Thallium

This study investigates both the level of toxic metals in children with autism and the possible association of those toxic metals with autism severity. This study involved 55 children with autism ages 5-16 years compared to 44 controls with similar age and gender. The study included measurements of toxic metals in whole blood, red blood cells (RBC), and urine. The autism group had higher levels of lead in RBC (+41 %, p = 0.002) and higher urinary levels of lead (+74 %, p = 0.02), thallium (+77 %, p = 0.0001), tin (+115 %, p = 0.01), and tungsten (+44 %, p = 0.00005). However, the autism group had slightly lower levels of cadmium in whole blood (-19 %, p = 0.003). A stepwise, multiple linear regression analysis found a strong association of levels of toxic metals with variation in the degree of severity of autism for all the severity scales (adjusted R(2) of 0.38-0.47, p < 0.0003). Cadmium (whole blood) and mercury (whole blood and RBC) were the most consistently significant varia...

A new technique of blood thallium direct determination based on graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with Zeeman background absorption correction system was designed. The developed technique does not require sample digestion. Sample treatment includes only a fivefold per volume dilution of blood sample with 0.1% (m/v) Triton X-100. L'vov integrated platform was modified with 400 μg of Rh. Matrix modifier (200 μg NH 4 NO 3 and 160 μg Pd(NO 3 ) 2 ) was suggested for coping chloride and blood organic matter interferences. Standard reference material (Clincheck® Plasma Control for trace elements) analysis was used for validation. Additional validation was performed by analyzing spiked blood samples in the whole dynamic range. The dynamic range was 2-50 μg/L. Precision (RSD) was found <12%. Blood thallium limit of detection was 0.2 μg/L.

A defined agar medium (hereinafter designated caprylate-thallous [CT] agar) containing 0.01% yeast extract, 0.1% caprylic (n-octanoic) acid, and 0.025% thallous sulfate is highly selective for all Serratia species and effectively discriminates against most non-Serratia strains likely to be in the same habitats. The selectivity of CT agar is demonstrated by the very high efficiency of colony formation (mean, 80.7% of that on a nonselective complex medium) on CT agar by known Serratia strains and the very low efficiency of colony formation (close to zero) on CT agar by bacterial strains known not to be Serratia. The utility of this medium in actual clinical laboratory practice is demonstrated by the more rapid and higher recovery of Serratia on this selective medium as compared to conventional procedures of in-tandem runs of 513 consecutive urine, feces, and sputum specimens. Pigmented and nonpigmented Serratia strains deliberately added to fecal specimens can be selectively and quantitatively recovered on CT agar. CT agar compares favorably with, or in some cases is an improvement over, other selective media which have been recommended for isolating Serratia. This selective CT agar medium could be quite useful in ecological surveys, especially those related to hospital-acquired infections.

Determination of aluminum (Al), beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and thallium (Tl) concentrations in human blood using high-frequency modulation polarization Zeeman graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) was performed. No sample digestion was used in the current study. Blood samples were diluted with deionized water or 0.1 % (m/v) Triton X-100 solution for Tl. Dilution factors ranged from 1/5 per volume for Be and Tl to 1/20 per volume for Cd and Pb. For Tl, Cd, and Hg, noble metals (gold, platinum, rhodium, etc.) were applied as surface modifiers. To mitigate chloride interference, 2 % (m/v) solution of NH 4 NO 3 was used as matrix modifier for Tl and Ni assessment. The use of Pd(NO 3 ) 2 as oxidative modifier was necessary for blood Hg and Tl measurement. Validation of the methods was performed by analyzing two-level reference material Seronorm. The precision of the designed methods as relative SD was between 4 and 12 % (middle of a dynamic range) depending on the element. For additional validation, spiked blood samples were analyzed. Limits of detection (LoDs, 3r, n = 10) for undiluted blood samples were 2.0 lg L -1 for Al, 0.08 lg L -1 for Be, 0.10 lg L -1 for Cd, 2.2 lg L -1 for Cr, 7 lg L -1 for Hg, 0.4 lg L -1 for Mn, 2.3 lg L -1 for Ni, 3.4 lg L -1 for Pb, and 0.5 lg L -1 for Tl. The LoDs achieved allowed determination of Al, Cd, Cr, Mn, Ni, and Pb at both toxic and background levels. Be, Hg, and Tl could be reliably measured at toxic levels only. The methods developed are used for clinical diagnostics and biological monitoring of work-related exposure.

Heavy metals are natural components of the earth's crust and as such are the oldest toxins known to humans, having been used for thousands of years. Potential exposures to heavy metals include natural sources (eg, groundwater, metal ores), industrial processes, commercial products, folk remedies, and contaminated food and herbal products. Virtually all heavy metals are toxic in sufficient quantities. Several, however, are of particular interest because of their concentrations in the environment (lead, mercury, and arsenic) or their use in criminal poisonings (arsenic and thallium). Entering our bodies by way of food, drinking water, and air, metals produce toxicity by forming complexes with cellular compounds containing sulfur, oxygen, or nitrogen. The complexes inactivate enzyme systems or modify critical protein structures leading to cellular dysfunction and death. The most commonly involved organ systems include central nervous, gastrointestinal (GI), cardiovascular, hematopoietic, renal, and peripheral nervous systems. The nature and severity of toxicity vary with the heavy metal involved, its exposure level, chemical and valance states (inorganic versus organic), mode of exposure (acute versus chronic), and the age of the individual. Children, with their developing nervous systems, are particularly vulnerable to heavy metal intoxication (especially lead) and deserve special consideration. This article presents an overview of the aforementioned heavy metals with emphasis on clinical presentation and pathophysiology.

