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101-592: The term Medical Bureau is also used by the International Medical Association of Lourdes to refer to a special conference of its members, which may be called to investigate reports of inexplicable healing. The alleged apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes were reported to have taken place between 11 February and 16 July 1858 in Lourdes, France. After this time, reports of apparently miraculous cures began to accumulate, prompting calls for

202-450: A Medical Bureau , comprising any doctors who were present in Lourdes at the time the apparent cure took place (this is the rationale for all members to notify the bureau of their visits to Lourdes). The Medical Bureau investigates the claim, by examining the patient, the casenotes, and any test results (which can include biopsies , X-rays , CT scans , blood test results, and so on). If this conference decides that further investigation

303-549: A full remission . The CMIL board votes on each case presented. A two-thirds vote is required for CMIL to pronounce a cure "inexplicable". If CMIL decides a cure is medically inexplicable, the case is referred to the Bishop of the diocese where the cured subject lives. It is he who, in consultation with his own experts and with the Vatican , makes the decision about whether a cure is "miraculous". He may, for whatever reason, refute

404-562: A 0.2 mm resolution. With modern dual-energy CT scanners, new areas of use have been established, such as aiding in the diagnosis of gout . CT is used in biomechanics to quickly reveal the geometry, anatomy, density and elastic moduli of biological tissues. Industrial CT scanning (industrial computed tomography) is a process which uses X-ray equipment to produce 3D representations of components both externally and internally. Industrial CT scanning has been used in many areas of industry for internal inspection of components. Some of

505-594: A computer using tomographic reconstruction algorithms to produce tomographic (cross-sectional) images (virtual "slices") of a body. CT scans can be used in patients with metallic implants or pacemakers, for whom magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is contraindicated . Since its development in the 1970s, CT scanning has proven to be a versatile imaging technique. While CT is most prominently used in medical diagnosis , it can also be used to form images of non-living objects. The 1979 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

606-520: A full roll-out on 1 December 2022 and the TSA spent $ 781.2 million on an order for over 1,000 scanners, ready to go live in the summer. X-ray CT is used in geological studies to quickly reveal materials inside a drill core. Dense minerals such as pyrite and barite appear brighter and less dense components such as clay appear dull in CT images. Traditional methods of studying fossils are often destructive, such as

707-444: A key role in the fast-evolving field of transcatheter structural heart interventions , more specifically in the transcatheter repair and replacement of heart valves. The main forms of cardiac CT scanning are: To better visualize the anatomy, post-processing of the images is common. Most common are multiplanar reconstructions (MPR) and volume rendering . For more complex anatomies and procedures, such as heart valve interventions,

808-427: A mix of for example coloring and shading in order to create realistic and observable representations. Two-dimensional CT images are conventionally rendered so that the view is as though looking up at it from the patient's feet. Hence, the left side of the image is to the patient's right and vice versa, while anterior in the image also is the patient's anterior and vice versa. This left-right interchange corresponds to

909-723: A modest office within the Domain (the large area of consecrated ground surrounding the shrine and owned by the Church), on the second floor of the building known as the Accueil Jean Paul II . Any doctors practicing in or visiting Lourdes may apply to become members of the Lourdes Medical Bureau. Additionally, nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists and members of other allied health professions may apply to become members. Members are given (and invited to wear)

1010-428: A moment, and then he said to me in a rather gruff tone, 'Who is this lady?' I answered that I did not know. Then he commissioned me to ask her name and to come and tell him. The next day when I arrived at the grotto I recited my rosary and then asked her, from M. le Curé what her name was, but all she did was to smile. When I got back I went to M. le Curé to tell him that I discharged his commission, and her only response

1111-469: A particular location and then stops which is followed by the X-ray tube rotation and acquisition of a slice. The table then increments again, and another slice is taken. The table movement stops while taking slices. This results in an increased time of scanning. Spinning tube, commonly called spiral CT , or helical CT, is an imaging technique in which an entire X-ray tube is spun around the central axis of

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1212-498: A pen, and an inkpot to take with her, in case the apparition should make use of them. On her third visit, she said that the "beautiful lady" asked her to return to the grotto every day for 15 days. At first her mother had forbidden her to go, but Soubirous persuaded her mother to allow her. Soubirous said that the lady told her that she did not promise to make her happy in this world, but in the next. Although she spoke in Occitan ,

1313-833: A religious order. Several churches were eventually built at Lourdes, including the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes and the Basilica of St. Pius X . Soubirous was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 1933. Her Feast Day is celebrated on April 16; in France and Canada, it is celebrated on February 18. The Feast of the Apparition of Our Blessed Lady at Lourdes is celebrated on February 11. CT scan A computed tomography scan ( CT scan ), formerly called computed axial tomography scan ( CAT scan ),

