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Background: Myocardial motion is an important observable for the assessment of heart condition. Accurate estimates of ventricular (LV) wall motion are required for quantifying myocardial deformation and assessing local tissue function and viability. Harmonic Phase (HARP) analysis was developed for measuring regional LV motion using tagged magnetic resonance imaging (tMRI) data. With current computer-aided postprocessing tools including HARP analysis, large motions experienced by myocardial tissue are, however, often intractable to measure. This paper addresses this issue and provides a solution to make such measurements possible.

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Objectives: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is an MRI modality for characterizing the property, microstructural organization and function in tissues such as the brain and spinal cord. Prior to this investigation, DTI had not been adapted for studies of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc. Objectives were to test the feasibility of DTI to evaluate the porcine TMJ disc and to use DTI to observe differences in magnitude of anisotropy of water diffusion between TMJ disc regions. Methods: Five adult pig TMJs were scanned on a 9.4 Tesla horizontal bore MRI scanner using an inductively coupled surface coil. High-resolution gradient-echo and diffusionweighted spin-echo based images were obtained. The mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy (FA) were computed in different regions of the disc. Two observers were calibrated to review the two-dimensional and three-dimensional images. Polarized light microscopy was used as the gold standard for collagen fibre orientation. Results: In the sagittal plane, the mean diffusivity was higher in the posterior (1.28¡0.10610 23 mm 22 s 21 ) and anterior (1.27¡0.08610 23 mm 22 s 21 ) bands compared with the intermediate zone (0.96¡0.01610 23 mm 22 s 21 ), and the FA index was also lowest in the intermediate zone. In the coronal plane, the mean diffusivity was higher in the medial (1.42¡0.01610 23 mm 22 s 21 ) and lateral (1.21¡0.12610 23 mm 22 s 21 ) aspects than in the centre (1.09¡0.08610 23 mm 22 s 21 ), and the FA index was also lowest in the centre. Conclusions: DTI is a useful method for non-invasively characterizing the structure/ property relationships of the porcine TMJ disc.

Screening and early diagnosis are the key factors for the reduction of mortality rate and treatment cost of cancer. Therefore, sensitive and selective methods that can reveal the low abundance of cancer biomarkers in a biological sample are always desired. Here, we report the development of a novel electrochemical biosensor for early detection of breast cancer by using bioconjugated self-assembled pH-responsive polymeric micelles. The micelles were loaded with ferrocene molecules as "tracers" to specifically target cell surface-associated epithelial mucin (MUC1), a biomarker for breast and other solid carcinoma. The synthesis of target-specific, ferrocene-loaded polymeric micelles was confirmed, and the resulting sensor was capable of detecting the presence of MUC1 in a sample containing about 10 cells/mL. Such a high sensitivity was achieved by maximizing the loading capacity of ferrocene inside the polymeric micelles. Every single event of binding between the antibody and antigen was represented by the signal of hundreds of thousands of ferrocene molecules that were released from the polymeric micelles. This resulted in a significant increase in the intensity of the ferrocene signal detected by cyclic voltammetry

A study of long-lived gamma emitting radionuclides in rice consumed in Kuwait was performed. The study targeted the natural radionuclides 238 U, 232 Th, and 40 K, in addition to the anthropogenic radionuclide 137 Cs. Annual effective doses from rice consumption were estimated to be 33 and 60 lSv for the adult and child age groups respectively. These values were found to be of several orders of magnitude less than the 0.29 mSv year À1 world average of the ingestion exposure from natural sources reported in the literature. Moreover, the anthropogenic radionuclide 137 Cs was detected in one sample only, out of the 21 samples measured, with an activity concentration of 0.1 Bq kg À1 . This small value is four orders of magnitude less than the guideline limit. Hence, rice consumption in Kuwait is radiologically safe for the presence of the investigated radionuclides.

A study of the 238U content in bottled water consumed in Kuwait was performed. The bottled water samples originated from 16 different countries. Of the 41 investigated samples, 238U was detected in 23 samples in which the radionuclide's activity was determined. Consequently, it was found that activity levels of all samples were several of orders of magnitude below the guidance limits. Moreover, annual effective doses were estimated for three age groups, namely adults, children, and infants. As a result, it was found that the doses received by all age groups were several of orders of magnitude below the guideline levels. Hence, consumption of bottled water sold in Kuwait is safe for the presence of 238U.