Ferric hexacyanoferrate (Fe 4 III [Fe II (CN) 6 ] 3 ), also known as insoluble Prussian blue (PB) is the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) of the drug product, Radiogardase ® . Radiogardase ® is the first FDA approved medical countermeasure for the treatment of internal contamination with radioactive cesium (Cs) or thallium in the event of a major radiological incident such as a "dirty bomb". A number of pre-clinical and clinical studies have evaluated the use of PB as an investigational decorporation agent to enhance the excretion of metal cations. There are few sources of published in vitro data that detail the binding capacity of cesium to insoluble PB under various chemical and physical conditions. The study objective was to determine the in vitro binding capacity of PB APIs and drug products by evaluating certain chemical and physical factors such as medium pH, particle size, and storage conditions (temperature). In vitro experimental conditions ranged from pH 1 to 9, to cover the range of pH levels that PB may encounter in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in humans. Measurements of cesium binding were made between 1 and 24 h, to cover gastric and intestinal tract residence time using a validated atomic emission spectroscopy (AES) method. The results indicated that pH, exposure time, storage temperature (affecting moisture content) and particle size play significant roles in the cesium binding to both the PB API and the drug product. The lowest cesium binding was observed at gastric pH of 1 and 2, whereas the highest cesium binding was observed at physiological pH of 7.5. It was observed that dry storage conditions resulted in a loss of moisture from PB, which had a significant negative effect on the PB cesium binding capacity at time intervals consistent with gastric residence. Differences were also observed in the binding capacity of PB with different particle sizes. Significant batch to batch differences were also observed in the binding capacity of some PB API and drug products. Our results suggest that certain physiochemical properties affect the initial binding capacity and the overall binding capacity of PB APIs and drug products during conditions that simulated gastric and GI residence time. These physiochemical properties can be utilized as quality attributes to monitor and predict drug product quality under certain manufacturing and storage conditions and may be utilized to enhance the clinical efficacy of PB. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Background and Methods: In order to provide guidance for using measurements of left ventricular (LV) volume and ejection fraction (LVEF) from different echocardiographic methods a PubMed review was performed on studies that reported reference values in normal populations for two-dimensional (2D ECHO) and three-dimensional (3D ECHO) echocardiography, nuclear imaging, cardiac computed tomography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). In addition all studies (2 multicenter, 16 single center) were reviewed, which included at least 30 patients, and the results compared of noncontrast and contrast 2D ECHO, and 3D ECHO with those of CMR. Results: The lower limits for normal LVEF and the normal ranges for end-diastolic (EDV) and end-systolic (ESV) volumes were different in each method. Only minor differences in LVEF were found in studies comparing CMR and 2D contrast echocardiography or noncontrast 3D echocardiography. However, EDV and ESV measured with all echocardiographic methods were smaller and showed greater variability than those derived from CMR. Regarding agreement with CMR and reproducibility, all studies showed superiority of contrast 2D ECHO over noncontrast 2D ECHO and 3D ECHO over 2D ECHO. No final judgment can be made about the comparison between contrast 2D ECHO and noncontrast or contrast 3D ECHO. Conclusion: Contrast 2D ECHO and noncontrast 3D ECHO show good reproducibility and good agreement with CMR measurements of LVEF. The agreement of volumes is worse. Further studies are required to assess the clinical value of contrast 3D ECHO as noncontrast 3D ECHO is only reliable in patients with good acoustic windows. (Echocardiography 2014;31:87-100)

Objectives: We observed whether clearer tumor delineation and greater tumor to non-tumor (T/N) count ratios could be obtained using an iterative ordered-subsets expectation maximization (OSEM) algorithm than conventional filtered-back projection algorithm (FBP) in the image reconstruction of thallium-201 (2~ lung scintigraphy. Methods: In 29 patients with lung cancer and phantom studies, tomograms were reconstructed using FBP and OSEM algorithms, with and without a prefilter (Butterworth filter: BW), whose cut-off frequencies were 0.10 cycles/pixel for FBP and 0.10 and 0.17 cycles/pixel for OSEM. Visual interpretation and tumor to non-tumor (T/N) count ratios were obtained and compared. Results: Without a prefilter, T/N ratios from OSEM and FBP were 1.89 + 0.31 (early) and 2.00 + 0.54 (late) for OSEM, 1.90 + 0.33 (early) and 2.05 + 0.59 (late) for FBP, respectively. The OSEM reconstruction without prefiltering showed clearer tumor contours than FBP without a prefilter. Incorporation of BW showed visually lownoised images but decreased T/N ratios in both reconstructions with BW (0.10 cycles/pixel). No greater T/N ratios were obtained by OSEM than FBP, with or without prefiltering. With BW with a cut-off frequency of 0.17 cycles/pixel, the same T/N ratios as those without BW were obtained. The tumor model sized 0.9 cm in the phantom study was invisible in both OSEM and FBP reconstructions without a prefilter, but visible with a prefilter. The influence of prefiltering on T/N ratios was also observed in phantom studies. Conclusions: Visually improved tumor delineation could be obtained in OSEM reconstruction without a prefilter as compared to FBP reconstruction without a prefilter for tumors greater than 2 cm. Prefiltering should be incorporated into OSEM reconstruction in diagnosing small tumors. However, the influence of prefilter (BW) setting on semi-quantitative interpretation needs further discussion.