1414-504: A small but distinctive badge displaying a red cross on a white background surmounted by the word Credo ("I believe"). However, members of any religious affiliation or none are welcomed. Members are requested to notify the bureau of any visits which they make to Lourdes. The Lourdes Medical Bureau publishes its own quarterly journal, Fons Vitae ("Source of Life") which is circulated to members. Additionally, case reports of interest are circulated to members for perusal. The Medical Bureau

1515-483: A technique to improve temporal resolution. Electron beam tomography (EBT) is a specific form of CT in which a large enough X-ray tube is constructed so that only the path of the electrons , travelling between the cathode and anode of the X-ray tube, are spun using deflection coils . This type had a major advantage since sweep speeds can be much faster, allowing for less blurry imaging of moving structures, such as

1616-416: A true 3D reconstruction or a 3D print is created based on these CT images to gain a deeper understanding. CT is an accurate technique for diagnosis of abdominal diseases like Crohn's disease , GIT bleeding, and diagnosis and staging of cancer, as well as follow-up after cancer treatment to assess response. It is commonly used to investigate acute abdominal pain . Non-enhanced computed tomography

1717-413: A very high dynamic range which must be reduced for display or printing. This is typically done via a process of "windowing", which maps a range (the "window") of pixel values to a grayscale ramp. For example, CT images of the brain are commonly viewed with a window extending from 0 HU to 80 HU. Pixel values of 0 and lower, are displayed as black; values of 80 and higher are displayed as white; values within

1818-456: A week before Lent would begin on Ash Wednesday , 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous was out gathering firewood with her sister Toinette and a friend at the grotto of Massabielle outside Lourdes. There, she reportedly had the first of 18 visions of what she termed "a small young lady", not in French but in the regional Occitan : uo petito damizelo , standing in a niche in the rock. Her sister and

1919-419: Is a medical imaging technique used to obtain detailed internal images of the body. The personnel that perform CT scans are called radiographers or radiology technologists. CT scanners use a rotating X-ray tube and a row of detectors placed in a gantry to measure X-ray attenuations by different tissues inside the body. The multiple X-ray measurements taken from different angles are then processed on

2020-406: Is a specific form of CT to assess flow through blood vessels whilst injecting a contrast agent . Blood flow, blood transit time, and organ blood volume, can all be calculated with reasonable sensitivity and specificity . This type of CT may be used on the heart , although sensitivity and specificity for detecting abnormalities are still lower than for other forms of CT. This may also be used on

2121-408: Is a two dimensional unit based on the matrix size and the field of view. When the CT slice thickness is also factored in, the unit is known as a voxel , which is a three-dimensional unit. Water has an attenuation of 0 Hounsfield units (HU), while air is −1,000 HU, cancellous bone is typically +400 HU, and cranial bone can reach 2,000 HU. The attenuation of metallic implants depends on

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2222-405: Is a type of contrast CT to visualize the arteries and veins throughout the body. This ranges from arteries serving the brain to those bringing blood to the lungs , kidneys , arms and legs . An example of this type of exam is CT pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) used to diagnose pulmonary embolism (PE). It employs computed tomography and an iodine-based contrast agent to obtain an image of

2323-472: Is also under consideration for automated baggage/parcel security scanning using computer vision based object recognition algorithms that target the detection of specific threat items based on 3D appearance (e.g. guns, knives, liquid containers). Its usage in airport security pioneered at Shannon Airport in March 2022 has ended the ban on liquids over 100 ml there, a move that Heathrow Airport plans for

2424-498: Is applied to the decision. This investigator may also consult with other colleagues about the case. This information is presented at a CMIL meeting. Also present at the meeting are the head of the Lourdes Medical Bureau and the Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes (currently this is Nicolas Brouwet). The cured subject is not normally present. For a cure to be recognised as medically inexplicable, certain facts require to be established: CMIL

2525-560: Is called high resolution CT that produces a sampling of the lung, and not continuous images. Bronchial wall thickening can be seen on lung CTs and generally (but not always) implies inflammation of the bronchi . An incidentally found nodule in the absence of symptoms (sometimes referred to as an incidentaloma ) may raise concerns that it might represent a tumor, either benign or malignant . Perhaps persuaded by fear, patients and doctors sometimes agree to an intensive schedule of CT scans, sometimes up to every three months and beyond

