Background: A conceptual model of lateral muscular tension in patients presenting thyroid associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) has been recently described. Clinical improvement has been achieved by using acupuncture on points belonging to the so-called extraordinary meridians. The aim of this study was to characterize the anatomical structures related to these acupuncture points by means of 3D MRI i...

BACKGROUND Quantitative methods in combination with other objective prognostic criteria can improve the evaluation of a cancer patient's prognosis, and possibly predict response to therapy. One of the important prognostic and predictive markers is the mitotic count, which has proven valuable in many aspects. In this study, the prognostic value of the mitotic count was assessed in breast cancer ...

The phytoremediation potentiality of Cyperus articulatus naturally growing in industrial wastewater was tested. Nine heavy metals were selected for this purpose; As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni and Pb. Metal concentrations were measured using the atomic absorption. The accumulation rates of the studied heavy metals showed considerable variations in the accumulation abilities according to the pla...

Dean of the Graduate College iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Xiaolin Li, whose expertise, understanding, and patience, added considerably to my graduate experience. I appreciate his vast knowledge and skill in many areas, and his assistance in writing this thesis. I would also like to thank the other members of my committee, Dr. Subhash Kak and Dr....

Transition metal complexes offer great potential as diagnostic and therapeutic agents, and a growing number of biological applications have been explored. To be effective, these complexes must reach their intended target inside the cell. Here we review the cellular accumulation of metal complexes, including their uptake, localization, and efflux. Metal complexes are taken up inside cells throug...

Bioaccumulation of Cu, Zn, Hg in muscles and liver tissues of stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus) from the southern Caspian Sea was measured. Effects of condition factor (CF), age and hepatosomatic index (HSI) on metal accumulation were also determined. Some 40 stellate sturgeons were collected using gill nets in winter and spring 2007-2008 from the southern shores of the Caspian Sea. Total...

BACKGROUND Prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis by means of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) is a current challenge for the development of computer-aided detection (CAD) tools. An innovative CAD-software (Watson Elementary™) was proposed to achieve high sensitivity and specificity, as well as to allege a correlate to Gleason grade. AIM/OBJECTIVE To assess the performance of Watso...

OBJECTIVE Minimal aortic injuries (MAIs) are being recognized more frequently due to the increasing use of high-resolution diagnostic techniques. The objective of this case series review was to report the clinical and radiological characteristics and outcomes of a series of patients with MAI. METHODS From January 2000 to December 2011, 54 major blunt trauma patients were admitted to our instit...

the concentrations of potentially toxic elements (as, sb, and hg) and some trace elements in 36 topsoil samples and 18 agricultural soil samples were measured at the aq-darreh river watershed, nw iran. based on the results of the chemical analysis and comparing them with different standards, it seems that the soils of the aq-darreh river watershed are polluted with as and sb. this pollution res...

Bioaccumulation of Cu, Zn, Hg in muscles and liver tissues of stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus) from the southern Caspian Sea was measured. Effects of condition factor (CF), age and hepatosomatic index (HSI) on metal accumulation were also determined. Some 40 stellate sturgeons were collected using gill nets in winter and spring 2007-2008 from the southern shores of the Caspian S...