Thallium is a scarce, highly toxic element. There are several investigations that report Tl accumulation in plants of the family Brassicaceae. These plants could pose a risk in areas where Tl is present at higher concentrations than normal soils. The present study reports analyses of two wild Brassicaceae, Hirschfeldia incana and Diplotaxis catholica, growing spontaneously at five sampling sites moderately polluted with Tl and other trace elements in the Green Corridor of the Guadiamar river, Seville, S. Spain. In general, trace element content was unremarkable in all part plants, despite the concentrations present in soil. Thallium was the only element whose concentration in both plant species was above normal for plants (maximum values of 5.00 mg kg−1 in H. incana flowers). There were significant positive correlations between total Tl in soil and Tl in both plant species. Transfer Coefficients (TC) for all elements were, in general, <1 for both species, except for Tl in flowers and fruits at some sites. The highest Enrichment Factor (EF) was found for Tl in H. incana fruits (EF = 607) and D. catholica flowers (EF = 321). H. incana was studied in a previous growing season (2004) in the same area, although the rainfall was 3 times more than in the year of the present study (2005), giving a maximum Tl content of 46.5 mg kg−1 in H. incana flowers. The data presented here show that Tl content of plants growing in semi-arid conditions can be significantly influenced by precipitation. In dry years, plant Tl accumulation may be significantly reduced.

Bis(salicylaldehyde)orthophenylenediamine (BSOPD) has been proposed as new analytical reagent for the direct spectrophotometric determination of chromium. It reacts with chromium(VI) in slightly acidic (0.1 -0.3 M H 2 SO 4) micellar medium to form a yellow -orange chelate with a molar ratio 2:3. The most remarkable point of this method is that the molar absorptivities of the Cr V I -BSOPD complex formed in the presence of nonionic TritonX -100 surfactant are almost 10 times higher than the value observed in aqueous solution. This results in enhancing the sensitivity and selectivity of the method. The reaction is instantaneous and the maximum absorbance was obtained at 482 nm and remains constant for over 24h.

The unique capabilities of laser ablation in combination with inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-SFMS) were employed to reconstruct details of a homicide by thallium poisoning, which took place 38 years ago in Austria. Thallium was determined in several human bone samples after acid digestion in a microwave oven. The ICP-SFMS results showed that the thallium concentration in the victim's bones was in the range 1.07-2.63 µg g −1 , which is up to 170 times higher compared to concentrations found in bones of persons who have died due to natural causes. The results were in accordance with the values obtained by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS). Laser ablation ICP-SFMS was applied to assess the time interval between the victim's poisoning and death. Several line scans with a laser spot size of 50 μm were performed on a thumbnail of the poisoned person and on a reference thumbnail by laser ablation ICP-SFMS. Thallium peaks were detected on the nail of the victim at a distance of 2.5 mm from the younger edge of the nail.

The combination of rapid, diffuse alopecia, and neuroiogic and gastrointestinal disturbance is pathognomonic for thailium toxicity. The hair mount, showing a tapered or t>ayortet anagen hair with black pigmentation at the base, may be highly diagnostic t>efore the onset of alopecia. We saw a 10-year-old boy who suffered from thallium poisoning.

A B S T R A C T It is generally accepted that subduction of the oceanic crust plays an important role in creation of mantle heterogeneity. HIMU (stands for high μ = (238 U/ 204 Pb)) is a rare and probably not volumetrically large mantle component, which is sampled at St. Helena in the Atlantic and in the Cook-Austral Islands in the South Pacific. Previous studies that used radiogenic isotopes have specifically invoked subducted hydrothermally altered oceanic crust (AOC) as a significant component in the source of HIMU. However, because radiogenic isotopes are affected by both parent-daughter fractionation and time that cannot be independently determined, it is difficult to unambiguously use these tracers to determine the source material of the HIMU reservoir. Thallium isotopes can be used to identify the involvement of sediments rich in Mn oxides or AOC, because these two components exhibit high Tl concentrations and highly fractionated Tl isotope compositons, whereas the upper mantle is depleted in Tl and homogenous with respect to Tl isotopes. Here we report Tl isotope data for a suite of St. Helena lavas previously characterized to investigate if the HIMU mantle reservoir can be linked to AOC. Samples show large Tl isotopic variation, from ε 205 Tl = −9.8 to ε 205 Tl = +3.9 and do not correlate with Sr, Nd, Hf or Pb isotopes. Eight samples have ε 205 Tl lighter than the mantle value (ε 205 T = −2), with the lightest values similar to those observed for modern AOC. These features are consistent with the presence of different proportions of recycled oceanic crust in the source of St. Helena mantle source. Our results, therefore, support previous studies that inferred AOC as a significant component in the HIMU mantle reservoir and show that the Tl isotopic system can be used as a powerful tracer to detect contributions of AOC in the creation of mantle heterogeneities.

Gated SPECT recorded with 16 intervals determines left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction more accurately than does gated SPECT recorded with 8 intervals but produces higher image noise. This study aimed to assess the results from sestamibi and (201)Tl 16-interval gated SPECT when both signal-to-noise ratio and spatial resolution were enhanced with an original method of reconstruction. Forty patients with coronary artery disease underwent (201)Tl and sestamibi 16-interval gated SPECT and, to be used as a reference, cardiac MRI. Assessments of global and regional LV function provided by ordered-subsets expectation maximization (OSEM) with depth-dependant resolution recovery and temporal Fourier filtering were compared with those from conventional filtered backprojection (FBP) previously optimized by screening various filter frequencies and various temporal smoothing levels. For both tracers, LV ejection fraction was determined best when the association of OSEM with depth-dependant re...