2626-505: Is exhibited in the Lourdes Medical Bureau), although it is not supposed to have occurred in Lourdes itself, but in a sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes at Oostakker near Ghent ( Belgium , East Flanders ). Visited Lourdes: 10 May 1948. Age 31, a student nurse from Rennes , France. Tubercular peritonitis with complications for seven years, extreme emaciation and oscillating fever. Comatose when brought to Lourdes,

2727-458: Is how to reduce the radiation dose during CT examinations without compromising the image quality. In general, higher radiation doses result in higher-resolution images, while lower doses lead to increased image noise and unsharp images. However, increased dosage raises the adverse side effects, including the risk of radiation-induced cancer – a four-phase abdominal CT gives the same radiation dose as 300 chest X-rays. Several methods that can reduce

2828-700: Is imaging the contents of sarcophagi or ceramics. Recently, CWI in Amsterdam has collaborated with Rijksmuseum to investigate art object inside details in the framework called IntACT. Varied types of fungus can degrade wood to different degrees, one Belgium research group has been used X-ray CT 3 dimension with sub-micron resolution unveiled fungi can penetrate micropores of 0.6 μm under certain conditions. Sawmills use industrial CT scanners to detect round defects, for instance knots, to improve total value of timber productions. Most sawmills are planning to incorporate this robust detection tool to improve productivity in

2929-461: Is limited technique as it displays only the surfaces that meet a particular threshold density, and which are towards the viewer. However, In volume rendering, transparency, colours and shading are used which makes it easy to present a volume in a single image. For example, Pelvic bones could be displayed as semi-transparent, so that, even viewing at an oblique angle one part of the image does not hide another. An important issue within radiology today

3030-475: Is not entitled to pronounce a cure "miraculous"; this can only be done by the Church. The bureau may only pronounce that a cure is "medically inexplicable". A full investigation takes a minimum of five years (in order to ensure that the cure is permanent), and may take as long as ten or twelve years. It is recognised that, in rare cases, even advanced malignant disease or severe infection may spontaneously resolve, in

3131-434: Is not responsible for the direct medical care of pilgrims and visitors to Lourdes. Legally, the position is that the general practitioners and hospital in Lourdes are responsible for the medical care of anyone visiting Lourdes. Approximately 35 claims per year are brought to the attention of the Lourdes Medical Bureau. Most of these are dismissed quickly. Three to five each year are investigated more thoroughly, by drawing up

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3232-607: Is often the preferred investigation modality for thyroid abnormalities. A CT scan can be used for detecting both acute and chronic changes in the lung parenchyma , the tissue of the lungs . It is particularly relevant here because normal two-dimensional X-rays do not show such defects. A variety of techniques are used, depending on the suspected abnormality. For evaluation of chronic interstitial processes such as emphysema , and fibrosis , thin sections with high spatial frequency reconstructions are used; often scans are performed both on inspiration and expiration. This special technique

3333-441: Is possible as present CT scanners provide almost isotropic resolution. MPR is used almost in every scan. The spine is frequently examined with it. An image of the spine in axial plane can only show one vertebral bone at a time and cannot show its relation with other vertebral bones. By reformatting the data in other planes, visualization of the relative position can be achieved in sagittal and coronal plane. New software allows

3434-476: Is set by the operator (e.g., a level that corresponds to bone). With the help of edge detection image processing algorithms a 3D model can be constructed from the initial data and displayed on screen. Various thresholds can be used to get multiple models, each anatomical component such as muscle, bone and cartilage can be differentiated on the basis of different colours given to them. However, this mode of operation cannot show interior structures. Surface rendering

3535-579: Is the thirteenth doctor to head the Lourdes Medical Bureau, and the first non-Frenchman in that position. He succeeded Dr. Theillier on 10 February 2009 and was appointed by Bishop Jacques Perrier. Dr. di Franciscis has a master's degree in epidemiology from Harvard , and has pursued a political as well as a medical career. He is American on his mother's side and speaks 5 languages. According to James Randi , in his book The Faith Healers : "Serge Perrin, 41 years old, claimed that he had recovered from “recurring organic hemiplegia” (paralysis of one side of

3636-521: Is today the gold standard for diagnosing urinary stones . The size, volume and density of stones can be estimated to help clinicians guide further treatment; size is especially important in predicting spontaneous passage of a stone. For the axial skeleton and extremities , CT is often used to image complex fractures , especially ones around joints, because of its ability to reconstruct the area of interest in multiple planes. Fractures, ligamentous injuries, and dislocations can easily be recognized with

3737-626: Is warranted, the case is referred to the International Lourdes Medical Committee (abbreviated in French to CMIL ), which is an international panel of about twenty experts in various medical disciplines and of different religious beliefs. CMIL meets annually. A full investigation requires that one of its members investigates every detail of the case in question, and immerses him/herself in the literature around that condition to ensure that up-to-date academic knowledge

