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Simultaneous EEG-fMRI is a powerful tool to study spontaneous and evoked brain activity because of the complementary advantages of the two techniques in terms of temporal and spatial resolution. In recent years, a significant number of scientific works have been published on this subject. However, many technical problems related to the intrinsic incompatibility of EEG and MRI methods are still not fully solved. Furthermore, simultaneous acquisition of EEG and event-related fMRI requires precise synchronization of all devices involved in the experimental setup. Thus, timing issue must be carefully considered in order to avoid significant methodological errors. The aim of the present work is to highlight and discuss some of technical and methodological open issues associated with the combined use of EEG and fMRI. These issues are presented in the context of preliminary data regarding simultaneous acquisition of event-related evoked potentials and BOLD images during a visual odd-ball paradigm.
A system for medical informatics education for medical students has been developed in the medical school. This paper describes the concept underlying the development of this system and its progressive outcomes over 8 years. In order to stimulate students to acquire computer-related knowledge and skills, this subject has been integrated into the course works of various medical subjects such as physiology. In addition, acquired knowledge and skills are evaluated within each subject by the production of reports for example, using computers. This provides a concrete example for students of the relevance of the information sciences to the solving of medical problems. A well equipped computer facility for the study of medicine also plays a significant role in inspiring student incentive. A computer room equipped with Macintosh computers was opened adjacent to the main medical library and is used in the same manner as the library, with books replaced by computers. In addition, all new students acquire their own Macintosh PowerBook. These various initiations have facilitated concept that the computer may be applied to medical problem solving at any time or place and may become as commonplace as a pen in daily medical practice.
If we issue from the basic aspects of medical activity so it is shown that his sensory, actory and cognitive possibilities are highly developed on the one hand, on the other hand, however, limited by nature. The enlargement of these possibilities is due to the rapidly developing high technologies. In the field of the diagnostics for example new sensors, automatized biomeasuring systems and above all image-producing and image-processing systems characterize the trend. The therapeutic possibilities are enhanced by the comprehensive use of all forms of physical energy and also by automatized therapy systems. Controlled and above all regulated therapeutic techniques are brought into the purview. A further focal point of the international development are systems for the replacement of functions and organs, in which case new biomaterials considerably enlarge the volume of thinkable implantable solutions. The development mentioned causes a wide field of problems. To these problems belong economical ones, for the technology permanently becomes more complicated and thus the financial requirements of the public health institutions. Considerable engineer-technical capacities are necessary for the running and maintenance. The physician is responsible for the secure use of the modern technology according to indication; consequently the problem of the necessary training is internationally under discussion.
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BACKGROUND: Our aim was to design and develop a computer database system for head and neck cancer patients for clinical and scientific use. METHODS: A relational database based on Filemaker Pro 6.0 was developed and integrated into our local network. Its precise and easy to handle interface should allow a quick overview of the patient's oncological data. An automatically generated letter was integrated to enhance patient care. For evaluation purposes, statistical analysis functions were incorporated. RESULTS: Over a 7 month period, about 300 patient records were available through the local network. The automated letter function and the well organized display resulted in more efficient patient care. Additionally, the quality of the information presented to referring physicians increased. Statistical analysis provided by the database was reliable and easy to export. CONCLUSIONS: We developed an oncology database for clinical and scientific use and integrated it into our patient documentation system. The combination of clinical and scientific features proved to be very effective in daily patient care routine and research.
A system of computer analysis of coronary arteries stenotic lesions developed in the USSR Cardiology Research Centre, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, is described. Reliability of the computer analysis data was assessed, and computer and visual methods were compared on the basis of phantom study. The study was performed in 5 models of stenotic coronary arteries, the main parameters of which were measured mechanically as well as by computer and visual analysis of their images. Both methods proved to give highly reproducible intraobserver and interobserver results. Comparison to mechanically obtained data showed that the results of computer analysis are highly significant while visual evaluation allows no accurate evaluation of the stenosis degree (it is overestimated).
The Network for Computational Nanotechnology (NCN) has developed a science gateway at nanoHUB.org for nanotechnology education and research. Remote users can browse through online seminars and courses, and launch sophisticated nanotechnology simulation tools, all within their web browser. Simulations are supported by a middleware that can route complex jobs to grid supercomputing resources. But what is truly unique about the middleware is the way that it uses hardware accelerated graphics to support both problem setup and result visualization. This paper describes the design and integration of a remote visualization framework into the nanoHUB for interactive visual analytics of nanotechnology simulations. Our services flexibly handle a variety of nanoscience simulations, render them utilizing graphics hardware acceleration in a scalable manner, and deliver them seamlessly through the middleware to the user. Rendering is done only on-demand, as needed, so each graphics hardware unit can simultaneously support many user sessions. Additionally, a novel node distribution scheme further improves our system's scalability. Our approach is not only efficient but also cost-effective. Only a half-dozen render nodes are anticipated to support hundreds of active tool sessions on the nanoHUB. Moreover, this architecture and visual analytics environment provides capabilities that can serve many areas of scientific simulation and analysis beyond nanotechnology with its ability to interactively analyze and visualize multivariate scalar and vector fields.