Due to the fact that metals and metalloids have a strong impact on the environment, the methods of their determination and speciation have received special attention in recent years. Arsenic, antimony, and thallium are important examples of such toxic elements. Their speciation is especially important in the environmental and biomedical fields because of their toxicity, bioavailability, and reactivity. Recently, speciation analytics has been playing a unique role in the studies of biogeochemical cycles of chemical compounds, determination of toxicity and ecotoxicity of selected elements, quality control of food products, control of medicines and pharmaceutical products, technological process control, research on the impact of technological installation on the environment, examination of occupational exposure, and clinical analysis. Conventional methods are usually labor intensive, time consuming, and susceptible to interferences. The hyphenated techniques, in which separation method...

Background Two different algorithms, which are fast and automatic and which operate in 3-dimensional space, were compared in the same group of patients to compute left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and volumes from gated blood pool tomography. One method, developed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (CS), was dependent on surface detection, whereas the other method, developed at the Free University of Brussels (UB), used image segmentation. Methods and Results Gated blood pool tomograms were acquired in 92 consecutive patients after injection of 740 MBq of technetium 99m-labeled human serum albumin. After reconstruction and reorientation according to the left ventricular long axis, LVEF and left ventricular volumes were measured with the CS and UB algorithms. Measurements of LVEF were validated against planar radionuclide angiocardiography (PRNA) results. The success rates of the algorithms were 87% for CS and 97% for UB. Agreement between LVEF measured with CS and UB (LVEFCS = 0.91 · LVEFUB - 0.85; r = 0.87) and between LVEF measured with CS and PRNA (LVEFCS = 1.04 · LVEFPRNA - 4.75; r = 0.80) and UB and PRNA (LVEFUB = 0.98 · LVEFPRNA + 4.42; r = 0.82) was good. For left ventricular volumes, linear regression analysis showed good correlation between both methods with regard to end-diastolic volumes (r = 0.81) and end-systolic volumes (r = 0.91). On average, end-diastolic volumes were similar and end-systolic volumes were slightly higher with CS than with UB. Consequently, significantly lower LVEFs were observed with CS than with UB. Conclusions Good correlation was observed between CS and UB for both left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction. In addition, measurements of LVEF obtained with both algorithms correlated fairly well with those obtained from conventional PRNA over a wide range of values.

The performance of electrodes for the electro-catalytic decomposition of a model pollutant (phenol) was enhanced using Gd-doped Ti/SnO 2 -Sb electrodes prepared by a thermal deposition method. Phenol degradation followed first-order rate kinetics, with the maximum rate achieved using a 2% Gd doping level (molar ratio based on Gd:Sn) for tests conducted over a doping range of 1-10%. The firstorder rate constant with 2% Gd was 0.044 min À1 , versus 0.026 min À1 obtained with the control (plain Ti/SnO 2 -Sb). TOC removal and UV scans revealed that different intermediates were produced for different Gd contents, and that destruction efficiencies of these intermediates also varied with Gd doping levels of 1-5%. Electrodes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, electron dispersive spectrometry, and X-ray photon-electron spectroscopy. It is suggested that the state of specific active sites on the electrode surface and the oxygen transfer activity at the electrode/electrolyte interface affect the performance of anodes with different compositions.

We determined concentrations of 23 trace elements (TEs), and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope (d 13 C and d 15 N) signatures in barramundi (Lates calcarifer) specimens collected along the coast of Vietnam in the Northern (NCZ), Central (CCZ) and Southern (SCZ) zones in the period 2007-2010. A combination of d 13 C and d 15 N signatures provided insight into ontogenetic shifts in barramundi foraging choices. There were clear zone-dependent differences in Mn, As, Sr and Tl concentrations; levels of Tl were highest in the NCZ, As in the CCZ, and Mn and Sr in the SCZ. Lowest concentrations of Rb occurred in the NCZ, Bi was lowest in the CCZ, and Cd and Cs were lowest in the SCZ. d 15 N values significantly increased with increasing Zn, Se, Sn and Cs. Concentrations of TEs in barramundi from Vietnam were below worldwide guidelines for human consumption.

This work focused on the specific behavior of Tl-bearing phases in the BCR (Community Bureau of Reference) sequential extraction (SE) scheme, namely Tl-bearing ferrihydrite, goethite, birnessite, calcite, illite, sphalerite and feldspar in their simple model mixtures with quartz. Several significant discrepancies between the obtained and expected behaviors of these phases in the BCR SE were observed. The amount of Tl released as the exchangeable/acid-extractable fraction (55-82% of the total Tl content) showed a substantial H + -promoted dissolution of all Fe(III) and Mn(III, IV) oxides (corresponding to up to 61% of solid Fe dissolved) and incongruent (increased) extraction of Tl from ferrihydrite and goethite. Reductive conditions of the second SE step were insufficient to complete goethite dissolution with corresponding Tl amount retained in the solid phase. Similarly, insufficient oxidation of sphalerite and lower Tl recovery of the oxidisable fraction was identified. In contrast, the BCR SE seems to produce well predictable results of Tl leaching from Tl-bearing calcite and feldspar. Only 70% of total Tl content was extracted from Tl-modified illite in the exchangeable/acid-extractable step, while 30% was associated with the reducible and residual fractions, i.e., Tl was strongly fixed to the illite matrix.

