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1

A Four-Dimensional Probabilistic Atlas of the Human Brain  

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The authors describe the development of a four-dimensional atlas and reference system that includes both macroscopic and microscopic information on structure and function of the human brain in persons...Full Text Available

2001-09-01

2

Latent Tricuspid Valve Rupture after Motor Vehicle Accident and Routine Echocardiography in All Chest-Wall Traumas  

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Blunt chest-wall trauma is common; however, resultant tricuspid valve rupture is rare and can be subtle in its presentation. Transthoracic echocardiography plays a key role in diagnosis.Herein,...Full Text Available

2009-01-01

3

Tachyon Cerenkov radiation  

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

By proposing the four-dimensional, reciprocity transformations the appropriate condition for superluminal electromagnetic Cerenkov radiation is obtained by introducing the hypothesis that tachyons possess vector energy and scalar momentum.

1985-09-01

5

Quantifying the accuracy of automated structure segmentation in 4D CT images using a deformable image registration algorithm  

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Four-dimensional (4D) radiotherapy is the explicit inclusion of the temporal changes in anatomy during the imaging, planning, and delivery of radiotherapy. One key component of 4D radiotherapy planning...Full Text Available

2008-04-01

6

Performance evaluation of an automatic anatomy segmentation algorithm on repeat or four-dimensional CT images using a deformable image registration method  

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

PurposeAuto-propagation of anatomical region-of-interests (ROIs) from the planning CT to daily CT is an essential step in image-guided adaptive radiotherapy. The...Full Text Available

2008-09-01

7

Development of a Novel Post-processing Treatment Planning Platform for 4D Radiotherapy  

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The aim of this study is to develop an Automatic Post-processing Tool for four-dimensional (4D) treatment planning (APT4D) that enables the user to perform some necessary procedures related...Full Text Available

2008-04-01

8

Determination of left ventricular ejection fraction and wall thickness in magnetic resonance imaging at 1.0 Tesla in comparison to echocardiography and biplanar ventriculography  

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We compared the values of the myocardial thickness and the left ventricle diameters measured with MRI and echocardiography. The ejection fraction was compared in MRI and ventriculography. 34 patients with different heart dysfunctions were examined with MRI (FISP 2D sequence). 26 of them were also studied by echocardiography and 20 by biplane cine-ventriculography. The enddiastolic thicknesses of the left ventricular postero-lateral wall and of the septum interventriculare were measured on short axis images. An ellipsoidal modell was used for volume calculation and ejection fraction. Correlation of MRI values of thickness and ejection fraction with echocardiographi and angiographi showed r>0,8. As known for 1.56 T Imagers, the myocardial thickness in MRI was underestimated compared to echocardiography (1.4 mm#+-#1.7). The ejection fraction was underevaluated compared to ventriculography ...

9

Pericardial tamponade in a newborn following umbilical catheter insertion.  

Science.gov (United States)

We present a case of cardiac tamponade following umbilical venous catheterization in a neonate, an uncommon, yet potentially fatal complication. Timely diagnosis by echocardiography and urgent pericardiocentesis proved lifesaving. PMID:21654008

2011-05-01

10

Intracardiac Echocardiography: A New Guiding Tool for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement  

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

BackgroundEchocardiography has been debated as an adjunct for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The aim of this prospective study was to comparatively evaluate intraprocedural guidance using intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). MethodsFifty high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis scheduled for TAVR were randomized to either guidance using ICE (group 1; n = 25) or monitoring using TEE (group 2; n = 25). ResultsIn contrast to TEE, ICE allowed continuous monitoring. The need for probe repositioning during the procedure was much lower in group 1 (0.1 +- 0.3 vs 5.7 +- 0.7 maneuvers, P P = .003). Both coronary ostia were more frequently visualized in group 1 (18 vs 2 cases, P n = 25, r2 = 0.90, P n = 11, P = .012), but ICE did not (m...