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There is growing interest in the use of videodisc technology in health sciences education. This article describes the process of developing an interactive computer-videodisc program to teach health care professionals in training. It deals with techniques for examining infants with neuromotor problems. The program was developed at the University of Iowa and is the first of its kind to be used in pediatrics.
A prototype collection of knowledge on ligands in metal complexes, termed a ligand knowledge base (LKB), has been developed. This contribution describes the design of DFT-calculated descriptors for monodentate phosphorus(III) donor ligands in a range of representative complexes. Using the resulting data, a ligand space is mapped and predictive models are derived for metal complexes. Important characteristics, including chemical, computational and statistical robustness for the generation and exploitation of such an LKB are described. Chemical robustness ensures transferability of the descriptors, as well as comprehensive sampling of ligand space. To make the calculations amenable to automation in an e-science setting, a reliable, well-defined computational approach has been sought from which the descriptors can be readily extracted. The LKB has been explored with multivariate statistical methods. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used for the mapping of chemical space, projecting multiple descriptors into scatter plots which illustrate the clustering of chemically similar ligands. Interpretation of the resulting principal components in terms of established steric and electronic properties and the importance of its statistical robustness to variations in the ligand set are discussed. Multiple linear regression (MLR) models have been derived, demonstrating the versatility of the descriptors for modeling varied experimentally determined parameters (bond lengths, reaction enthalpies and bond-stretching frequencies). The importance of re-sampling methods for testing the robustness of predictions is highlighted. A strategy for the construction of a robust LKB suitable for the modeling of ligand and complex behavior is outlined based on these observations.
The Anatomical collection of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical School of the University of Halle, Germany, comprises more than 8,000 specimens. Around 600 of them show congenital anomalies. The collection of abnormal human and animal fetuses began as the private collection of Johann Friedrich Meckel the Elder (1724-1774), his son Philipp Friedrich Theodor Meckel (1755-1803) and his grandson Johann Friedrich Meckel the Younger (1781-1833). Meckel the Younger founded the systematic science of developmental pathology. Radiographical techniques, computer tomographic (CT) methods, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) were used to diagnose abnormal human fetuses in the Meckel-anatomical collections. Cystic hygroma colli was found in five of the human fetuses originally described by JF Meckel the Younger in 1826 and one of his students in 1819 [Hencke, 1819]. CGH analyses were used to test whether the observed cystic hygroma colli could be caused by chromosomal aneuploidies. CGH-ratio profiles of all chromosomes were apparently normal. PCR-based sex determination tests on ancient DNA were used to determine the fetal gonosomal constitution. It is likely that the Meckel specimens are among the oldest fetuses in which Ullrich-Turner "phenotype" has been diagnosed.
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Within the last five years the field of proteomics has changed the understanding of molecular biology. Proteins manifest physiological as well as pathophysiological processes in a cell or an organism, and proteomics describes the complete protein inventory in dependence on in vivo parameters. Disease mechanism or drug effects both affect a protein profile and, vice versa, characterising protein profiles reveals information for the understanding of disease and therapy. Analytical methods for proteomics are based on conventional tools for protein characterisation. The technical challenge is the complete coverage of physico-chemical properties for thousands of proteins. Nucleic acids display a relative chemical homogeneity and therefore genomics was considered more promising in the past than proteomics. Further improvements in proteomics technologies will likely change this course with proteomics complementing genomics as a tool to study life sciences.
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The development of brain interface (BI) technology continues to attract researchers with a wide range of backgrounds and expertise. Though the BI community is committed to accurate and objective evaluation of methods, systems, and technology, the very diversity of the methods and terminology used in the field hinders understanding and impairs technology cross-fertilization and cross-group validation of findings. Underlying this dilemma is a lack of common perspective and language. As seen in our previous works in this area, our approach to remedy this problem is to propose language in the form of taxonomy and functional models. Our intent is to document and validate our best thinking in this area and publish a perspective that will stimulate discussion. We encourage others to do the same with the belief that focused discussion on language issues will accelerate the inherently slow natural evolution of language selection and thus alleviate related problems. In this work, we propose a theoretical framework for describing BI-technology-related studies. The proposed framework is based on the theoretical concepts and terminology from classical science, assistive technology development, human-computer interaction, and previous BI-related works. Using a representative set of studies from the literature, the proposed BI study framework was shown to be complete and appropriate perspective for thoroughly characterizing a BI study. We have also demonstrated that this BI study framework is useful for (1) objectively reviewing existing BI study designs and results, (2) comparing designs and results of multiple BI studies, (3) designing new studies or objectively reporting BI study results, and (4) facilitating intra- and inter-group communication and the education of new researchers. As such, it forms a sound and appropriate basis for community discussion.