A new series of four binuclear platinum-thallium cyano compounds containing a direct and unsupported by ligands met-alϪmetal bond has been prepared in aqueous solution. These compounds are represented by the formula [(NC) 5 PtϪTl(CN) nϪ1 ] (nϪ1)Ϫ (n = 1Ϫ4 for compounds I, II, III IV, respectively) and [(NC) 5 PtϪTlϪPt(CN) 5 ] 3Ϫ (for compound V). The oligonuclear complexes are synthesised according to the reaction mPt(CN) 4 2Ϫ + Tl 3+ + nCN Ϫ v [Pt m Tl-(CN) 4m+n ] 3Ϫ2mϪn . Thus, there occurs a change of the coordination number of the Pt center from four (square planar) to six (octahedral). Consequently, the formation of binuclear platinum-thallium cyano compounds involves at least two steps: (i) formation of metalϪmetal bond and (ii) formation of (NC) 5 PtϪ unit by a cyanide transfer process. Ϫ The comple-Eur.

Phone & Fax: +81 76 265 2526 2 Novel quantitative cardiac amyloidosis evaluation method Abstract Objective: The degree of myocardial technetium-99m -pyrophosphate ( 99m Tc-PYP) accumulation in cardiac amyloidosis is conventionally evaluated by PYP score. This method involves qualitative visual evaluation on two-dimensional images. Here, we performed three-dimensional quantitative analysis using software developed in our laboratory. Methods: We performed dual myocardial imaging using thallium-201 -chloride ( 201 Tl-Cl) and 99m Tc-PYP in cases of suspected cardiac amyloidosis and calculated the PYP accumulation rates of all myocardial pixels showing 99m Tc-PYP accumulation. We defined this procedure as quantitative evaluation of the degree of 99m

High resolution profiles of Mn, Tl and Fe concentrations have been assessed in the pore waters of river Leie sediments at Warneton and Menen (at the border of Belgium and France) by DET (Diffusive Equilibrium in Thin Films) and DGT (Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films) techniques. The oxidized, solid Mn (IV), Tl (III) and Fe (III) compounds were reduced in the suboxic (+ 255 to −20 mV versus Standard Hydrogen Electrode (SHE)) riverine sediments and since these reduced species are much more soluble also they are released into the pore waters. The highest DET (total dissolved) concentrations of Fe (76 mg l − 1 ), Mn (2 mg l − 1 ) were observed at the station of Menen, while Tl maxima differed only slightly between the 3 surveys (21 to 27 μg l − 1 ). The average ratios of Fe/Mn/Tl in the pore waters at the 3 sampling stations are fairly constant for both the DET and DGT samplings. However, the results indicate that compared to Fe and Tl a greater proportion of the Mn measured by DET is accumulated by DGT, reflecting the ready supply of Mn from solid phase to solution.

Effects of Tl + were studied in experiments with isolated rat heart mitochondria (RHM) injected into 400 mOsm medium containing TlNO 3 and a nitrate salt (KNO 3 or NH 4 NO 3 ) or TlNO 3 and sucrose. Tl + increased permeability of the inner membrane of the RHM to K + and H + . This manifested as an increase of the non-energized RHM swelling, in the order of sucrose < K + < NH 4 + , respectively. After succinate administration, the swollen RHM contracted. The Tl + -induced opening of the mitochondrial permeability pore (MPTP) in Ca 2+ -loaded rat heart mitochondria increased both the swelling and the inner membrane potential dissipation, as well as decreased basal state and 2,4-dinitrophenol-stimulated respiration. These effects of Tl + were suppressed by the MPTP inhibitors (cyclosporine A, ADP, bongkrekic acid, and n-ethylmaleimide), activated in the presence of the MPTP inducer (carboxyatractyloside) or mitoK ATP inhibitor (5-hydroxydecanoate), but were not altered in the presence of mitoK ATP agonists (diazoxide or pinacidil). We suggest that the greater sensitivity of heart and striated muscles, versus liver, to thallium salts in vivo can result in more vigorous Tl + effects on muscle cell mitochondria.

The effects ofTl+ ions on isolated rat liver
mitochondria were studied in the presence of nonactin,
a cyclic ionophore. Nonenergized rat liver mitochondria
were increasingly swollen at an elevated concentration
of Tl+ in the 160 mOsm medium containing
0–150mMsucrose and 0–75mMTlNO3 or 0–50mMTl
acetate. On the contrary, mitochondria in experiments
with nonactin were contracted in the medium with
5–25 mM Tl+ and were swollen only in the medium
with 50–75 mM TlNO3 or 50 mM Tl acetate. State 4
respiration along with swelling of succinate-energized
mitochondria followed contraction after their deenergization
was further enhanced at increasing concentration
of Tl acetate in a medium containing nonactin.
Regardless of the presence of nonactin, State 3 and 2,4-
dinitrophenol (DNP)-stimulated respiration and the
monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity were not affected
in the medium with 0–25 mM Tl acetate and sucrose.
DNP-stimulated respiration decreased and the MAO
activity somewhat increased in the medium containing
50 mM Tl acetate and nonactin. Uptake of 86Rb+
by energized mitochondria in the presence of valinomycin
was considerably decreased when Tl+ and nonactin
were simultaneously present in the medium. An
increase of the toxic effect of Tl+ on rat liver mitochondria
in the presence of nonactin is accounted for by
disruption ofmitochondria due to their more extensive
swelling and uncoupling of mitochondria, resulting in
the stimulation of State 4 and depletion of their energy
store.