2011-01-01

11

Double-Valve Libman-Sacks Endocarditis Causing Ventricular Fibrillation Cardiac Arrest  

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Libman-Sacks endocarditis is a well-known and rather common cardiac manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus. Transesophageal and transthoracic echocardiography are the definitive imaging methods...Full Text Available

2011-01-01

12

Clinical utility of tissue Doppler imaging in patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock  

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundEchocardiography is widely used in the management of patients with cardiogenic shock (CS). Left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) has been shown to be an independent predictor...Full Text Available

13

Catheter Ablation for Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation  

Medline Plus

... catheter ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation procedure utilizing 3-D mapping and rotational intracardiac echocardiography. This program is ... of the MRI scan and then there's the 3-D image, which is generated from the pixels chosen ...

14

Assessing the Left Ventricular Systolic Function at the Bedside: The Role of Transpulmonary Thermodilution-Derived Indices  

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Evaluating the systolic function of the left ventricle (LV) is important in the hemodynamic management of the critically ill patients with circulatory failure. Echocardiography is considered the standard...Full Text Available

2011-01-01

15

New method for computing quark propagators in quenched quantum chromodynamics  

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Generalization of the alternate directions implicit technique is used to compute the pion propagator in quenched QCD on a lattice. The full four-dimensional problem is reduced to a series of partly decoupled two-dimensional inversions. Chiral properties of the theory computed in this approach agree with those found using other methods.

1986-05-01

16

Interventional Procedures in Superficial Lesions: The Value of 2D with Additional Coronal Reformatted 4D Ultrasonography Guidance  

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

ObjectiveWe wanted to assess the usefulness of four-dimensional (4D) ultrasonography (US), i.e., real-time three-dimensional US, as an adjunct for performing various US-guided interventional...Full Text Available

2006-01-01

17

Infinite dimensional algebra for all the (super-)field theories in four dimensions  

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

By reformulating the usual free massless field theories in terms of twistors we get systems which are invariant under an infinite dimensional algebra. This algebra contains the two-dimensional conformal algebra and the SU(2, 2) algebra as subalgebras. It turns out that these systems, which possess the four-dimensional complex manifold structure of the twistor space, can lead to a natural generalization of the notion of two-dimensional conformal field theories to four dimensions. (orig.).

1989-12-01

18

MRI in the diagnosis of non-compacted ventricular Myocardium (NCVM) compared to echocardiography  

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purpose: To report the detection of con-compacted ventricular myocardium (NVCM) with MRI compared to echocardiography in 8 patients. Material and methods: Non-compaction of the ventricular myocardium is a congenital disorder characterized by an altered structure of the myocardial wall resulting from an intrauterine arrest in endomyocardial embryogenesis. The morphological findings consist of a prominent meshwork of multiple myocardial trabeculations and deep intertrabecular recesses, communicating with the left ventricular cavity. 8 consecutive patients (mean age 7.3 years) with clinical and echocardiographic signs of NCVM were examined by MRI (1.5 T, Vision, Siemens) in short axis and 2- and 4-chamber views, using T_1-weighted TSE and Cine-GRE in 6 patients and true FISP sequences in 2 patients. MRI and echocardiography were evaluated for visibility, signs of NCVM and involvement of myocardial wall segments. Thickness was measured for ...

2003-09-01

19

MRI of congenital heart disease in childhood  

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MRI provides a non-invasive diagnostic tool complementing echocardiography on one hand, and showing advantages over echocardiography, on the other hand, especially after corrective procedures. The multiple different MRI sequences need to be adapted to examinations of children and patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), and can be used to detect morphologic changes, blood-flow in the heart and thoracic vessels and diastolic or systolic function of myocardium. Several factors determine the success of the examination of a complex congenital heart disease or a postoperative situs. Pediatric radiologists and radiologists experienced in congenital heart diseases have to work in close cooperation. Echocardiography should be performed before MRI. The results of prior examinations and the clinical history of the patients, including possible palliative or reconstructive operations, must be available before MRI to guide the ...

2004-02-01

20

[Heart injuries: diagnosis and therapy].  

