During the past fifteen years there has been a considerable growth of interest in problems of pattern recognition. Contributions to the blossom of this area have come from many disciplines, including statistics, psychology, linguistics, computer science, biology, taxonomy, switching theory, communication theory, control theory, and operations research. Many different approaches have been proposed and a number of books have been published. Most books published so far deal with the decision-...

Coronary heart disease is the principal cause of death in all Western countries. Abnormalities in the serum lipids are one of the major risk factors widely recognised as leading to this epidemic of heart disease. These abnormalities occur very com monly in the general community and in general practice, and practitioners are pre vailed upon daily to provide specific advice about diet and cholesterol and to interpret chemical estimations. This is a very emotive area of medicine, one where of...

Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) continues to undergo exciting technological advances that are rapidly being translated into clinical practice. It also has evident advantages over other imaging modalities, including CT angiography and ultrasonography. With the aid of numerous high-quality illustrations, this book reviews the current role of MRA of the body. It is divided into three sections. The first section is devoted to issues relating to image acquisition technique and sequences, w...

Modern signal and image acquisition systems used in the field of cardiology acquire, analyze, and store data digitally. Surface electrocardiography, intra-cardiac electrogram recording, echocardiograms, x-ray, magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography are among the modalities in the cardiology field where signal processing is applied. Digital signal processing techniques allow us to automate many of the analyses that had previously been done manually with greater precision, accur...

This book is simultaneously a superb atlas and a detailed guide to all aspects of video capsule endoscopy. History, technique, performance, reading, indications, contraindications, outcomes, complications and alternative methods are described systematically by a large panel of experts. In addition, the full range of small bowel diseases, from the common to the rare, are described and illustrated using a unique and exhaustive collection of capsule endoscopy images that are accompanied by co...

MRI has become an important tool in the management of patients with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, such as rectal cancer and inflammatory bowel diseases. This book, written by distinguished experts in the field, discusses in detail the technical, practical, and clinical aspects of MRI of the gastrointestinal tract. The chapters on technique encompass the most recent developments and address such topics as contrast media, high field strength MRI, and perfusion MRI. Subsequently, in...

Over the last decade, important advances have been made in the radiological man agement of peripheral vascular diseases. In the diagnostic field, the role of con ventional angiography has diminished considerably in favor of new, non-invasive diagnostic modalities such as color Doppler imaging and magnetic resonance angiography. Percutaneous radiological treatment of arterial diseases of the limbs has revolu tionized therapeutic concepts in this area. Professor E. Zeitler is a renowned inte...

This easy-to-read handbook begins with the basics on how to "read" X-rays and then goes on to discuss the details. It is a practical reference that is easy to carry on rounds, but despite its small size, it contains a wealth of information. Radiologists are often consulted regarding normal variants that mimic disease, and these are discussed in detail. Exhaustive lists of differential diagnoses are featured. The X-ray quizzes are informative yet challenging. This handbook is invaluable for...

Arachidonic acid (AA) and other 20 or 22-carbon polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are precursors of lipid mediators of inflammation known as eicosanoids. These mediators are critical in disease processes and in regulating normal cell function. Remodeling is important in maintaining homeostasis and in regulating cell function by dictating how PUFAs are converted to lipid mediators of inflammation. Thus, PUFA remodeling is a critical process in the biosynthesis of a multitude of mediators,...

The European School of Oncology came into existence to respond to a need for informa tion, education and training in the field of the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. There are two main reasons why such an initiative was considered necessary. Firstly, the teaching of oncology requires a rigorously multidisciplinary approach which is difficult for the Univer sities to put into practice since their system is mainly disciplinary orientated. Secondly, the rate of technological development th...

Dual-energy CT is a novel, rapidly emerging imaging technique which offers important new functional and specific information. In this book, physicists and specialists from different CT manufacturers provide an insight into the technological basis of, and the different approaches to, dual-energy CT. Renowned medical scientists in the field explain the pathophysiological and molecular background of the technique, discuss its applications, provide detailed advice on how to obtain optimal resu...

This book offers an image-based, comprehensive quick reference guide that will assist in the interpretation of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) examinations of the liver in daily practice. It describes and depicts typical and atypical behavior of both common and less frequently observed focal liver lesions. For each type of lesion, the findings on pre- and post-contrast images are presented and key characteristics are highlighted. Individual chapters also focus on the assessment of resp...