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A princely state before Independence and currently one of the prime examples of administrative and civic neglect for its heritage; Kapurthala has been a witness to its past glory and present obscurity. The city still takes pride in showcasing its unique architectural style in heritage monuments like Jagatjit Palace, Jagatjit Club, Moorish Mosque, but at the same time, it attracts lot of criticism for failure to conserve buildings like Kamra Palace, Nihal Palace (Jallowkhana), Bhoot Bangla. This paper is a critical study of current conditions of the city that includes heritage, physical and social infrastructure. On the basis of observation, photography, reconnaissance and public opinion surveys, to protect the legacy of the city that lies in its rich cultural heritage and to promote the tourism, urban renewal through design proposals and urban design guidelines and strategies were recommended.

An ageing population and growing urbanisation have been two critical aspects of the twenty-first century. Ageing populations are facing acute challenges to liveability and functional independence in rapidly urbanising and globalising urban built and social environments. World Health Organization (WHO) encourages governments to create ‘age-friendly’ places to promote sustainable development and improve the health and well-being of older people. The satisfaction of the elderly in out-of-home environment is highly influenced by mobility, accessibility and availability of open spaces. Encouraging pedestrian-friendly neighbourhood environments and the availability of public open spaces are essential for elderly persons in performing activities of daily life (ADL) in out-of-home environments. With limited studies and research in ageing perspectives of social inclusiveness, mobility and health in relation to the built environment being evident in the context of India, the research paper aims to highlight the importance of age-friendly neighbourhoods within the Indian cities. The paper also highlights the various challenges to the independent mobility of ageing persons within their built environment of Indian cities.

To investigate whether the variable forms of putative iron deposition seen with susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) will lead to a set of multiple sclerosis (MS) lesion characteristics different than that seen in conventional MR imaging.Twenty-seven clinically definite MS patients underwent brain scans using magnetic resonance imaging including: pre- and postcontrast T1-weighted imaging, T2-weighted imaging, FLAIR, and SWI at 1.5 T, 3 T, and 4 T. MS lesions were identified separately in each imaging sequence. Lesions identified in SWI were reevaluated for their iron content using the SWI filtered phase images.There were a variety of new lesion characteristics identified by SWI, and these were classified into six types. A total of 75 lesions were seen only with conventional imaging, 143 only with SWI, and 204 by both. From the iron quantification measurements, a moderate linear correlation between signal intensity and iron content (phase) was established.The amount of iron deposition in the brain may serve as a surrogate biomarker for different MS lesion characteristics. SWI showed many lesions missed by conventional methods and six different lesion characteristics. SWI was particularly effective at recognizing the presence of iron in MS lesions and in the basal ganglia and pulvinar thalamus.

The high sensitivity but low specificity of breast MRI has prompted exploration of breast (1)H MRS for breast cancer detection. However, several obstacles still prevent the routine application of in vivo breast (1)H MRS, including poor spatial resolution, long acquisition time associated with conventional multi-voxel MRS imaging (MRSI) techniques, and the difficulty of "extra" lipid suppression in a magnetic field with relatively poor achievable homogeneity compared to the brain. Using a combination of a recently developed echo-filter (EF) suppression technique and an elliptical sampling scheme, we demonstrate the feasibility of overcoming these difficulties. It is robust (the suppression technique is insensitive to magnetic field inhomogeneity), fast (acquisition time of about 12 min) and offers high spatial resolution (up to 0.6 cm(3) per voxel at 1.5 T with a TE of only 60 ms). This approach should be even better at 3 T with higher resolution and/or shorter TE.

