Search results for "Enhancement"
showing 10 items of 566 documents
Luce per rivivere… Alla scoperta di Baetulo, Catalogna / Light to relive…Discovering Baetulo, Catalonia
2013
L'illuminazione artificiale deve rientrare a pieno titolo nelle competenze di quanti siano impegnati ad affrontare la questione della valorizzazione dei siti archeologici, specialmente nell’area mediterranea. Negli ultimi decenni, infatti, abbiamo assistito a una progressiva apertura e proiezione verso il mondo esterno di quelli che possiamo definire i “luoghi della memoria”. Artificial lighting needs to return with full titles in the expertize of those committed to tackle the issue of enriching archeological sites, especially in the mediterranean area. As a matter of fact, in the last ten years, we have aided an openminded progression towards the external world of those who we can call “pl…
Cognitive Enhancement – A Critical Look at the Recent Debate
2013
Cognitive enhancement, which can be characterized as the attempt to increase cognitive functions such as attention or memory in healthy individuals, has received considerable attention during the last decade, both in the general public and in academic discourse. In spite of a very active interdisciplinary debate which has provided helpful reflections, categorizations and clarifications, the numerous questions and problems related to cognitive enhancement are far from having been exhaustively discussed or even solved. Without any doubt, there are several aspects within this field that require more reflection and further clarifications. In this chapter, which serves as an introduction to the …
Selective uptake of naked vaccine RNA by dendritic cells is driven by macropinocytosis and abrogated upon DC maturation.
2011
Even though it is known for more than one decade that antigen-encoding RNA can deliver antigenic information to induce antigen-specific immunity against cancer, the nature and mechanism of RNA uptake have remained enigmatic. In this study, we investigated the pharmacokinetics of naked RNA administered into the lymph node. We observed that RNA is rapidly and selectively uptaken by lymph node dendritic cells (DCs). Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo studies revealed that the efficient internalization of RNA by human and murine DCs is primarily driven by macropinocytosis. Selective inhibition of macropinocytosis by compounds or as a consequence of DC maturation abrogated RNA internalization and…
A Bottleneck Model of Imaging Systems for Digital Angiocardiography
1988
Some ten years ago, the performance of real-time digital subtraction angiocardiography was demonstrated for the first time [1]. Subtraction became in the years after 1980 nearly synonymous with digital angiography [2–4]. This image enhancement technique was certainly very efficient in paving the way for the digital approach to imaging. Relatively simple processors and memory structures could perform subtraction methods with some degree of success. However, even in that early stage, it was clear to many of those involved in the technical developments and in early clinical evaluations that subtraction was only one of many features that would motivate the change from traditional film technique…
EFSUMB Guidelines 2011: Comment on Emergent Indications and Visions
2012
The focus of this article is the emergent and potential indications of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). Emergent applications of CEUS techniques include extravascular and intracavitary contrast-enhanced ultrasound, quantitative assessment of microvascular circulation for tumor response assessment, and tumor characterization using dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (DCE-US). Potential indications for microbubble agents include novel molecular imaging and drug and gene delivery techniques, which have been successfully tested in animal models. "Comments and Illustrations of the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (EFSUMB) Non-Liver Guidelines 2011" whi…
Requirements on resolution of digital imaging equipment in the cardiac catheterization laboratory.
1988
We evaluated the requirements on spatial resolution of digital imaging equipment in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Fifty cinefilms of the heart as the biological object and one film of a lead-ladder-pattern as an objective test were used. The patient films were examined for the visibility of the left ventricular angiogram, coronary arterial tree, coronary artery lesions, branching of septal arteries and the number of septal arteries. All films were viewed three times: with a 625 line TV-system, with a 1249 line TV-system and with a cineprojector. It was found that two application areas with different demands on the spatial and temporal resolution can be distinguished: 1) low spatia…
Moderne Diagnostik zystischer Leberläsionen und Hämangiome
2015
Clinical issue: Cystic liver lesions incorporate a broad heterogeneous group of mostly benign but also malignant abnormalities. The radiological aim is the non-invasive diagnosis with the use of different imaging modalities to determine the type of lesion.Standard radiological methods: The common generally asymptomatic incidental findings of cystic lesions on ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) must be classified on the basis of specific imaging features. Such a differentiation is essential because the clinical consequences and the appropriate therapy can vary depending on the underlying pathology. Due to the morphological overlap of many cystic lesions…
Primary ciliary dyskinesia assessment by means of optical flow analysis of phase-contrast microscopy images
2014
Primary ciliary dyskinesia implies cilia with defective or total absence of motility, which may result in sinusitis, chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis and male infertility. Diagnosis can be difficult and is based on an abnormal ciliary beat frequency (CBF) and beat pattern. In this paper, we present a method to determine CBF of isolated cells through the analysis of phase-contrast microscopy images, estimating cilia motion by means of an optical flow algorithm. After having analyzed 28 image sequences (14 with a normal beat pattern and 14 with a dyskinetic pattern), the normal group presented a CBF of 5.2 +/- 1.6 Hz, while the dyskinetic patients presented a 1.9 +/- 0.9 Hz CBF. The cutoff …
Artefacts in CBCT: a review
2011
Artefacts are common in today's cone beam CT (CBCT). They are induced by discrepancies between the mathematical modelling and the actual physical imaging process. Since artefacts may interfere with the diagnostic process performed on CBCT data sets, every user should be aware of their presence. This article aims to discuss the most prominent artefacts identified in the scientific literature and review the existing knowledge on these artefacts. We also briefly review the basic three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction concept applied by today's CBCT scanners, as all artefacts are more or less directly related to it.
CT Angiography as a Confirmatory Test in Brain Death
2012
Objective: From recent studies, it remains unclear whether CT angiography could be an alternative to other established ancillary tests for the diagnosis of brain death. We examined intracranial contrast enhancement in CT angiography after clinically established brain death and compared the results with EEG and TCD findings.