Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

   When the month of Rabiul Awal comes, every Muslim around the globe is busy with the celebration of Maulidur Rasul (birthday of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.). Every occasion is filled with story telling a life of Prophet, marhaban, berzanji, salawat & some food feast. A special parade for this occasion has also normally been organised.

   Not wrong to organise such activities but is it truly enough for us to just remember Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. once in a year while the rest of the year we just forget it? We as the Muslims should remember Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. every second of our life. We also have to practise whatever the teachings brought by him s.a.w. in our daily life. Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. was not only a great leader but he was also a super icon that we should follow.

“And We have not sent you (Muhammad s.a.w.) but as a mercy to the worlds”. [Al-Quran, Al-Anbia 107]

My 1st Oral Presentation at National Seminar

VOLUME ESTIMATION USING SPECT TECHNIQUE 

¹Abdullah Waidi Idris, ¹Arihasliza Ariffin, ²Ahmad Zakaria

 

¹School of Health Sciences, USM, Kelantan. 

²Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Oncology, School of Medical Sciences, USM, Kelantan.

 National Seminar on Medical Physics;

27^th & 28^th August 2005; De Rhu Beach Resort, Kuantan, Pahang

Jointly Organised by: International Islamic University Malaysia

 & Malaysian Association of Medical Physics (MAMP)

Abstract

The objective of this study is to estimate the volume of organ of different sizes using the Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) technique. This method was chosen due to the 3-dimensional data imaging compared to the 2-dimensional data planar imaging.

          In this study, the acrylic phantom (with various sizes of cylindrical insert of known volume simulating the ‘hot’ lesion) had been used. This phantom was filled with 20 mCi of ^99mTc. The data was then acquired using gamma camera and SPECT system using LEHR collimator, 64 x 64 matrix size and 64 views of projection (30 seconds per projection). Subsequently, the acquired data were  reconstructed using the filtered back-projection technique: Ramp and Butterworth filter: order = 5, cut-off frequency = 0.35 Nyquist.

          The radius of each cylinder was measured and the volumes were  calculated by  this formula ; V = πr² Х pixel size Х total number of slice. Then, a regression analysis was made for true and calculated volumes of each cylinder.

          The correlation coefficient obtained was 0.988 with a different percentage of less than 20%. As conclusion, this SPECT technique can be applied to  estimate a size of any lesion in a clinical study.

           

TEA

Tea; Camellia sinensis

   Tea is the most important & a popular non-alcoholic drinks in the world. The word of tea was originated from “kia” in Chinese & then was evolved into "cha" in the 6th century A.D. Then this term became té upon its arrival in the West, which is still been used in many countries (with spelling difference). 

   Tea plant is usually small with a height of 50-200 cm but cultivated plants are kept pruned to a normal human’s reachable height. Its leaves are glossy green & 5-13 cm in length. Tea plants can yield for about 25-50 years.

   Tea is prepared from leaves, leaf buds & tender stalks of different varieties of camellia sinensis. The 4 most important classes (based on types of processing) are:

1.      Black tea (leaves - fermented).

2.      Green tea (leaves - unfermented, rapidly steamed).

3.      Oolong tea (leaves - partially fermented).

4.      White tea (the most delicate of all teas. The new leaf buds are plucked, withered  slowly at low temperatures).

   The caffeine is a natural component of tea leaves. The  alkaloids, caffeine & oils give the characteristic flavour of tea. 

Health & Medical Benefits:

    Tea leaves contain chemical compounds called polyphenols. The caffeine extracted from tea is added to some pain-killer medicines. Tea also has fluoride (which is vital for  teeth) & has  no calories. Recent research shows that any tea derived from camellia sinensis has cancer-fighting properties. 

Polyphenols in tea have been known to:

protect cells from physiological process known as "oxidative stress". neutralize enzymes that aid in the growth of tumors. deactivate cancer promoters. stimulate the immune system. reduce cholesterol levels.

   Besides polyphenols, tea also contains theanine (an amino acid, unique to tea), vitamins [vitamin A, B, C, D, E & K (specifically green tea)], minerals & methylxanthines. These components are vital in:

• fighting against mutagenic agents.
• delaying aging process.
• fighting high blood pressure.
• combating against viral & bacterial infection.
• improving the functions of the digestive & excretory systems.