RESUMEN
We constructed a prototype positron emission tomography (PET) system and experimentally evaluated large-volume 3-D cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detectors for potential use in Compton-enhanced PET imaging. The CZT spectrometer offers sub-0.5-mm spatial resolution, an ultrahigh energy resolution (~1% @ 511 keV), and the capability of detecting multiple gamma-ray interactions that simultaneously occurred. The system consists of four CZT detector panels with a detection area of around 4.4 cm × 4.4 cm. The distance between the front surfaces of the two opposite CZT detector panels is ~80 mm. This system allows us to detect coincident annihilation photons and Compton interactions inside the detectors and then, exploit Compton kinematics to predict the first Compton interaction site and reject chance coincidences. We have developed a numerical integration technique to model the near-field Compton response that incorporates Doppler broadening, detector's finite resolutions, and the distance between the first and second interactions. This method was used to effectively reject random and scattered coincidence events. In the preliminary imaging studies, we have used point sources, line sources, a custom-designed resolution phantom, and a commercial image quality (IQ) phantom to demonstrate an imaging resolution of approximately 0.75 mm in PET images, and Compton-based enhancement.
RESUMEN
Eutrophication is a major threat to aquatic ecosystems, because excessive nutrient enrichment may result in the loss of ecosystem services. Fjord systems are specifically under pressure due to nutrient input from land (agriculture) and sea (aquaculture). In this bioassay study, we have analyzed the effect of different nutrient sources, as well as their combination, on growth, nutrient composition and recruitment of habitat-forming and ephemeral macrophytes. We found that agricultural fertilizer increased growth for all algae (except Fucus), while the fish farm effluents mainly increased growth of Ulva. The C:N ratio was hardly affected by the fish farm, but decreased significantly in all algae when agriculture fertilizer was added. Most interestingly, however, distance to the fish farm modulated the algal response to the fertilizer. Our results demonstrate the importance of studying effects of multiple stressors in aquatic ecosystems to sustainably manage the consequences of anthropogenic impacts.