2 results
Network Computing for Archaeology: a Case Study from the ‘Replacement of Neanderthals by Modern Humans’ Database Project
- Edited by Mingquan Zhou
- Iza Romanowska, Zhongke Wu, Pengfei Xu, Philip Verhagen
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- Book:
- Revive the Past
- Published by:
- Amsterdam University Press
- Published online:
- 23 June 2021
- Print publication:
- 17 August 2012, pp 217-226
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Summary
Abstract:
The archaeology team of the ‘Replacement of Neanderthals by Modern Humans’ project is collecting geospatial and archaeological information on the palaeoanthropological sites dated between 200 and 20 kya in order to visualise the spatio-temporal process of the ‘replacement’ event in a higher resolution than before. To cover the wide and diverse geographical ranges from Africa to Eurasia, seven archaeologists from six institutions are collaboratively editing a client-server relational database (Neander DB) through the high-speed Internet. From the technical point of view, the features of the Neander DB are: 1) network computing, 2) large-scale data mining, and 3) systematic integration of bibliographical database, knowledge base (wiki), and geographical information systems. Such an integrated knowledge system has the potential to discover unknown environmental and archaeological factors that differentiate the ecological niches and behavioural strategies of the two human species.
Key Words:
Network Computing, Relational Database Management System (RDBMS), Large-Scale Data Mining, Lithic Industry Wiki, System Integration
Introduction
Computer-based databases for archaeology have continuously been developed since the earliest applications in the 1980s (Ozawa 1985; Richards and Ryan 1985). It is noteworthy that the CAA 1991 were characterised by the papers associated with SQL-compliant relational database management systems (RDBMS) (Cheetham 1992; Ryan 1992) and the bibliographical database for archaeology (Heyworth 1992). Since the mid-1990s, geographical information systems (GIS) have increasingly been incorporated into archaeological database projects (Lock 2000; Yokoyama and Chiba 1997). Using these systems, database technologies further developed and diversified during the first decade of the twentyfirst century. The implementation includes: 1) clearing houses to aggregate different online data sources and database systems (Usui et al. 2000), 2) autonomous decentralised Internet GIS (Mori 2011), 3) archaeology-specific search engine (Miura and Ozawa 2000), and 4) object-oriented database schema (Conolly and Lake 1996,55; Lock 2003,89–90) using XML (eXtensible Markup Language) (Jordal et al. 2010), UML (Unified Modelling Language) (Usui et al. 2006), and standardised geospatial information (ISO 191xx series) (Fujimoto 2008).
Today, databases are widely employed in the field of archaeology right from local fieldwork and laboratory work to supra-regional cultural resource management.
5 - Diffusion-weighted MRI of the pancreas
- Edited by Bachir Taouli, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York
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- Book:
- Extra-Cranial Applications of Diffusion-Weighted MRI
- Published online:
- 10 November 2010
- Print publication:
- 21 October 2010, pp 55-71
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Summary
Introduction
Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in the world with a poor 5-year survival rate. Despite recent advances in cross-sectional imaging, such as multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging techniques, advanced disease at time of initial presentation results in a low rate of surgical interventions (10–20%) which is the cause of high mortality. CA19–9 is a sensitive tumor marker for diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma but lacks specificity. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is regarded as the modality of choice in patients with a high index of clinical suspicion and negative MDCT, but is invasive and operator dependent. Currently, contrast-enhanced MDCT is the primary imaging modality for the detection and staging of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. A meta-analysis of 86 studies revealed sensitivity and specificity of 84% and 82% for MRI versus 91% and 85% for helical CT for detection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. MRI and fluoro-d-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) are complementary modalities to CT. Although contrast-enhanced CT achieves generally high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of pancreatic carcinoma, for staging and determination of resectability of the tumor, it is less specific in differentiating benign and malignant lesions. The differentiation of pancreatic adenocarcinoma from mass-forming pancreatitis is difficult because both share morphological characteristics at imaging. In the light of the limitations in diagnostic performance of the current imaging techniques, there is a compelling need for establishing an imaging technique as a cancer-screening method to provide high sensitivity for the detection and characterization of pancreatic tumors, and for the differentiation of tumors from benign inflammatory processes.