Determination of normal splenic volume in relation to age, gender and body habitus: a stereological study on computed tomography

Background: The aim of this study is to assess and document the dimensions of the normal spleen measured on computed tomography (CT) images with the normal splenic volume measured by Cavalieri principle on CT images and thereby serve as a baseline for comparison in cases of splenomegaly using abdominal CT. To investigate the relationship between these changes and body mass index, gender, abdominal diameters. Materials and methods: We retrospectively reviewed abdominal CT examinations of 212 adults between the ages of 20 and 88 years. There were seven groups of patients. The spleen volume (SV) measurements using abdominal CT images of each patient on the Image Information Systems were performed with Cavalieri principle. Results: The mean SV and splenic length (SL), width (SW), and thickness (ST) for the total study population of 212 patients was 198 +/- 88 cm(3), 9.96 +/- 2.1 cm, 8.87 +/- +/- 1.6 cm and 4.58 +/- 0.8 cm, respectively. There was a strong correlation between SV and ST (r = 0.752, p < 0.001), SL (r = 0.735, p < 0.001), SW (r = 0.681, p < 0.001) mean values of total study population. Comparison between mean splenic dimension parameters for males and females showed a statistically significant difference (p = 0.032 for SV, p = 0.04 for ST) but no statistically significant difference with SL and SW. Also there was a positive correlation between SV and body height, sagittal abdominal diameter and transvers abdominal diameter in mean of total groups and female groups, there was no correlation in males. Conclusions: The normal reference ranges for SV and size given in this study can serve as a standard to judge whether splenomegaly is present in patients

A Semantic Grid Oriented to E-Tourism

With increasing complexity of tourism business models and tasks, there is a clear need of the next generation e-Tourism infrastructure to support flexible automation, integration, computation, storage, and collaboration. Currently several enabling technologies such as semantic Web, Web service, agent and grid computing have been applied in the different e-Tourism applications, however there is no a unified framework to be able to integrate all of them. So this paper presents a promising e-Tourism framework based on emerging semantic grid, in which a number of key design issues are discussed including architecture, ontologies structure, semantic reconciliation, service and resource discovery, role based authorization and intelligent agent. The paper finally provides the implementation of the framework.Comment: 12 PAGES, 7 Figure

CalibFPA: A Focal Plane Array Imaging System based on Online Deep-Learning Calibration

Compressive focal plane arrays (FPA) enable cost-effective high-resolution (HR) imaging by acquisition of several multiplexed measurements on a low-resolution (LR) sensor. Multiplexed encoding of the visual scene is typically performed via electronically controllable spatial light modulators (SLM). An HR image is then reconstructed from the encoded measurements by solving an inverse problem that involves the forward model of the imaging system. To capture system non-idealities such as optical aberrations, a mainstream approach is to conduct an offline calibration scan to measure the system response for a point source at each spatial location on the imaging grid. However, it is challenging to run calibration scans when using structured SLMs as they cannot encode individual grid locations. In this study, we propose a novel compressive FPA system based on online deep-learning calibration of multiplexed LR measurements (CalibFPA). We introduce a piezo-stage that locomotes a pre-printed fixed coded aperture. A deep neural network is then leveraged to correct for the influences of system non-idealities in multiplexed measurements without the need for offline calibration scans. Finally, a deep plug-and-play algorithm is used to reconstruct images from corrected measurements. On simulated and experimental datasets, we demonstrate that CalibFPA outperforms state-of-the-art compressive FPA methods. We also report analyses to validate the design elements in CalibFPA and assess computational complexity

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography in the Diagnosis and Management of Choledochal Cysts

Choledochal cysts are an uncommon anomaly of the biliary system manifested by cystic dilatation of the extra or intrahepatic biliary tree or both. It is most frequently found in Orientals and in females. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is a valuable imaging technique in the diagnosis of choledochal cysts in adults. Additionaly, in selected cases, a choledochocele may be effectively managed by endoscopic sphincterotomy. We present clinical and endoscopic findings of six adult patients with choledochal cysts. Clinical symptoms were characterized by abdominal pain, jaundice and cholangitis. Associated hepatobiliary pathologic findings included cholelithiasis, recurrent acute pancreatitis, gallbladder carcinoma, Cystolithiasis, choledocholithiasis, biliary stricture and hepatic abscess

Optimal filtering in fractional fourier domains

For time-invariant degradation models and stationary signals and noise, the classical Fourier domain Wiener filter, which can be implemented in O(NlogN) time, gives the minimum mean-square-error estimate of the original undistorted signal. For time-varying degradations and nonstationary processes, however, the optimal linear estimate requires O(N2) time for implementation. We consider filtering in fractional Fourier domains, which enables significant reduction of the error compared with ordinary Fourier domain filtering for certain types of degradation and noise (especially of chirped nature), while requiring only O(N\og N) implementation time. Thus, improved performance is achieved at no additional cost. Expressions for the optimal filter functions in fractional domains are derived, and several illustrative examples are given in which significant reduction of the error (by a factor of 50) is obtained. © 1997 IEEE

Geometric invariant theory of syzygies, with applications to moduli spaces

We define syzygy points of projective schemes, and introduce a program of studying their GIT stability. Then we describe two cases where we have managed to make some progress in this program, that of polarized K3 surfaces of odd genus, and of genus six canonical curves. Applications of our results include effectivity statements for divisor classes on the moduli space of odd genus K3 surfaces, and a new construction in the Hassett-Keel program for the moduli space of genus six curves.Comment: v1: 23 pages, submitted to the Proceedings of the Abel Symposium 2017, v2: final version, corrects a sign error and resulting divisor class calculations on the moduli space of K3 surfaces in Section 5, other minor changes, In: Christophersen J., Ranestad K. (eds) Geometry of Moduli. Abelsymposium 2017. Abel Symposia, vol 14. Springer, Cha