Science.gov (United States)

The clinical manifestation of wounds of the heart is determined by the mode, site and size of the injury as well as the structure of the pericardial and myocardial lesion. Diagnosis can be confirmed by ECG and echocardiography. Only 20% of the patients with penetrating wounds of the heart live for more than 30 minutes. Pericardio-centesis should be used only to gain time for a safe sternotomy, cardiac decompression and suture of the wound of the heart. An aggressive surgical approach is mandatory. Cardiopulmonary bypass is necessary only to correct of concomitant lesions. PMID:1983618

1990-01-01

 
 
 
 
21

Right-sided invasive metastatic thymoma of the heart  

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Cardiac tumours may display diverse symptoms through potential involvement of any structure of the heart. We describe a case of a highly malignant thymoma with involvement of different cardiac structures with important haemodynamic compromise. With the high sensitivity of transthoracic echocardiography for detection of intracardiac masses, computed tomography and magnetic resonance add essential structural preoperative information on the tumour and surrounding tissue as vessels, pleura, lung and mediastinum.

2011-01-01

22

Lyme myocarditis diagnosed by indium-111-antimyosin antibody scintigraphy  

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We report a new case of Lyme disease with cardiac manifestations, which has been possible to follow during the long period of 12 years. We have detected the usual ECG abnormalities, and concentric hypertrophic myocardiopathy, by echocardiography. The acute myocarditis was demonstrated by /sup 111/In-antimyosin scintigraphy, which showed global myocardial uptake of the tracer, constituting the first report, to our knowledge, of Lyme myocarditis diagnosed by this method.

1989-06-01

23

Assessing aortic valve area in aortic stenosis by continuity equation: a novel approach using real-time three-dimensional echocardiography  

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

AimsTwo-dimensional echocardiographic (2DE) continuity-equation derived aortic valve area (AVA) in aortic stenosis (AS) relies on non-simultaneous measurement of left ventricular...Full Text Available

2008-10-01

24

Topological Defects in the Moduli Sector of String Theory  

CERN Document Server

We point out that the moduli sector of the $(2,2)$ string compactification with its nonperturbatively preserved non-compact symmetries is a fertile framework to study global topological defects, thus providing a natural source for the large scale structure formation. Based on the target space modular invariance of the nonperturbative superpotential of the four-dimensional N=1 supersymmetric string vacua, topologically stable stringy domain walls are found. They are supersymmetric solutions, thus saturating the Bogomolnyi bound. It is also shown that there are moduli sectors that allow for the global monopole-type and texture-type configurations whose radial stability is ensured by higher derivative terms.

1991-01-01

25

Combined Modality Treatment for Prostate Cancer With Dynamic Adaptive Radiation Therapy Using Four-Dimensional Image-Guided Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy and Brachytherapy  

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Prostate cancer can be successfully treated using dynamic adaptive external beam radiation techniques along with interstitial brachytherapy to deliver curative therapies with low urinary, rectal and erectile function morbidity. Through the use of sophisticated, state-of-the art radiographic imaging for staging and treatment planning, a precise, individual design for treatment is accomplished. Symptom management and patient education are of paramount importance and are integrated throughout the treatment process.

2009-01-01

26

MRI in postoperative assessment of univentricular heart disease: correlation with echocardiography and angiography; MRT in der postoperativen Diagnostik bei funktionell univentrikulaerem Herz: Korrelation zu Echokardiographie und Kardangiographie  

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Purpose: To determine the value of MRI in the postoperativ evaluation of a singular ventricle compared to echocardiography and cardiac catheterization. Materials and methods: Thirty-one patients (range: 6 months to 30 years) with a functional single ventricle following palliative corrective operations. Five patients had a Blalock-Taussig-Shunt, 8 patients a Glenn-Anastomosis and 18 a cavopulmonary shunt (6 with classic Fontan-Circulation, 12 with modified cavopulmonary anastomosis). The results in terms of postoperative morphologic changes were compared to percutaneous echocardiography (31/31) and cardiac catheterization (6/31). Results: Echocardiography, which was performed on all patients, could not visualize the entire length of the tunnel, the Glenn-Anastomosis or the central pulmonary arteries in 70% of the patients due to an inadequate acoustic window. MRI was able to show the entire tunnel in 11/12 patients and the ...