The dinuclear complex [[Tl(eta6-toluene)][Au(C6Cl5)2]] (1) displays very intense blue phosphorescence and a rigidochromic behavior in the solid state. The photophysical measurements in a glassy solution display an oligomerization process via metal-metal interactions. Density functional theory calculations show a distortion of the aurate-thallium T shape in the lowest triplet excited state, leading to a triplet metal-to-metal charge-transfer state.

The Tl+-induced opening of the MPTP in Ca2+-loaded rat liver mitochondria energized by respiration on the substrates succinate or glutamate plus malate was recorded as increased swelling and dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential as well as decreased state 4, or state 3, or 2,4-dinitrophenol-stimulated respiration. These effects of Tl+ increased in nitrate media containing monovalent cations in the order of

is an effective drug for patients with angina and has been shown to favorably alter exercise ejection fraction and myocardial perfusion images in patients with coronary disease. A characteristic effect of propranolol is reduction in exercise heart rate (HR). Twenty men with coronary disease (10 with prior infarction), angina-limited exercise tests, abnormal myocardial blood flow distribution images (MBFDI) (201thallium) during exercise, and normal resting ejection fractions underwent treadmill exercise testing with imaging on three occasions. Control maximal exercise was performed initially with measurement of MBFDI. Propranolol, 40 mg by mouth four times a day, was administered for a week with exercise repeated to the same workload. A third study, with men off propranolol, was undertaken with exercise continued only to the HR obtained while the men were taking propranolol (submaximal exercise). All men had improvement in MBFDI while receiving propranolol (men without infarction +780 + 88 [average + SEMI normalized count rate difference between control and propranolol; men with infarction +724 rt 73 normalized counts). Greater count differences were noted when control exercise and H&controlled, submaximal exercise MBFDI were compared with a greater difference in men with infarction (+1094 + 89 normalized counts) than for men without infarction (+8g8 & 88 normalized counts). Results suggest that propranolol improves YBFDI during exercise in men with angina, but that submaximal exercise results in more normal MBFDI than does propranolol for exercise to the same HR. (AM HEART J 108

A whole-body PET scanner, without interplane septa, has been designed to achieve high performance in clinical applications. The C-PET scanner, an advancement of the PENN PET scanners, is unique in the use of 6 curved NaI(Tl) detectors (2.54 cm thick). The scanner has a ring diameter of 90 cm, a patient port diameter of 56 cm, and an axial field of view of 25.6 cm. A (137)Cs point source is used for transmission scans. Following the protocols of the International Electrotechnical Commission ([IEC] 61675-1) and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association ([NEMA] NU-2-1994 and an updated version, NU2-2001), point and line sources, as well as uniform cylinders, were used to determine the performance characteristics of the C-PET scanner. An image-quality phantom and patient data were used to evaluate image quality under clinical scanning conditions. Data were rebinned with Fourier rebinning into 2-dimensional (slice-oriented) datasets and reconstructed with an iterative reconstruct...

The structures of three closely related heterodimetallic cyano complexes, [(NC)(5)Pt-Tl(CN)(n)()](n)()(-) (n = 1-3), formed in reactions between [Pt(II)(CN)(4)](2)(-) and Tl(III) cyano complexes, have been studied in aqueous solution. Multinuclear NMR data ((205)Tl, (195)Pt, and (13)C) were used for identification and quantitative analysis. X-ray absorption spectra were recorded at the Pt and Tl L(III) edges. The EXAFS data show, after developing a model describing the extensive multiple scattering within the linearly coordinated cyano ligands, short Pt-Tl bond distances in the [(NC)(5)Pt-Tl(CN)(n)()](n)()(-) complexes: 2.60(1), 2.62(1), and 2.64(1) A for n = 1-3, respectively. Thus, the Pt-Tl bond distance increases with increasing number of cyano ligands on the thallium atom. In all three complexes the thallium atom and five cyano ligands, with a mean Pt-C distance of 2.00-2.01 A, octahedrally coordinate the platinum atom. In the hydrated [(NC)(5)Pt-Tl(CN)(H(2)O)(4)](-) species the thallium atom coordinates one cyano ligand, probably as a linear Pt-Tl-CN entity with a Tl-C bond distance of 2.13(1) A, and possibly four loosely bound water molecules with a mean Tl-O bond distance of about 2.51 A. In the [(NC)(5)Pt-Tl(CN)(2)](2)(-) species, the thallium atom probably coordinates the cyano ligands trigonally with two Tl-C bond distances at 2.20(2) A, and in [(NC)(5)Pt-Tl(CN)(3)](3)(-) Tl coordinates tetrahedrally with three Tl-C distances at 2.22(2) A. EXAFS data were reevaluated for previously studied mononuclear thallium(III)-cyano complexes in aqueous solution, [Tl(CN)(2)(H(2)O)(4)](+), [Tl(CN)(3)(H(2)O)], and [Tl(CN)(4)](-), and also for the solid K[Tl(CN)(4)] compound. A comparison shows that the Tl-C bond distances are longer in the dinuclear complexes [(NC)(5)Pt-Tl(CN)(n)()](n)()(-) (n = 1-3) for the same coordination number. Relative oxidation states of the metal atoms were estimated from their (195)Pt and (205)Tl chemical shifts, confirming that the [(NC)(5)Pt-Tl(CN)(n)()](n)()(-) complexes can be considered as metastable intermediates in a two-electron-transfer redox reaction from platinum(II) to thallium(III). Vibrational spectra were recorded and force constants from normal-coordinate analyses are used for discussing the delocalized bonding in these species.

