This paper deals with model based regularization of velocity encoded cardiac magnetic resonance images (MRI). We extend upon an existing spatiotemporal model of cardiac kinematics by considering data certainty and regularity of the model in order to improve its performance. The method was evaluated using a computer simulated phantom and using in vivo gridtag MRI as gold standard. We show, both qua

In many areas of scientific research and development, for example in the pharmaceutical industry, it is important to prepare and to characterize crystals of pure organic compounds which are thermodynamically stable. The formation of crystals from the gas phase is technically less straightforward than crystallisation from solution, but sublimation techniques can have several important features. In

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis is an inflammatory disease of the upper airway mucosa that also affects leukocytes in bone marrow and peripheral blood. Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) is a receptor for unmethylated CpG dinucleotides found in bacterial and viral DNA. The present study was designed to examine the expression of TLR9 in the nasal mucosa and in leukocytes derived from different cellular comp

Volatiles are efficient mediators of chemical communication acting universally as attractant, repellent or warning signal in all kingdoms of life. Beside this broad impact volatiles have in nature, scents are also widely used in pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries, so the identification of new scents is of great industrial interest. Despite this importance as well as the vast number and d

BACKGROUND: Residual neuromuscular block caused by vecuronium alters pharyngeal function and impairs airway protection. The primary objectives of this investigation were to radiographically evaluate the swallowing act and to record the incidence of and the mechanism behind pharyngeal dysfunction during partial neuromuscular block. The secondary objective was to evaluate the effect of atracurium on

Objective. To describe the prevalence, characteristics, attribution, and clinical significance of neuropsychiatric (NP) events in an international inception cohort of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Methods. The study was conducted by the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC). Patients were enrolled within 15 months of fulfilling the American College of Rheumatolo

The particle density at mid-rapidity is an essential global variable for the characterization of nuclear collisions at ultra-relativistic energies. It provides information about the initial conditions and energy density reached in these collisions. The pseudorapidity densities of charged particles at mid-rapidity in Au+Au collisions at roots(NN) 130 and 200 GeV at RHIC (relativistic heavy ion coll

Men with prostate cancer (n = 11) were interviewed during an in-patient period at a urological clinic, about their experiences of met and unmet needs from health professionals. Their perception of quality of life and sense of coherence were also assessed. The findings were analysed from a phenemenological-hermeneutic perspective and interpreted within the concept of transition. It was interpreted

The development of science parks constitutes an interesting example of policy to enhance the technology-based development of a region. These parks, it is argued, contribute to fostering technological innovation and transfer and stimulating the growth of high-level economic activities. This article examines the role that science parks play in the promotion of regional development with particular re

A simple method for measuring synovial fluid (SF) volume is described. The degree of dilution of SF albumin after intraarticular injection of a defined volume of saline was used to calculate residual SF volume. Good correlation between calculated and aspirated SF volume was found for knee joint exudates. The method is simple, requires no radioactive tracer and should be useful in quantitative stud

Nitric oxide (NO) is known to be an important relaxant of contractile activity in various muscles including the human uterine arteries. It has been suggested that NO plays a role in modulation of vascular action of arginin vasopressin (AVP), a strong vasoconstrictor of the human uterine arteries. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to investigate an involvement of endogenous NO in regulatio

Aim: The purpose of the study was to assess the association between seropositivity to various infectious agents and stable coronary artery disease (CAD), controlling simultaneously for a variety of potential confounders. We also investigated whether the choice of a larger reference group might affect the results, and whether or not seropositivity to multiple agents was associated with a systemic i

A methodology for estimation of the dependency on flow rate and bead size of the axial dispersion coefficient and the film mass transfer coefficient in a detailed model for chromatographic processes is proposed. The model describes the concentration of the solute in the mobile phase and considers external/internal mass transfer resistance. The flow rate dependency of the mixing effect in the exter

We present a software solution that enables faster and more accurate data analysis of 2DE/MALDI TOF MS data. The software supports data analysis through a number of automated data selection functions and advanced graphical tools. Once protein identities are determined using MALDI TOF MS, automated data retrieval from online databases provides biological information. The software, called 2DDB, redu

It has been proposed that hyaluronan-binding proteoglycans play an important role as guiding cues during neural crest (NC) cell migration, but their precise function has not been elucidated. In this study, we examine the distribution, structure and putative role of the two major hyaluronan-binding proteoglycans, PG-M/versicans and aggrecan, during the course of avian NC development. PG-M/versicans

Depending on the balance between sink and source processes for C, drained organic forest soil ecosystems can be in balance or act as net sinks or sources of CO2 to the atmosphere. In order to study the effect of groundwater level and soil temperature on C-flux, the CoupModel was calibrated (climate data, groundwater levels, soil CO2 flux, net ecosystem fluxes of CO2-exchange, sensible heat flux an

Vehicle technology is currently facing a transition period in which vehicles equipped with alternative powertrains, such as battery powered electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles or fuel cell vehicles, are being developed for future markets. An assessment of the competitiveness of vehicles using alternative powertrains has been made here. Previous studies estimating future costs and the technical perf