2002-12-01

27

On the connectedness of moduli spaces of Calabi-Yau manifolds  

CERN Document Server

We show that the moduli space of all Calabi-Yau manifolds that can be realized as hypersurfaces described by a transverse polynomial in a four dimensional weighted projective space, is connected. This is achieved by exploiting techniques of toric geometry and the construction of Batyrev that relate Calabi-Yau manifolds to reflexive polyhedra. Taken together with the previously known fact that the moduli space of all CICY's is connected, and is moreover connected to the moduli space of the present class of Calabi-Yau manifolds (since the quintic threefold P_4[5] is both CICY and a hypersurface in a weighted P_4), this strongly suggests that the moduli space of all simply connected Calabi-yau manifolds is connected. It is of interest that singular Calabi-Yau manifolds corresponding to the points in which the moduli spaces meet are often, for the present class, more singular than the conifolds that connect the moduli spaces of CICY's.

1995-01-01

28

High speed inverted optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy  

Science.gov (United States)

Photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) offers label-free, optical absorption contrast. A high-speed, high-resolution PAM system in an inverted microscope configuration with a laser pulse repetition rate of 100,000 Hz and a stationary ultrasonic transducer was built. Four-dimensional in vivo imaging of microcirculation in mouse skin was achieved at 18 three-dimensional volumes per second with repeated two-dimensional raster scans of 100 by 50 points. The corresponding twodimensional B-scan (50 A-lines) frame rate was 1800 Hz, and the one-dimensional A-scan rate was 90,000 Hz. The lateral resolution is 0.23+/-0.03 ?m for Au nano-wire imaging, which is 2.0 times below the diffraction limit.

2011-02-01

29

Constraining Parity Violation in Gravity with Measurements of Neutron-Star Moments of Inertia  

CERN Document Server

Neutron stars are sensitive laboratories for testing general relativity, especially when considering deviations where velocities are relativistic and gravitational fields are strong. One such deviation is described by dynamical, Chern-Simons modified gravity, where the Einstein-Hilbert action is modified through the addition of the gravitational parity-violating Pontryagin density coupled to a field. This four-dimensional effective theory arises naturally both in perturbative and non-perturbative string theory, loop quantum gravity, and generic effective field theory expansions. We calculate here Chern-Simons modifications to the properties and gravitational fields of slowly spinning neutron stars. We find that the Chern-Simons correction affects only the gravitomagnetic sector of the metric to leading order, thus introducing modifications to the moment of inertia but not to the mass-radius relation. We show that an observational determination of the moment of ...

2009-01-01

30

Evaluation of left ventricular volumes in patients with congenital heart disease and abnormal left ventricular geometry. Comparison of MRI and transthoraic 3-dimensional echocardiography; Vergleich der transthorakalen 3D-Echokardiographie mit der MRT zur Bestimmung linksventrikulaerer Volumina bei Patienten mit pathologischer Ventrikelgeometrie aufgrund angeborener Herzfehler  

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Purpose: To assess the new method of 3-dimensional echocardiography in comparison to the 'gold standard' MRI as to its ability to calculate left ventricular volumes in patients with congenital heart disease. Materials and methods: Eighteen patients between the ages of 3.9 to 37.3 years (mean: 12.8{+-}9.7) with a geometrically abnormal left ventricle were examined using a 1.5 T scanner with a fast gradient-echo sequence (TR=14 ms, TE=2.6-2.9 ms, FOV=300-400 mm, flip angle=20 , matrix=128:256, slice thickness=5 mm, retrospective gating) in multislice-multiphase technique. Transthoracic 3D-echocardiography was performed with a 3.5 MHz transducer and a Tomtec {sup trademark} (Munich, Germany) system for 3D reconstruction. Results: Volume calculation was possible in all patients with 3D-echocardiography, but the muscle mass calculation only succeeded in 11 to 18 patients (61%) due to inadequate visualization of ...