Online access for this thesis was created in part with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) administered by the Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). To obtain a high quality image or document please contact the DeLaMare Library at https://unr.libanswers.com/ or call: 775-784-6945.The Big Springs Gold Mine is located in the Independence Mountains in northern Elko County. The mine is a sediment hosted disseminated gold deposit within Pennsylvanian to Mississippian age siltstones of the Schoonover formation. Gold mineralization is tightly structurally controlled. Ore structures are predominately east-west striking north dipping normal faults formed during Pre-Basin and Range extension. Alteration consists of dolomitization, sericitization, decalcification, and silicification. Gold is deposited syn or post genetically with decalcification and silicification. Gold occurs as free grains, up to...

Bis(salicylaldehyde)orthophenylenediamine (BSOPD) has been proposed as new analytical reagent for the direct spectrophotometric determination of chromium. It reacts with chromium(VI) in slightly acidic (0.1-0.3 M H 2 SO 4) micellar medium to form a yellow-orange chelate with a molar ratio 2:3. The most remarkable point of this method is that the molar absorptivities of the Cr V I-BSOPD complex formed in the presence of nonionic TritonX-100 surfactant are almost 10 times higher than the value observed in aqueous solution. This results in enhancing the sensitivity and selectivity of the method. The reaction is instantaneous and the maximum absorbance was obtained at 482 nm and remains constant for over 24h. The average molar absorption coefficient and Sandell's sensitivity were found 3.5 × 10 5 L mol −1 cm −2 and 5 ng cm −2 of Cr(VI), respectively. Linear calibration graphs were obtained for 0.01-12.0 mgL −1 of Cr(VI) with correlation coefficient value 0.9987 for Cr-BSOPD complex. Large excess of over 50 cations, anions and complexing agents do not interfere in the determination. The method was successfully used in the determination of chromium(VI) from synthetic mixture and certified reference materials to test the validity of the method and the results of analyses were found to be in excellent agreement with those of certified values. The developed method was also used for the determination of chromium in some environmental waters (potable and polluted), biological samples (blood and urine) and to determine chromium species. The results of the biological analyses by the proposed method were in good agreement with those of by AAS.

Absolute myocardial blood flow (MBF) and myocardial flow reserve (MFR) provide incremental diagnostic and prognostic information over relative perfusion alone. Recent development of dedicated cardiac SPECT cameras with better sensitivity and temporal resolution make dynamic SPECT imaging more practical. In this study, we evaluate the measurement of MBF using a multipinhole dedicated cardiac SPECT camera in a pig model of rest and transient occlusion at stress using 3 common tracers: (201)Tl, (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin, and (99m)Tc-sestamibi. Animals (n = 19) were injected at rest/stress with (99m)Tc radiotracers (370/1,100 MBq) or (201)Tl (37/110 MBq) with a 1-h delay between rest and dipyridamole stress. With each tracer, microspheres were injected simultaneously as the gold standard measurement for MBF. Dynamic images were obtained for 11 min starting with each injection. Residual resting activity was subtracted from stress data and images reconstructed with CT-based attenuation correcti...

Systematic studies were carried out to determine how the dynamic quenching of fluorescence was affected by electrostatic interaction between charges carried by the fluorophore and the quencher. 1,N6-Ethenoadenosine oligophosphates (epsilon-ATP, epsilon-ADP, epsilon-AMP, and epsilon-Ad) were used as fluorophores; these compounds have the same luminous group (epsilon-adenine ring) with variously charged phosphate groups. Acrylamide and the iodide (I-), well known to be effective quenchers carrying zero and one negative charge, respectively, were used as quenchers. The thallium (I) (Tl+) was also found to be an effective quencher as a result of studies of the quenching activity of various positively charged ions. Results which agreed qualitatively with those expected were obtained for the charge effects on the dynamic quenching and the effects of ionic strength on it. That is, the repulsive force exerted between I- and phosphate groups decreased the quenching rate, and increasing ionic...

Citation: Samir Rafla, Ahmed Gaber, Gehan Magdy, Ahmed Abdelaaty. A New Score of Positivity in Thallium Studies of Ischemic Patients. Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine 4 (2020): 045-057. Abstract The aim of this work was to detect means to increase accuracy of prediction of Thallium perfusion results. Also, we aimed to investigate the incidence and severity of chest pain during radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging and its relation to the stress modality. The study was conducted on two groups of patients that presented for radionuclide myocardial perfusion imaging. The first group included fifty patients subjected to exercise stress testing. The second group included fifty patients subjected to dipyridamole pharmacologic stress testing. The 2 groups were compared regarding chest pain, dyspnea, electrocardiographic changes, left ventricular dilatation, and increased lung thallium uptake. Exercise was associated with a statistically significant higher incidence and severity of chest pain compared to dipyridamole (p<0.001). The incidence and severity of chest pain were related to the number of vessel territories affected in the dipyridamole group (p=0.037), but not in the exercise group. Exercise was associated with a statistically significant higher incidence of electrocardiographic (ECG) changes compared to dipyridamole (p<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of left ventricular dilatation between the 2 groups. The incidence of left ventricular dilatation was related to the number of vessel territories affected in the exercise group (p=0.011) as well as the dipyridamole group (p=0.007). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of increased lung thallium-201 uptake between the 2 groups. The incidence of increased lung thallium-201 uptake was related to the number of vessel territories affected in the exercise group (p=0.017) but not in the dipyridamole group. We summed four parameters 1-chest pain (one or two or three points), 2-ECG changes > 1mm (two points), 3-LV dilation (two points), and 4-Lung thallium Cardiol uptake (two points), so maximum can be 9 points for each patient. We compared the results in every patient with the degree of perfusion defects (meaning number of vessels affected) (each vessel territory if it shows perfusion defect is given two points; three vessel areas are given 6 points). Correlation revealed significant relation P <0.05 thus we postulated new score of validation of positivity of perfusion defects, the higher the score of these parameters the higher the expected percent of perfusion defect; that is confirmation of positivity of ischemia. To our knowledge this is new score of assessing thallium perfusion.

