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The evaluation of cardiac masses is often a challenge for cardiac imaging techniques. The traditional standby has been two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE). Real time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) offers incremental value for the evaluation of intracardiac masses by providing more accurate assessment of the size and shape of the mass as well as in some cases, composition of the mass. RT3DE aids with the relationship between the mass and adjacent structures. Therefore, here we discuss the subject of RT3DE evaluation of cardiac masses is reviewed and discussed in detail.

Radium (Ra) is a radioactive element commonly found within soils, sediments, and natural waters. Elevated Ra activities arising through natural and anthropogenic processes pose a threat to groundwater resources and human health, and Ra isotope ratios are used to decipher groundwater movement, estimate submarine discharge flux, and fingerprint contamination associated with hydraulic fracturing operations. Although adsorption to metal (hydr)oxides and certain clay minerals is well established as a dominant mechanism controlling Ra transport and retention, the extent of Ra sorption to other minerals and under variable environmental conditions (e.g., pH and salinity) is limited. Accordingly, we present results of sorption studies and surface complexation modeling (SCM) of Ra to ferrihydrite, goethite, montmorillonite, and pyrite, for a range of pH values and common background cations. Ra sorption to all substrates is observed under geochemical conditions considered, but varies according to mineral, solution pH and specific competing cations. Literature derived SCMs for Ra sorption were fitted to match either sorption impacts due to pH or different background cations, but were not able to predict the impacts of different geochemical conditions. Despite this, the use of SCMs provided a more mechanistic understanding of Ra sorption as compared to commonly used distribution coefficients.

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