2003-07-01

31

The chance finding of an aneurysm of the right sinus of Valsalva in an 11-year-old child with a ventricular septal defect and a pericardial effusion  

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Ventricular septal defects can occur as part of other congenital cardiac malformations or as an isolated finding. Aneurysms of the sinus of Valsalva are rare, most commonly involving the right or noncoronary sinuses. They can be congenital or acquired through infection, trauma, or degenerative diseases. They frequently co-exist with ventricular septal defects, aortic valve dysfunction, or other cardiac abnormalities. More commonly, sinus of Valsalva aneurysms are diagnosed after the clinical sequelae of rupture. Several etiologic factors may lead to the development of pathologic pericardial effusion and the detection of pericardial effusion was one of the first applications of echocardiography to gain widespread acceptance. We present a case of a chance finding of an aneurysm of the right ...

2011-01-01

32

Successful transcatheter coil embolization of coronary artery to left ventricular fistula associated with absent pulmonary valve with tricuspid atresia in early infancy.  

Science.gov (United States)

Transcatheter coil embolization for coronary artery to left ventricular fistula was successfully performed in a neonate. At 30 weeks' gestation, fetal echocardiography showed a hypoplastic right ventricle with intact ventricular septum, absent pulmonary valve, tricuspid atresia, and marked distension of the right coronary artery. After birth, the neonate had congestive heart failure and the electrocardiogram showed myocardial ischemic changes in the left ventricular area. Aortography showed a dilated right coronary artery arising from the ascending aorta and draining into the left ventricle. Transcatheter coil embolization was carried out on the 9th day after birth. Since the procedure, no myocardial ischemic changes have been detected. Transcatheter coil embolization is a useful therapy for coronary artery fistula associated with myocardial ischemia. PMID:15564713

2004-12-01

33

Prenatal diagnosis and perinatal management of left coronary artery to right atrium fistula.  

Science.gov (United States)

Serious complications due to coronary artery fistulae have been described. Most authors recommend early intervention at the time of diagnosis. We present a case of a fistula originating from a dilated left coronary artery and draining into the right atrium, which was diagnosed prenatally by color Doppler echocardiography. During pregnancy, the echocardiographic findings remained unchanged, and there were no signs of heart failure. After birth, the fistula was confirmed by angiography. Additionally, a persistent left superior vena cava draining into the coronary sinus and a very small ventricular septal defect were detected. The fistula was closed successfully by transcatheter coil embolization. At 17 months old the child was in good clinical condition. Prenatal diagnosis of coronary artery fistulae may be possible and may improve perinatal management and outcome. PMID:12047543

2002-06-01

34

Long-Term Follow-Up of Percutaneous Balloon Angioplasty in Adult Aortic Coarctation  

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purpose: To assess long-term outcomes following percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) of congenital aortic coarctation in adults.Methods: Seventeen patients underwent PTA for symptomatic adult coarctation of the aorta. Sixteen patients, with a mean age of 28 years (range 15-60 years), were reviewed at a mean interval after angioplasty of 7.3 years (range 1.5-11 years). Assessment included magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Doppler echocardiography, and clinical examination. Current clinical measurements were compared with pre- and immediate post-angioplasty measurements.Results: At follow-up 16 patients were alive and well. The patient not included in follow-up had undergone surgical repair and excision of the coarctation segment following PTA. Mean brachial systolic blood pressure for the group decreased from 174 mmHg before angioplasty to 130 mmHg at follow-up (p 0.0001). The mean gradient had fallen significantly from 50.9 to 17.8 at follow-up (p = 0.001). ...

2000-09-01

35

Jacobi stability of the vacuum in the static spherically symmetric brane world models  

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We analyze the stability of the structure equations of the vacuum in the brane world models, by using both the linear (Lyapunov) stability analysis, and the Jacobi stability analysis, the Kosambi-Cartan-Chern theory. In the brane world models the four-dimensional effective Einstein equations acquire extra terms, called dark radiation and dark pressure, respectively, which arise from the embedding of the three-brane in the bulk. Generally, the spherically symmetric vacuum solutions of the brane gravitational field equations have properties quite distinct as compared to the standard black hole solutions of general relativity. We close the structure equations by assuming a simple linear equation of state for the dark pressure. In this case the vacuum is Jacobi stable only for a small range of values of the proportionality constant relating the dark pressure and the dark radiation. The unstable trajectories on the brane behave chaotically, in the sense that after a ...

