Model prediction of subendocardial perfusion of the coronary circulation in the presence of an epicardial coronary artery stenosis

The subendocardium is most vulnerable to ischemia, which is ameliorated by relaxation during diastole and increased coronary pressure. Recent clinical techniques permit the measuring of subendocardial perfusion and it is therefore important to gain insight into how measurements depend on perfusion conditions of the heart. Using data from microsphere experiments a layered model of the myocardial wall was developed. Myocardial perfusion distribution during hyperemia was predicted for different degrees of coronary stenosis and at different levels of Diastolic Time Fraction (DTF). At the reference DTF, perfusion was rather evenly distributed over the layers and the effect of the stenosis was homogenous. However, at shorter or longer DTF, the subendocardium was the first or last to suffer from shortage of perfusion. It is therefore concluded that the possible occurrence of subendocardial ischemia at exercise is underestimated when heart rate is increased and DTF is lower

Особливості формування етнічного складу селянської верстви Степового Побужжя

In this short paper we sketch a brief introduction to our Krimp algorithm. Moreover, we briefly discuss some of the large body of follow up research. Pointers to the relevant papers are provided in the bibliography

The OpenKnowledge System: An Interaction-Centered Approach to Knowledge Sharing

Abstract. The information that is made available through the semantic web will be accessed through complex programs (web-services, sensors, etc.)thatmayinteract in sophisticated ways. Composition guided simply by the specifications of programs ’ inputs and outputs is insufficient to obtain reliable aggregate performance- hence the recognised need for process models to specify the interactions required between programs. These interaction models, however, are traditionally viewed as a consequence of service composition rather than as the focal point for facilitating composition. We describe an operational system that uses models of interaction as the focus for knowledge exchange. Our implementation adopts a peer to peer architecture, thus making minimal assumptions about centralisation of knowledge sources, discovery and interaction control.

MultimediaN E-Culture demonstrator

The main objective of the MultimediaN E-Culture project is to demonstrate how novel semantic-web and presentation technologies can be deployed to provide better indexing and search support within large virtual collections of cultural-heritage resources. The architecture is fully based on open web standards, in particular XML, SVG, RDF/OWL and SPARQL. One basic hypothesis underlying this work is that the use of explicit background knowledge in the form of ontologies/vocabularies/thesauri is in particular useful in information retrieval in knowledge-rich domains

Clinical quantitative cardiac imaging for the assessment of myocardial ischaemia

Cardiac imaging has a pivotal role in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of ischaemic heart disease. SPECT is most commonly used for clinical myocardial perfusion imaging, whereas PET is the clinical reference standard for the quantification of myocardial perfusion. MRI does not involve exposure to ionizing radiation, similar to echocardiography, which can be performed at the bedside. CT perfusion imaging is not frequently used but CT offers coronary angiography data, and invasive catheter-based methods can measure coronary flow and pressure. Technical improvements to the quantification of pathophysiological parameters of myocardial ischaemia can be achieved. Clinical consensus recommendations on the appropriateness of each technique were derived following a European quantitative cardiac imaging meeting and using a real-time Delphi process. SPECT using new detectors allows the quantification of myocardial blood flow and is now also suited to patients with a high BMI. PET is well suited to patients with multivessel disease to confirm or exclude balanced ischaemia. MRI allows the evaluation of patients with complex disease who would benefit from imaging of function and fibrosis in addition to perfusion. Echocardiography remains the preferred technique for assessing ischaemia in bedside situations, whereas CT has the greatest value for combined quantification of stenosis and characterization of atherosclerosis in relation to myocardial ischaemia. In patients with a high probability of needing invasive treatment, invasive coronary flow and pressure measurement is well suited to guide treatment decisions. In this Consensus Statement, we summarize the strengths and weaknesses as well as the future technological potential of each imaging modality