Development of nuclear analytical methods in support of the life sciences.

摘要

This dissertation research which focused on the development of nuclear analysis methodologies for application in the life sciences, was divided into two parts. The first part was to develop nuclear and atomic spectroscopy techniques to expand the potential for the use of human nails as a monitor of dietary and occupational exposures to nutritional and toxic trace elements; and, to apply these methodologies, in serial, to a set of 129 nail samples obtained from construction workers having variable exposure to toxic heavy metals. The second part was to determine the efficiency and spatial resolution for in vivo measurements in a small animal model and to study distribution and re-distribution of a radiotracer in a rat model, using the MURR rectilinear gamma-ray scanner.