2008-05-15

36

Homoclinic chaos in the dynamics of a general Bianchi type-IX model  

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The dynamics of a general Bianchi type-IX model with three scale factors is examined. The matter content of the model is assumed to be comoving dust plus a positive cosmological constant. The model presents a critical point of saddle-center-center type in the finite region of phase space. This critical point engenders in the phase space dynamics the topology of stable and unstable four dimensional tubes RxS"3, where R is a saddle direction and S"3 is the manifold of unstable periodic orbits in the center-center sector. A general characteristic of the dynamical flow is an oscillatory mode about orbits of an invariant plane of the dynamics which contains the critical point and a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) singularity. We show that a pair of tubes (one stable, one unstable) emerging from the neighborhood of the critical point towards the FRW singularity have homoclinic transversal crossings. The homoclinic intersection manifold has topology ...

2002-04-15

37

Gauge invariant perturbation theory in spatially homogeneous cosmology  

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The perturbations of the L.R.S. class A spatially homogeneous spacetimes are treated using Hamiltonian methods in conjunction with techniques from the theory of Lie group harmonic analysis. These latter techniques lead to a simple way of handling any set of tensor equations on these background spacetimes which has the same symmetry group as the space-time metric. Once this approach is developed, the Hamiltonian formulation is used to recover in a clean way the Bonanos equations for the perturbations of the perfect fluid models of the class of spacetimes under consideration. The conserved quantities associated with the four-dimensional symmetry group are evaluated and their role in the linearized Hamiltonian dynamics is discussed. The time-dependent linear canonical transformation of the linearized vacuum gravitational phase space adapted to Moncrief's gauge invariant decomposition is described in general for these models and evaluated explicitly for a class of ...

38

CP{sup 2} and CP{sup 1} sigma models in supergravity: Bianchi type IX instantons and cosmologies  

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We find instanton/cosmological solutions with biaxial Bianchi-IX symmetry, involving nontrivial spatial dependence of the CP{sup 1}-CP{sup 2}-sigma-models coupled to gravity. Such manifolds arise in N = 1, d 4 supergravity with supermatter actions and hence the solutions can be embedded in supergravity. There is a natural way in which the standard coordinates of these manifolds can be mapped into the four-dimensional physical space. Due to its special symmetry, we start with CP{sup 2} with its corresponding scalar ansatz; this further requires the spacetime to be SU(2) x U(1)-invariant. The problem then reduces to a set of ordinary differential equations whose analytical properties and solutions are discussed. Among the solutions there is a surprising, special family of exact solutions which owe their existence to the nontrivial topology of CP{sup 2} and are in 1-1 correspondence with matter-free Bianchi-IX metrics. These solutions can also be found by coupling ...

2004-05-07

39

CP"2 and CP"1 sigma models in supergravity: Bianchi type IX instantons and cosmologies  

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We find instanton/cosmological solutions with biaxial Bianchi-IX symmetry, involving nontrivial spatial dependence of the CP"1-CP"2-sigma-models coupled to gravity. Such manifolds arise in N = 1, d 4 supergravity with supermatter actions and hence the solutions can be embedded in supergravity. There is a natural way in which the standard coordinates of these manifolds can be mapped into the four-dimensional physical space. Due to its special symmetry, we start with CP"2 with its corresponding scalar ansatz; this further requires the spacetime to be SU(2) x U(1)-invariant. The problem then reduces to a set of ordinary differential equations whose analytical properties and solutions are discussed. Among the solutions there is a surprising, special family of exact solutions which owe their existence to the nontrivial topology of CP"2 and are in 1-1 correspondence with matter-free Bianchi-IX metrics. These solutions can also be found by coupling CP"1 to gravity. The ...