Purpose To evaluate the diagnostic value of susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) for studying brain masses. Materials and Methods SWI is a high-resolution, three-dimensional, fully velocity-compensated gradient-echo sequence that uses both magnitude and phase data. Custom postprocessing is applied to enhance the contrast in the magnitude images between tissues with different susceptibilities. This sequence was applied to 44 patients (24 males and 20 females, 15–89 years old, mean age = 50.3 years) with brain masses, pre- and/or postcontrast, and compared with conventional sequences (T1, T1 postcontrast, T2, proton density (PD), fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) at 1.5T). Correlation with pathology was obtained in 12 cases. All images were reviewed independently by three radiologists. Results In the evaluation of tumor visibility, boundary definition, blood products, venous vasculature, architecture, and edema, SWI gave better information than the standard T1-weighted postcontrast images in 11%, 14%, 71%, 73%, 63%, and 75% of the data, respectively, in a subgroup of 38 patients. This demonstrates that the information presented by SWI is complementary in nature to that available from conventional methods. On the whole, SWI was much more sensitive for showing blood products and venous vasculature. SWI showed a useful FLAIR-like contrast and complemented the information obtained by conventional T1 postcontrast sequences regarding the internal architecture of the lesions. Good pathologic correlations were found for blood products as predicted by SWI. Conclusion SWI should prove useful for tumor characterization because of its ability to better highlight blood products and venous vasculature and reveal new internal architecture. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) consists of using both magnitude and phase images from a high-resolution, three-dimensional, fully velocity compensated gradient-echo sequence. Postprocessing is applied to the magnitude image by means of a phase mask to increase the conspicuity of the veins and other sources of susceptibility effects. This article gives a background of the SWI technique and describes its role in clinical neuroimaging. SWI is currently being tested in a number of centers worldwide as an emerging technique to improve the diagnosis of neurological trauma, brain neoplasms, and neurovascular diseases because of its ability to reveal vascular abnormalities and microbleeds.

Susceptibility Weighted Imaging (SWI) is a new MR imaging technique using the BOLD effect (Blood Oxygen Level Dependent) and the differences of susceptibility between tissues. It is a 3D gradient echo, fully velocity compensated sequence. The echo time is chosen to maximize the signal cancellation in veins and a specific post-processing is applied using the phase images as a complementary source of contrast. It is very useful for the visualization of veins either normal or abnormal. It shows hemorrhage, even of small quantity, better than conventional gradient echo sequences. Its use is still limited by a long acquisition time and some remaining artifacts.

With global expansion and emerging business model complexities such as omni-channel for retail industry, corporations are under pressure to reinvent their supply chains. They fall into the old trap of following supply chain strategies of lean, agile, or postponement. These however are not strategies, but simply the goals of an effective supply chain: to reduce cost and variability, and optimize production. In contrast, a strategy should guide a corporation on how to reach these goals. The author argues that true supply chain strategy must be derived through an evaluation of capabilities to be built to realize the business goals of a corporation. To effectively create such a supply chain, corporations must further align their technology strategy to enable their supply chain capabilities. Only when the three, business, supply chain, and technology strategies, align can truly lean, responsive, and agile supply chains be enabled that create sustained competitive advantages.

This article presents a review of the current techniques in Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) that enhance the usefulness of these tests for the diagnosis of cerebral disease. We were able to analyze concepts and definitions and give a comparative description for each test studied including Multidetector/Perfusion CT, Xenon CT, CT-Angiogram, MRI-Perfusion, MRI-Diffusion, MRI-Spectroscopy, MRI CSF Flow, Functional MRI studies and Cerebral Angiography.

PURPOSE The purpose of this work was to develop and evaluate an automatic bone segmentation technique for CT angiographic studies. METHOD An automatic bone segmentation scheme was developed and applied to 40 CT examinations. The results of the segmentation were evaluated subjectively by two radiologists. RESULTS The bone segmentation was, on average, rated between excellent and good. Automatic segmentation required approximately 25 s/case. CONCLUSION With this high quality technique, bone can be segmented easily and accurately and subsequently can be removed from CT data sets for further 3D visualization and analysis of various organs.

Fatigue and impairment mobility are frequent problems in multiple sclerosis (MS). Despite its enormous potential, in vivo 1H MRS of skeletal muscles for MS patients is a largely unexplored field. One fundamental question remains unanswered: whether MS can cause observable proton metabolite changes. High quality two-dimensional in vivo 1H MRS reveals that the spectral pattern of total creatine (tCr) and trimethyl ammonium (TMA) of soleus muscles of MS patients can be distinctively different from that of healthy volunteers, and in vivo 1H MRS of skeletal muscles has a potential to become a useful tool in MS study.