Thallium (Tl) isotope compositions of ocean island basalts (OIBs) have been proposed as a novel tracer of subducted ocea-nic crust and sediments in ocean island basalt sources, which could act as direct confirmation that deep mantle recycling eventually resurfaces through mantle upwelling to form ocean island basalt magmatism. However, it is unknown if oceanic crust that went through an active subduction zone would retain the Tl isotope compositions recorded in hydrothermally altered oceanic crust and authigenic marine sediments. In this study we present Tl isotope and concentration data for samples of sub-ducted oceanic crust from five different locations: Zambezi Belt, Zambia; Cabo Ortegal complex, Iberian Massif, Spain; Ras-pas Complex, southwest Ecuador; Syros island, Cyclades, Greece; Tian Shan, northwest China. Thallium concentrations in most samples follow strong linear relationships with K, Rb, Cs and Ba, which strongly suggest that the mineral phengite is the primary control of Tl abundances in subducted oceanic crust. This conclusion is consistent with recent Tl data sets for arc lavas that imply residual phengite in the arc lava source regions as a strong control of Tl recycling. We find that Tl isotope compositions vary widely and systematically in each location depending on the protolith, metamorphic and metasomatic history of the samples. Samples from Cabo Ortegal and Raspas Complex reveal Tl isotope compositions similar to their pro-toliths, which were comprised of low-temperature altered oceanic crust. Tian Shan metamorphic rocks and Zambian eclogites reveal invariant Tl isotope values indistinguishable from average mantle, which is best explained by overprinting by metamorphic fluids that contained high concentrations of Tl and other alkali metals. Samples from Syros reveal a range of Tl isotope compositions from normal mantle towards values for pelagic clay sediments. The sediment-like values in Syros likely arose from fluids released from the surrounding mélange matrix that consists of serpentinite, metagabbros and metased-iments. Each of the three Tl isotope ranges observed for subducted oceanic crust samples here are mirrored by individual OIB locations. Cabo Ortegal and Raspas Complex display Tl isotope compositions identical to St. Helena, suggesting that the HIMU component likely comprises subduction modified low-temperature altered oceanic crust. Thallium isotope ratios in Zambia and Tian Shan eclogites and blueschists are identical to lavas from Iceland, whereas Syros metamorphic rocks overlap almost exactly with lavas from Hawaii. Our data, therefore, show that Tl isotope compositions of oceanic crust and sediments can be traced through the subduction process and eventually is expressed largely unmodified in ocean island basalts.

This study examined the use of rice husk, an inexpensive biosorbent material, for removing thallium ions (Tl +3) from aqueous solutions in a continuous fixed-bed adsorption column. The impact of adsorbent bed height (from 1 to 7 cm), influent flow rate (from 0.4 ×10 −3 to 1×10 −3 m 3 /min), Tl +3 concentration (from 10 to 40 g/m 3), solution pH (from 5 to 12), and influent temperature (278 to 308 K) on breakthrough curves was analyzed. To identify the design parameters needed to scale up the system, the results were compared to three models, namely, Thomas, Yoon-Nelson, and Bed Depth Service Time (BDST). The experimental results were found to be well described by these kinetic models. The results confirmed the dependence of the breakthrough and saturation points on the examined variables. The system displayed excellent efficiency, achieving full (100%) removal of Tl +3 in the first 20 min at optimum conditions. The results show that increasing the bed depth and decreasing the influent flow rate as well as the initial Tl +3 concentration improves removal efficiency. Increasing the pH to an optimal value of ten was found to increase Tl +3 uptake, after which any further increase of the pH inhibited adsorption due to the precipitation of Tl +3 as a salt. Increasing the solution temperature from 278 to 298 K was found to enhance the removal percentage which indicates that the adsorption is endothermic. However, further increasing of the temperature to 308 K was found to increase the solubility of Tl +3 in the solution which inhibits its adsorption on the adsorbent surface.

Sediments from lakes near Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, contain elevated concentrations of several metals, including Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn. Amphipods, fingernail clams, mayflies and tanytarsid midges were absent, and sediment toxicity was observed in chronic tests with Hyalella in sediments from Lac Dufault, the lake closest to Rouyn-Noranda. Bioaccumulation by Hyalella demonstrated elevated bioavailability of Cd, Co, Cr, Pb and Tl, but only Cd was accumulated to levels close to the toxic threshold. Copper, which is regulated by Hyalella, was not elevated in these amphipods, but it was elevated in overlying water in the toxicity tests. Toxic effects in Lac Dufault sediments are probably caused primarily by Cd, at least in amphipods, with a possible minor contribution from Cu. An integrated assessment, including sediment chemistry, benthic community composition, sediment toxicity, metal bioaccumulation in benthos, and comparison of bioaccumulation and/or overlying water concentrations with threshold effect concentrations, provides the best indication of effects and their cause.