Conventional single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) collimators are not suitable for 511 keV imaging. In order to use a SPECT system for single positron emission tomography (SPET), we need to design high-efficiency collimators capable of absorbing 511 keV photons. Slit slat (SS) collimators have been proposed for this purpose even though the optimization of such collimators has not ...

Critical growth stage of cotton crop was investigated by artificially imposing water stress under field conditions. The crop was given water deficit stress for a period of 30 days at squaring (SS) and first boll split (BS) phases by maintaining the leaf water potential (yw) at –2.2+0.2 MPa whereas in control plots yw was maintained at -1.6+ 0.2 MPa by irrigation scheduling. The average irrigati...

Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rats exhibit increased renal medullary oxidative stress and blood pressure salt-sensitivity compared with consomic, salt-resistant SS-13BN rats, despite highly similar genetic backgrounds. The present study examined potential sources of renal medullary superoxide in prehypertensive SS rats fed a 0.4% NaCl diet by assessing activity and protein levels of superoxide produ...

OBJECTIVE To characterise the psychological profiles of Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and patients with sicca symptoms but without SS; to find predictors for salivary gland function; to evaluate salivary scintigraphy as a method to differentiate between SS and patients with sicca symptoms but without SS. PATIENTS AND METHODS Psychological tests (Medical Outcomes Study Short Form General Health Surv...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the association of mannose-binding lectin (MBL)-low genotypes with the clinical and immunological expression of primary SS. METHODS Eighty-one patients with primary SS who fulfilled the 2002 classification criteria were included in the study. MBL2 polymorphisms were investigated by sequence-based DNA typing of the promoter and exon 1. Genotypes 0/0, 0/XA or XA/XA were...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES In Kenya, sleeping sickness (SS) caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense is confined to the Nyanza and Western Provinces tsetse belts. Over the last two decades, the disease has exhibited great spatial variability in its spread and distribution. The objectives of the study were to map the spatial and temporal distribution of SS and determine possible risk factors associ...

BACKGROUND Lymphoid cells may express somatostatin receptors (SS-Rs) on their cell surface. Therefore radiolabeled somatostatin analogues may be used to visualize SS-R-positive lymphoid neoplasms in vivo. Exact staging is the basis for treatment decisions in cutaneous malignant lymphoma. We considered the possibility that SS-R scintigraphy might offer a clinically useful method of diagnostic im...