Preface. Acknowledgments. Introduction. Chapter 1: Planning and Realizing Goals of Business Strategy. Strategy. Strategy Realization through Functional Capabilities. Strategy Planning: The Missing Link. Technology as the Enabler. Creating Competitive Advantage through Functional Capabilities. The Alignment of the Business, Functional, and Technology Strategies. Chapter 2: Understanding Strategy. What Is Strategy? Attributes of Strategy. Levels of Strategy Planning. The Strategic Horizon of Impact. Chapter 3: Concepts of Business Strategy. Porter's Generic Strategies. The Resource-based View. Capabilities-based Strategies. Creating Advantages by Viewing the Corporation as the Sum of Its Components. Creating Advantages through Value Chain. Developing Competitive Advantages through Capabilities. Understanding Advantage. Beyond Business Strategy: Functional and Deployment Strategies. Chapter 4: Exploring Functional Strategy. What Is Functional Strategy? Why Is the Functional Strategy Important? Steps in Creating Functional Strategy. Chapter 5: Current Thinking on Supply Chain Strategy. Current Thinking on Supply Chain Strategies. Understanding the Supply Chain Sphere of Influence. What Drives Your Supply Chain? Chapter 6: Creating a Functional Supply Chain Strategy. The Effect of Industry Segment on Supply Chain Design. The Effect of Business Strategy on Supply Chain Design. The Effect of the Primary Driver on Supply Chain Design. Supply Chain Strategy and Business Strategy. Chapter 7: Technology Strategy. What Is Technology Strategy? Components of a Technology Strategy. Why Develop a Technology Strategy? Technology Strategy and Organization. Process Overview and Deliverables for Creating Technology Strategy. Chapter 8: Supply Chain Nirvana: Bringing It All Together. What Is Supply Chain Nirvana? Defining a Supply Chain Strategy That Works. What Can a Well-aligned Supply Chain Strategy Do for You? How to Get There? Keeping It All Together. Appendix A: Sample Artifacts for Creating an Effective Supply Chain Strategy. Appendix B: An Overview of the Scope of Supply Chain in Modern Corporations. Supply Chain Planning. Supply Chain Execution. Supply Chain Collaboration. Appendix C: Supply Chain and Corporate Financial Performance. Cost of Sales. Inventory. Tune Your Supply Chain for Financial Performance. Notes. Bibliography. About the Author. Index.

In this work, we present a new method for predicting changes in tumor vascularity using only one flip angle in dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) imaging. The usual DCE approach finds the tissue initial T1 value T1(0) prior to injection of a contrast agent. We propose finding changes in the tissue contrast agent uptake characteristics pre- and postdrug treatment by fixing T1(0). Using both simulations and imaging pre- and postadministration of caffeine, we find that the relative change (NR50) in the median of the cumulative distribution (R50) is almost independent of T1(0). Fixing T1(0) leads to a concentration curve c(t) more robust to the presence of noise than calculating T1(0). Consequently, the NR50 for the tumor remains roughly the same as the ideal NR50 when T1(0) is exactly known. Further, variations in eating habits are shown to create significant changes in the R50 response for both liver and muscle. In conclusion, analyzing data with fixed T1(0) leads to a more stable measure of changes in NR50 and does not require knowledge of T1(0). Both caffeine and eating introduce major changes in blood flow that can significantly modify the NR50 and lead to incorrect conclusions regarding drug treatment.

We compare four different three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction methods of spiral computed tomography (CT) data for head and neck cancer to establish the method best suited for specific uses, eg, staging of lymph nodes and viewing of spatial relationships between the tumor, fascial spaces, adjacent soft tissues, and others structures. We evaluated a series of 10 patients (six men and four women), aged 32 to 60 years. Of these, five were histologically diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, two with lymphoma, one with thyroid cancer, one with Kikuchi's disease or necrotizing lymphadenitis, and one with esthesioneuroblastoma. All scans were obtained using high-resolution spiral CT (General Electric Medical Systems, Milwaukee, WI). The collimations used were 3 mm and 5 mm, matrix 512 x 512, and reconstruction interval not more than 3 mm. Scanning was performed from the skull base to the aortic arch. Iodinated contrast medium was injected so that the blood vessels were clearly differentiated from nodes. Different techniques of three-dimensional reconstruction were employed, including shaded surface display (SSD), multiplanar reconstructions (MPR), maximum intensity projection (MIP), 3D volume rendering (VR), and combined techniques. The reconstructions were performed in a variety of planes, including sagittal, coronal, and oblique views. In our series of selected patients, the technique of 3D VR showed potential advantages over other techniques. The MIP technique was useful in analyzing the patency of vessels and to exclude thrombus, compression, or displacement by tumor. The use of combined techniques such as SSD and MPR, accurately demonstrated the levels of lymph nodes and the relationship between the tumor projection of interest and various anatomic structures. In conclusion, 3D reconstruction of CT data is useful in the localization and staging of neck tumors and assists in surgical planning and radiation treatment.