2004-05-07

40

MRI in the diagnosis of non-compacted ventricular Myocardium (NCVM) compared to echocardiography; MR-Tomographie in der morphologischen Darstellung der isolierten non-compaction des linksventrikulaeren Myokards (NCVM)  

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Purpose: To report the detection of con-compacted ventricular myocardium (NVCM) with MRI compared to echocardiography in 8 patients. Material and methods: Non-compaction of the ventricular myocardium is a congenital disorder characterized by an altered structure of the myocardial wall resulting from an intrauterine arrest in endomyocardial embryogenesis. The morphological findings consist of a prominent meshwork of multiple myocardial trabeculations and deep intertrabecular recesses, communicating with the left ventricular cavity. 8 consecutive patients (mean age 7.3 years) with clinical and echocardiographic signs of NCVM were examined by MRI (1.5 T, Vision, Siemens) in short axis and 2- and 4-chamber views, using T{sub 1}-weighted TSE and Cine-GRE in 6 patients and true FISP sequences in 2 patients. MRI and echocardiography were evaluated for visibility, signs of NCVM and involvement of myocardial wall segments. Thickness was measured for ...

2003-09-01

 
 
 
 
41

MRI of congenital heart disease in childhood; MR-Tomographie kongenitaler Herzvitien im Kindesalter  

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MRI provides a non-invasive diagnostic tool complementing echocardiography on one hand, and showing advantages over echocardiography, on the other hand, especially after corrective procedures. The multiple different MRI sequences need to be adapted to examinations of children and patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), and can be used to detect morphologic changes, blood-flow in the heart and thoracic vessels and diastolic or systolic function of myocardium. Several factors determine the success of the examination of a complex congenital heart disease or a postoperative situs. Pediatric radiologists and radiologists experienced in congenital heart diseases have to work in close cooperation. Echocardiography should be performed before MRI. The results of prior examinations and the clinical history of the patients, including possible palliative or reconstructive operations, must be available before MRI to guide the ...

2004-02-01

42

One-year follow-up of the effects of sildenafil on pulmonary arterial hypertension and veno-occlusive disease  

Scientific Electronic Library Online (English)

Abstract in english We hypothesized that chronic oral administration of the phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor sildenafil could improve the exercise capacity and pulmonary hemodynamics in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) on the basis of previous short-term studies. We tested this hypothesis in 14 subjects with PAH, including seven patients with the idiopathic form and seven patients with atrial septal defects, but no other congenital heart abnormalities. Patients were subjected (more) to a 6-min walk test and dyspnea was graded according to the Borg scale. Pulmonary flow and pressures were measured by Doppler echocardiography. Patients were given sildenafil, 75 mg orally three times a day, and followed up for 1 year. Sildenafil therapy resulted in the following changes: increase in the 6-min walk distance from a median value of 387 m (range 0 to 484 m) to 462 m (range 408 to 588 m; P

2005-02-01

43

Correctness of multi-detector-row computed tomography for diagnosing mechanical prosthetic heart valve disorders using operative findings as a gold standard  

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The purpose was to compare the findings of multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) in prosthetic valve disorders using the operative findings as a gold standard. In a 3-year period, we prospectively enrolled 25 patients with 31 prosthetic heart valves. MDCT and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) were done to evaluate pannus formation, prosthetic valve dysfunction, suture loosening (paravalvular leak) and pseudoaneurysm formation. Patients indicated for surgery received an operation within 1 week. The MDCT findings were compared with the operative findings. One patient with a Bjoerk-Shiley valve could not be evaluated by MDCT due to a severe beam-hardening artifact; thus, the exclusion rate for MDCT was 3.2% (1/31). Prosthetic valve disorders were suspected in 12 patients by either MDCT or TTE. Six patients received an operation that included three redo aortic valve replacements, two redo mitral replacements and one Amplatzer ductal occluder occlusion of a ...

2009-04-15

44

Interventional procedures in superficial lesions: the value of 2D with additional coronal reformatted 4D ultrasonography guidance  

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We wanted to assess the usefulness of four-dimensional (4D) ultrasonography (US), i.e., real-time three-dimensional US, as an adjunct for performing various US-guided interventional procedures in superficial lesion. Thirty-three patients were referred for US-guided interventional procedures for superficial lesions, including core biopsy in 19, fine- needle aspriation in eight, therapeutic drug injection in four and needle puncture in two. The procedures were performed under 4D US guidance. We reviewed the pathologic/cytologic results of the core biopsies or needle aspirations, and also the outcomes of drug injection or needle puncture. For all the patients who underwent 4D US-guided core biopsy, the specimens were adequate for making the pathological diagnosis, and specimens were successfully obtained for those patients who underwent 4D US-guided aspiration. The patients treated with 4D US-guided therapeutic drug injection or needle puncture had a good response. No ...

