trial. It is suggested that anti-[18F]FACBC PET/CT has the ability to delineate glioma spread that is undetectable using CE-T1W MRI. Anti-[18F]FACBC is safe in patients with malignant glioma. This study was registered in the Japan Pharmaceutical Information Center Clinical Trials Information, which is one of the World Health Organization registries (registration number: JapicCTI-111387).

Imaging start time of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scan is recommended between 3 hours and 6 hours after injection of ¹²³I-ioflupane in Ioflupane clinical practice guidelines. But image includes the effect of physiological actions of the human body and the attenuation at 13.27 hours physical half-life of ¹²³I. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of the image by the elapsed time of imaging start time. Optimal cut-off frequency of Butterworth filter were examined phantom by normalized mean square error. Count was reduced by 23.1% in 5 hours, but cut-off frequency of Butterworth filter was 0.11 cycle/pixel in 0-5 hours from phantom data. Ten subjects (age 55-85 years) were injected with ¹²³I-ioflupane of 110-199 MBq into the vein only once. And we examined the specific binding ratio (SBR) in inspection of injection after 5. 5 hours and 3 hours. Decrease of counts value increased the coefficient of variance (CV) between 3 hours and 5.5 hours after injection, but the improvement of statistical noise by pre-processing filter reduced the CV. No significant difference in the result of SBR was found between 3 hours and 5. 5 hours after injection. Our results suggest that imaging start time of SPECT scan is recommended between 3 hours and 5.5 hours after injection of ¹²³I-ioflupane.

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Imaging start time of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scan is recommended between 3 hours and 6 hours after injection of ¹²³I-ioflupane in Ioflupane clinical practice guidelines. But image includes the effect of physiological actions of the human body and the attenuation at 13.27 hours physical half-life of ¹²³I. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of the image by the elapsed time of imaging start time. Optimal cut-off frequency of Butterworth filter were examined phantom by normalized mean square error. Count was reduced by 23.1% in 5 hours, but cut-off frequency of Butterworth filter was 0.11 cycle/pixel in 0-5 hours from phantom data. Ten subjects (age 55-85 years) were injected with ¹²³I-ioflupane of 110-199 MBq into the vein only once. And we examined the specific binding ratio (SBR) in inspection of injection after 5. 5 hours and 3 hours. Decrease of counts value increased the coefficient of variance (CV) between 3 hours and 5.5 hours after injection, but the improvement of statistical noise by pre-processing filter reduced the CV. No significant difference in the result of SBR was found between 3 hours and 5. 5 hours after injection. Our results suggest that imaging start time of SPECT scan is recommended between 3 hours and 5.5 hours after injection of ¹²³I-ioflupane.

Continuous operation data were obtained on a fluidized bed incineration plant with dryers, and two autoregressive models were then prepared through statistical analysis of the data. Based on the results, an automatic plant control system using fuzzy theory was designed. An incinerator system of this type is characterized by energy efficiency, for which optimum and stable moisture control of the dried sludge is important. The large difference in time constants between incinerator and dryers makes energy saving difficult. Based on these analyses and design, control operations at a commercial plant with a capacity of 150 wet-tons/day were studied. It was confirmed that reduction of auxiliary fuel consumption and reduction of CO and NOx in the exhaust gas were optimized, while the moisture content of dried sludge and the furnace temperature were kept stable.

We encountered unexpected accumulation of thallium-201 in a patient with thalamic dementia resulting from bithalamic venous infarction induced by arteriovenous fistula in the posterior fossa. The site and degree of abnormal accumulation varied between early and delayed thallium-201 SPECT images. This unexpected and complicated accumulation of thallium-201 appeared to depend on not only breakdown of the blood-brain barrier but also on the hemodynamics of this type of venous infarction.

We present experimental and theoretical evidence for Wannier-Stark (WS) oscillations in the DC electric current through reverse-biased highly doped p-i-n GaAs diodes. The intrinsic region in the diode contained seven (GaAs)5/(AlAs)2multi-quantum wells. Carrying out these transport experiments at low temperatures, we found periodic WS oscillations in the second derivative of the Zener current, which is in qualitative agreement with theoretical predictions based on a realistic multiband and multichannel scattering theory. These findings resolve long-standing controversies about the existence of Wannier-Stark levels in the Zener tunneling current.