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We introduce a multi-region model for simultaneous segmentation of medical images. In contrast to many other models, geometric constraints such as inclusion and exclusion between the regions are enforced, which makes it possible to correctly segment different regions even if the intensity distributions are identical. We efficiently optimize the model using a combination of graph cuts and Lagrangia
Quantitative perfusion MRI based on arterial spin labeling (ASL) is hampered by partial volume effects (PVEs), arising due to voxel signal cross-contamination between different compartments. To address this issue, several partial volume correction (PVC) methods have been presented. Most previous methods rely on segmentation of a high-resolution T1 -weighted morphological image volume that is coreg
PURPOSE: To evaluate whether a non-linear blood ΔR(2)*-versus-concentration relationship improves quantitative cerebral blood flow (CBF) estimates obtained by dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) MRI in a comparison with Xe-133 SPECT CBF in healthy volunteers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Linear as well as non-linear relationships between ΔR(2)* and contrast agent concentration in blood were applied to
The issue of natural and forced groundwater movements, and its effect on the performance of ground heat exchangers is of great importance for the design and sizing of borehole thermal energy systems (BTESs). In Scandinavia groundwater filled boreholes in hard rock are commonly used. In such boreholes one or more intersecting fractures provide a path for groundwater flow between the borehole and th
Mikhlin's method for solving Laplace's equation in domains exterior to a number of closed contours is discussed with particular emphasis on the Dirichlet-Neutnann map. In the literature there already exit tyro computational modes for Mikhlin's method. Here a new mode is presented. The new mode is at least as stable as the previous modes. Furthermore, its computational complexity in the number of c
Dewatering properties and sludge structure of anaerobically digested sludge were studied in relation to an increasing operational temperature. Sludge samples were taken from 5 pilot-scale CSTR reactors treating municipal sewage sludge with working volume of 20 L and operating at 33, 35, 37, 39 and 55 degrees C, respectively. The main parameters of interest were capillary suction time (CST), concen
Background: Many clinical trials with omalizumab, Xolair, have been reported but the treatment period has always been short, i.e. < 12 months. After withdrawal, the clinical symptoms tend to return. A group of patients who stopped treatment after approx. 6 years allowed studies of the long-term effects of Xolair. Methods: The patient's cat or mite allergen sensitivity was quantitated as basophil a
Product concentrations may be estimated from gas analysis or calorimetric measurements. These techniques of analysis are fast, simple, and provide a continuous output. To check the accuracy of these estimations, the anaerobic ethanol formation of an industrial strain of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was selected as a test system. Cultivations were carried out as batch cultures with different
Subcutaneous metastases from an oesophageal carcinoma were irradiated using different schedules. The results have to be evaluated with greatest caution but indicate that with the same CRE value, few fractions caused less skin reactions than several, and the size of the shoulder of the cell survival curve was of the order of 0.7 Gy.
The molecular and electronic surface structure of a triarylamine based hole-conductor (HC) molecule evaporated onto rutile TiO2(110) single crystal is investigated by means of synchrotron light based photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray absorption spectroscopy in combination with calculations based on density functional theory. Different amounts of the HC molecule was evaporated spanning the monol
We examined the importance of injury for the epidermal innate immune response in human skin wounds. We found that injury, independent of infiltrating inflammatory cells, generated prominent chemotactic activity toward neutrophils in injured skin because of IL-8 production. Furthermore, injury was a major inducer of the expression of antimicrobial (poly)peptides (AMPs) in skin wounds. In human skin
Abstract Phagocytosis and killing of microorganisms are complex processes that involve tightly regulated membrane traffic events. Because many signaling molecules associate with membrane rafts and because these structures can be found on azurophilic granules, we decided to investigate raft recruitment and the signaling requirements for azurophilic granule secretion during phagosome maturation. At
Measurements of regional cerebral blood flow were made in 20 healthy young male subjects during sobriety and inebriation (0.06 % blood alcohol) during rest and during performance of a word fluency test. Word production was decreased during inebriation. The activation within the frontotemporal part of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was preserved during intoxication. During inebriation no a
OBJECTIVE: To assess incidence and mortality effects of extraarticular rheumatoid arthritis (ExRA) in patients with incident RA in 1995-2007 compared to 1985-1994, in Olmsted County, Minnesota, USA. METHODS: Data on incident ExRA were abstracted from medical records of patients with RA - Olmsted County residents who first met the 1987 American College of Rheumatology criteria for RA between Januar
Objectives To assess, first, the prevalence and severity of symptoms associated with the climacteric period and their treatment and, second, the prevalence of exercise, smoking and body weight in a population-based sample of Swedish women. Material and methods Prospective, longitudinal cohort study, initiated in 1992, in women aged 46, 50, 54, 58 and 62 years with a follow-up 6 years later. Inform
BACKGROUND: Asthma guidelines recommend that long-acting inhaled beta-agonists should be used as maintenance therapy for patients with asthma inadequately controlled on an inhaled corticosteroid. We studied the safety and efficacy of the long-acting beta-agonist formoterol compared with terbutaline, each taken as needed, in patients with moderate to severe asthma. METHODS: Patients were taking an
Objectives. To evaluate the distribution of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) phosphodiesterases (PDEs) in relation to nitric oxide synthase isoforms and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) in specimens of the human vagina. Nitric oxide and VIP, mediating biologic signals through cGMP and cAMP, have been assumed to be involved in the control of vag
This study compares the effectiveness of teaching the calculation of frontal plane QRS axis with the use of the classical versus the orderly electrocardiographic limb lead display. Eighty-three students from two environments were randomized into two groups and were taught to determine frontal plane axis with one of the methods. The accuracy and time to determine the axis were tested on 10 electroc
