The issue of line simplification is one of the fundamental problems of generalisation of geographical information, and the proper parameterisation of simplification algorithms is essential for the correctness and cartographic quality of the results. The authors of this study have attempted to apply computational intelligence methods in order to create a cartographic knowledge base that would allow for non-standard parameterisation of WEA (Weighted Effective Area) simplification algorithm. The aim of the conducted research was to obtain two independent methods of non-linear weighting of multi-dimensional regression function that determines the “importance” of specific points on the line and their comparison to each other. The first proposed approach consisted in the preparation of a set of cartographically correct examples constituting a basis for teaching a neural network, while the other one consisted in defining inference rules using fuzzy logic. The obtained results demonstrate that both methods have great potential, although the proposed solutions require detailed parameterisation taking into account the specificity of geometric variety of the source data.
The brain is subject to damage, due to ageing, physiological processes and/or disease. Some of the damage is acute in nature, such as strokes; some is more subtle, like white matter lesions. White matter lesions or hyperintensities (WMH) can be one of the first signs of micro brain damage. We implemented the Acoustocerebrography (ACG) as an easy to use method designed to capture differing states of human brain tissue and the respective changes.
Aim: The purpose of the study is to compare the efficacy of ACG and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to detect WMH in patients with clinically silent atrial fibrillation (AF).
Methods and results: The study included 97 patients (age 66.26 ± 6.54 years) with AF. CHA2DS2-VASc score (2.5 ±1.3) and HAS BLED (1.65 ± 0.9). According to MRI data, the patients were assigned into four groups depending on the number of lesions: L0 – 0 to 4 lesions, L5 – 5 to 9 lesions, L10 – 10 to 29 lesions, and L30 – 30 or more lesions. Authors found that the ACG method clearly differentiates the groups L0 (with 0–4 lesions) and L30 (with more than 30 lesions) of WMH patients. Fisher’s Exact Test shows that this correlation is highly significant (p < 0:001).
Conclusion: ACG is a new, easy and cost-effective method for detecting WMH in patients with atrial fibrillation
The main objective of this study is to develop an echocardiographic model of the left ventricular and numerical modeling of the speckles- markers tracking in the ultrasound (ultrasonographic) imaging of the left ventricle. The work is aimed at the creation of controlled and mobile environment that enables to examine the relationships between left ventricular wall deformations and visualizations of these states in the form of echocardiographic imaging and relations between the dynamically changing distributions of tissue markers of studied structures.
Objectives: In the article we describe the new, high frequency, 20 MHz scanning/Doppler probe designed to measure the flow mediated dilation (FMD) and shear rate (SR) close to the radial artery wall.
Methods: We compare two US scanning systems, standard vascular modality working below 12 MHz and high frequency 20 MHz system designed for FMD and SR measurements. Axial resolutions of both systems were compared by imaging of two closely spaced food plastic foils immersed in water and by measuring systolic/diastolic diameter changes in the radial artery. The sensitivities of Doppler modalities were also determined. The diagnostic potential of a high frequency system in measurements of FMD and SR was studied in vivo, in two groups of subjects, 12 healthy volunteers and 14 patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD).
Results: Over three times better axial resolution was demonstrated for a high frequency system. Also, the sensitivity of the external single transducer 20 MHz pulse Doppler proved to be over 20 dB better (in terms of a signal-to-noise ratio) than the pulse Doppler incorporated into the linear array. Statistically significant differences in FMD and FMD/SR values for healthy volunteers and CAD patients were confirmed, p-values < 0:05. The areas under Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves for FMD and FMD/SR for the prediction CAD had the values of 0.99 and 0.97, respectively.
Conclusions: These results justify the usefulness of the designed high-frequency scanning system to determine the FMD and SR in the radial artery as predictors of coronary arterial disease.