Iolanda Velho

The region where the vascular lumen meets the surrounding endothelium cell layer, hence the interface region between haemodynamics and cell tissue, is of primary importance in the physiological functions of the cardiovascular system. The functions include mass transport to/from the blood and tissue, and signalling via mechanotransduction, which are primary functions of the cardiovascular system and abnormalities in these functions are known to affect disease formation and vascular remodelling. This region is denoted by the near-wall region in the present work, and we outline simple yet effective numerical recipes to analyse the near-wall flow field. Computational haemodynamics solutions are presented for six patient specific cerebral aneurysms, at three instances in the cardiac cycle: peak systole, end systole (taken as dicrotic notch) and end diastole. A sensitivity study, based on Newtonian and non-Newtonian rheological models, and different flow rate profiles, is effected for a selection of aneurysm cases. The near-wall flow field is described by the wall shear stress (WSS) and the divergence of wall shear stress (WSSdiv), as descriptors of tangential and normal velocity components, respectively, as well as the wall shear stress critical points. Relations between near-wall and free-stream flow fields are discussed.

Truly global radiology would exist if patients could visit any European physician without their CDs or films. It would be possible for patients to go to a hospital or a clinic in any European country and have their examinations done in a different country, analyzed and eventually compared with the examination done at that hospital. This paper analyzes two national projects that should be documented and analyzed: Scotland with a national archive with radiology images and Finland which is implementing a system that will create an online personal health record of the citizen with all health-related information. This possibility would improve quality in European radiology and create a true network of images and knowledge that can be the seed to improve efficiency by reducing costs and exposure to radiation and increasing knowledge sharing among European radiologists/neuroradiologists. We present here the idea of a network between three centers in three different countries that can be the start for a global project.