2006-03-01

45

Exact and variational calculations of eigenmodes for three-dimensional free electron laser interaction with a warm electron beam  

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

I present an exact calculation of free-electron-laser (FEL) eigenmodes (fundamental as well as higher order modes) in the exponential-gain regime. These eigenmodes specify transverse profiles and exponential growth rates of the laser field, and they are self-consistent solutions of the coupled Maxwell-Vlasov equations describing the FEL interaction taking into account the effects due to energy spread, emittance and betatron oscillations of the electron beam, and diffraction and guiding of the laser field. The unperturbed electron distribution is assumed to be of Gaussian shape in four dimensional transverse phase space and in the energy variable, but uniform in longitudinal coordinate. The focusing of the electron beam is assumed to be matched to the natural wiggler focusing in both transverse planes. With these assumptions the eigenvalue problem can be reduced to a numerically manageable integral equation and solved exactly with a kernel ...

1995-08-21

46

Swimming exercise training prior to acute myocardial infarction attenuates left ventricular remodeling and improves left ventricular function in rats.  

Science.gov (United States)

The effect of exercise training prior to acute myocardial infarction (AMI) on left ventricular (LV) remodeling is poorly understood. This study investigated the protective effect of 3 weeks of swimming exercise training prior to AMI on cardiac morphology and function. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 35) were randomly assigned to 3 groups: swimming training (n = 14, 90 min, 5 days/wk, 3 wk), sedentary (n =14), and controls (n = 7, no exercise, no MI). At the end of the training/sedentary period, rats were subjected to AMI (ExMI and SedMI) induced by surgical ligation of the left coronary artery. Thereafter, the rats remained sedentary for a 4-wk recovery period. Trans-thoracic echocardiography was performed in each group at the end of the exercise/sedentary period (pre-AMI), 24 hr after AMI, and following recovery (4 wk after AMI). No differences were observed in LV dimensions and function pre-AMI among the 3 groups; however, LV-end systolic diameter (LVESD) and ...

2005-01-01

47

Lung perfusion scintigraphy in the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary stenosis in patients after repair of Fallot tetralogy  

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The frequency of peripheral pulmonary artery stenosis in patients after surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) ranges from 20 to 40%. This can be either primary or secondary to the surgical intervention. The influence of resulting lung perfusion alterations on the life quality of patients is difficult to predict. The aim of this study was to compare the utility of the diagnostic procedures in this group of patients, with particular focus on lung perfusion scintigraphy. This study comprised 104 patients who underwent repair of TOF at ages from 5 months to 25 years. The patients have been followed up for from 4.2 to 25 years. On the basis of chest X-ray peripheral pulmonary artery stenosis was suspected in 11 patients, in 12 on the basis of echocardiography examination. Lung perfusion scintigraphy has been performed on 87 patients. The disturbances in lung perfusion (mostly in the left lung) were show by means of lung perfusion scintigraphy in 43 (49%) of ...

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Concepts of radiotherapy treatment planning  

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Full text: Radiotherapy treatment planning (RTP) relies heavily on medical imaging. Until recently, the most important planning tool was the treatment simulator. The kilovoltage radiographic capabilities in a treatment simulator enabled the boundaries of treatment fields to be visualized with respect to bony anatomic landmarks. Perhaps the most important advance in treatment planning in recent years is the ability to visualize the passage of the beams with respect to a more accurate geometrical representation of the tumor and other soft tissue structures. This 'virtual simulation' uses a computer-based representation of a patient to determine the extent of the disease and the location of radiation sensitive normal tissue. Computer tomographic (CT) imaging produces a high-resolution three-dimensional representation of anatomy that can be correlated with other image sets such as magnetic resonance images (MRI) of function. Positron emission tomographic (PET) imaging is beginning to be ...

2000-12-01