Preclinical nuclear molecular imaging speeds up the mean time from synthesis to market, in drug development process. Commercial imaging systems have in general high cost, require high-cost service contracts, special facilities and trained staff. In the current work, we present β-eye, a benchtop system for in vivo molecular screening of labeled compounds with Positron Emission Tomography (PET) isotopes. The developed system is based on a dual-head geometry, offering simplicity and decreased cost. The goal of the design is to provide 2D, real-time radionuclide images of mice, allowing the recording of fast frames and thus perform fast kinetic studies, with spatial resolution of ∼2 mm. Performance evaluation demonstrates the ability of β-eye to provide quantitative results for injected activities lower than 1.5 MBq, which is adequate for pharmacodynamic studies in small mice.

The formation of molecular sidebands of refractory elements, such as V, Re, Zr, Mo, Tc, is discussed. The focus is on in situ sideband formation and its advantage for the release process. An atomic 48V beam has been produced in a two step process, forming the oxide in situ, transporting it through the target-ion source as a chloride and destroying the chlorine sideband in the ion source. The sideband formation of Re, Zr, Mo, Tc is discussed.

The motion of F-18 radioactively labeled papermaking fibers flowing through an axisymmetric 1:5 sudden expansion has been studied using positron emission tomography (PET). Various length fractions of a mechanical pulp were radioactively labeled and then introduced into a nonradioactive aqueous 0.4 wt. % (consistency) wood pulp suspension. Fully three-dimensional (3-D) images were reconstructed both upstream and downstream of the expansion plane for cases in which the upstream velocity U was set from 0.5 to 0.9 m/s (an approximate Reynolds number range of 7,000 to 13,000). Two distinct flow regimes were clearly identified. With U similar to 0.5 m/s we find that the fiber suspension was not fluidized, and the tracer fibers passed through the expansion as a plug. No mixing was observed between the confined central jet and the static outer region. At larger velocities, we observed that the papermaking suspension was fully fluidized. Our results in this regime indicate that albeit fluidized, concentration inhomogeneities were evident. We find that a particle depletion zone was evident between the central jet, and the recirculating zone resulting from the inlet concentration profile formed in the upstream tube. Particle accumulation was observed in the vortices. No significant differences were observed between the different length tracer fibers. (c) 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Cross-sections for the production of (181)Re, (182m)Re, (182g)Re, (183)Re, (184)Re, and (186)Re from proton bombardment of natural tungsten have been measured using the stacked foil technique for proton energies up to 17.6 MeV. Results are compared with the theoretical excitation functions as calculated by the EMPIRE II code (version 2.19) and experimental literature values. Results are in strong agreement with some of the previously reported literature as well at theoretical calculations for multiple reactions providing for more reliable estimates for the (186)W(p,n)(186)Re reaction.

A proof-of-principle approach for the production of intense (~108/s) radioactive ion beams, which differs from the standard ISOL (Isotope Separation On-Line) technique, has been demonstrated successfully using 11C at the TRIUMF laboratory. This approach uses 13 MeV protons produced by a medical cyclotron and should be useful for a range of radioisotopes of interest to the nuclear astrophysics research programme.PACS No.: 29.25.Rm

We have developed a method that allows manufacturing of /sup 18/F radioactive printed sources using a standard ink-jet printer. Although previously used in printing and imaging single gamma emitter sources, such techniques have not been, to our knowledge, applied to the manufacturing of positron emitting sources. The added complication in the latter instance is a nonzero positron range and, thus, the need for some attenuating material surrounding the positron emitting atoms. The point sources were first imaged on a phosphor imager and then scanned on three different tomographs (Siemens/CTI ECAT 953B, CPS high-resolution research tomograph (HRRT) and Concorde microPET R4) to measure their point spread functions (PSFs). Where appropriate, the resolution agrees with published values. A comparison of the full width and tenth width half maxima of the point source profiles obtained with and without additional attenuating material showed no effect of the additional attenuation material on their values. The presence of the attenuating material however increased the number of counts in the point source image several fold due to a larger fraction of the positrons annihilating in the region close to the printed source. The results show that printed sources either on paper alone or on paper sandwiched between some additional attenuating material provide a practical means to obtain positron emitting sources.

HLA-A/B haplotype frequencies were estimated in a sample of 2355 bone marrow donors born in a subregion of Tuscany (Italy), and the HLA-A, -B, -DR haplotype frequencies were estimated in a subset of 809 individuals. This area was divided in 10 subsamples (two-locus haplotypes), or six subsamples (three-locus haplotypes), all with sample size >50, based on administrative boundaries. A considerable level of heterogeneity of haplotype frequency was present among subsamples; this heterogeneity was associated to a large variation (up to 4-fold) of the number of new donors that must be typed in order to reach 50% chance of finding an HLA-A, -B phenotype of intermediate frequency. Knowledge of the genetic structure of the population at a microgeographic level may be useful in directing the search of specific bone marrow donors.

This report describes the identification of a novel DPB1 allele, DPB *9701, found in an Italian Caucasian individual. The new allele was detected by human leukocyte antigen sequence-based typing carried out to investigate the role of genetic factors in determining the outcome of hepatitis C virus infection. DPB1*9701 was identical to DPB1*0501 except for a single-nucleotide substitution at codon 43 (GGG --> TGG). This nucleotide change is a non-synonymous mutation and results in the amino acid substitution glycine (G) --> tryptophan (W). The nucleotide sequence has been deposited in GenBank under the accession number AY033075, and denominated DPB1*9701 by the official World Health Organization Nomenclature Committee.