Background Prediction of function of proteins on the basis of structure and vice versa is a partially solved problem, largely in the domain of biophysics and biochemistry. This underlies the need of computational and bioinformatics approach to solve the problem. Large and organized latent knowledge on protein classification exists in the form of independently created protein classification databases. By creating probabilistic maps between classes of structural classification databases (e.g. SCOP 1) and classes of functional classification databases (e.g. PROSITE 2), structure and function of proteins could be probabilistically related. Results We demonstrate that PROSITE and SCOP have significant semantic overlap, in spite of independent classification schemes. By training classifiers of SCOP using classes of PROSITE as attributes and vice versa, accuracy of Support Vector Machine classifiers for both SCOP and PROSITE was improved. Novel attributes, 2-D elastic profiles and Blocks were used to improve time complexity and accuracy. Many relationships were extracted between classes of SCOP and PROSITE using decision trees. Conclusion We demonstrate that presented approach can discover new probabilistic relationships between classes of different taxonomies and render a more accurate classification. Extensive mappings between existing protein classification databases can be created to link the large amount of organized data. Probabilistic maps were created between classes of SCOP and PROSITE allowing predictions of structure using function, and vice versa. In our experiments, we also found that functions are indeed more strongly related to structure than are structure to functions.

Purpose: We present our initial experience with in vivo high spatial resolution 1H MRSI of human breast lesions at a short echo time, by using recently developed echo‐filter suppression technique and the elliptical sampling scheme Method and Materials: The technique consists of three parts: optional inversion recovery, optional outer volume pre‐saturation (OVP), and an echo‐filter MRSI with a weighted k‐space sampling scheme. The simplest echo‐filter pulse sequence consists of a 900 RF pulse (or a series of pulses) to define the volume of interest (VOI), a delay TE/2, a frequency‐selective (FS) 1800 pulse, and another delay TE/2 with equally strong crusher gradients (G) on each side of the FS pulse. To improve sampling efficiency, a weighted k‐space sampling scheme is used to acquire the MRSI data set. Siemens whole‐body 1.5T Sonata is used, TR=1600 ms, TE=60 ms, Ave=8, acquisition time= 12.1 min, and a 60 Hz Gaussian FS pulse setting at Cho resonance (3.2 ppm). Results: To date, six studies from five patients with DCE‐MRI, 5 succeed, the spectra are well differentiated between biopsy proven tumor and control voxels. The spatial resolution here is only 0.59 cm3, the highest spatial resolution for in vivo 1H breast MRS at 1.5T to date. Excellent lipid and water suppression for in vivo 1H MRS was achieved. Aside from 8 Hz filter in the time domain and fast Fourier transform (FFT), no other processing was used to generate the spectra.Conclusion: As demonstrated, the proposed technique has the potential to overcome the difficulties for routine breast 1H MRS. It is robust (suppression technique is insensitive to magnetic field inhomogeneity), high spatial resolution (0.59 cc at 1.5T with a TE of only 60 ms), fast (acquisition time of 12 minutes), and even better at 3T (higher resolution and/or shorter TE).

Purpose: in vitro 1H MRS studies have suggested that Gln/Glu ratio is useful in detecting an early stage of malignant transformation. Due in part to the technical difficulty, in vivo detection of well‐separated Gln and Glu of human tumors has not been reported. A recent study proposed that a standard STEAM sequence with optimized TE/TM (80/50 ms) can be used to simultaneously detect Gln and Glu peaks around 2.4 ppm with virtually no spectral overlap at 4T. In this study, we report preliminary results of the application of this technique for braintumors.Method and Materials: 1H MRS of eight patients with braintumors were acquired with a quadrature head coil in a 4T system. Four patients had biopsies within two weeks of their respective MRS study, and the remainder had biopsies prior to their scans. A standard STEAM sequence was used with TE=80ms, TM=50 ms, TR = 2–3 seconds, spatial resolution = 4–12 cm3, and acquisition time = 15–30 minutes. All data sets were processed using LCModel. Results: In addition to providing “typical” characteristics of NAA, Cho, and Cr for braintumors, one of the striking observations is consistent and remarkable increase in Gln concentration (water as reference) and Gln/Cr ratio for all cases studied; while decrease in Glu concentration (water as reference) but wide variability in Glu/Cr ratio (0–3 times of corresponding contralateral control). The results also demonstrate occurrences of opposite changes between Gln and Glu content for braintumors, illustrating the importance of simultaneously detecting Gln and Glu for the study of tumor metabolism. The consistent and remarkable increases in Gln content suggest direct Gln involvement in tumor metabolism, in agreement with previous biochemical analysis. Conclusion: In vivo Glu, Gln can provide useful information to help diagnosis of braintumors.