3838-563: The Catholic Church after a canonical investigation. The apparition is known as Our Lady of Lourdes . According to Soubirous, her visions occurred at the grotto of Massabielle, just outside Lourdes. On 16 July 1858, Soubirous visited the grotto for the last time and said: "I have never seen her so beautiful before." On 18 January 1862, the local bishop declared: "The Virgin Mary did appear indeed to Bernadette Soubirous." Soubirous

3939-556: The Immaculate Conception ." Then I went back to M. le Curé to tell him that she had said she was the Immaculate Conception, and he asked was I absolutely certain. I said yes, and so as not to forget the words, I had repeated them all the way home. Peyramale decided to go to Tarbes to visit the bishop. The bishop determined that Peyramale should remain away from the grotto. Dr. Pierre Romaine Dozous,

4040-573: The Roman Catholic Church to recognise these events as miracles . The earliest investigations of these cases were carried out by an Episcopal Commission of Inquiry led by Canon Germain Baradère and reporting directly to Mgr Laurence, bishop of Tarbes . The commission's earliest work was conducted without medical consultation, with only clerical opinion being sought as to the nature of the cures. In 1859, Professor Henri Vergez from

4141-458: The brain , where CT perfusion imaging can often detect poor brain perfusion well before it is detected using a conventional spiral CT scan. This is better for stroke diagnosis than other CT types. Positron emission tomography–computed tomography is a hybrid CT modality which combines, in a single gantry, a positron emission tomography (PET) scanner and an X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner, to acquire sequential images from both devices in

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4242-411: The pulmonary arteries . CT scans can reduce the risk of angiography by providing clinicians with more information about the positioning and number of clots prior to the procedure. A CT scan of the heart is performed to gain knowledge about cardiac or coronary anatomy. Traditionally, cardiac CT scans are used to detect, diagnose, or follow up coronary artery disease . More recently CT has played

4343-475: The 14-year-old daughter of a miller, in the town of Lourdes in Southern France . From 11 February to 16 July 1858, she reported 18 apparitions of "a Lady". Soubirous described the lady as wearing a white veil and a blue girdle; she had a golden rose on each foot and held a rosary of pearls. After initial skepticism from the local clergy, these claims were eventually declared to be worthy of belief by

4444-423: The 1970s, CT has become an important tool in medical imaging to supplement conventional X-ray imaging and medical ultrasonography . It has more recently been used for preventive medicine or screening for disease, for example, CT colonography for people with a high risk of colon cancer , or full-motion heart scans for people with a high risk of heart disease. Several institutions offer full-body scans for

4545-594: The Faculty of Medicine at Montpellier was appointed medical consultant to the Episcopal Commission of Inquiry. Vergez's views were often at odds with those of his clerical colleagues. Vergez decided that only eight of the early cases were genuinely inexplicable. In 1883 a body called the Bureau des Constatations Médicales was established by doctors affiliated with the sanctuary. This was the forerunner of

4646-629: The Medical Bureau until 1914, and met with the French author Émile Zola when he visited Lourdes in August 1892. Dr. Bonamy, a character in Zola's 1894 novel Lourdes , is unflatteringly based on Boissarie. Boissarie wrote a celebrated book, L'Histoire Médicale de Lourdes in 1891, which was praised by Pope Leo XIII . Boissarie moved the offices of the Bureau to accommodation beneath the right ramp of

4747-474: The Upper Basilica, where he met with people who claimed to have been cured. In 1905, Pope Pius X decreed that claims of miraculous cures at Lourdes should "submit to a proper process", in other words, to be rigorously investigated. At his instigation, the current Lourdes Medical Bureau was formed. The bureau is led by a single doctor. The current head is Dr. Alessandro de Franciscis . The bureau has

4848-536: The Vision disappeared and she went home. Soubirous was interrogated again. The spring reportedly began to flow a day later. About 800 people were present. Over 1,000 people were present. Soubirous was questioned by Judge Ribes afterwards. There were almost 1,500 people present. Local housewife Catherine Latapie, nine months pregnant, who had a paralysis of the ulnar nerve in one arm following an accident, reported regaining full movement after bathing her arm in

4949-461: The area being scanned. These are the dominant type of scanners on the market because they have been manufactured longer and offer a lower cost of production and purchase. The main limitation of this type of CT is the bulk and inertia of the equipment (X-ray tube assembly and detector array on the opposite side of the circle) which limits the speed at which the equipment can spin. Some designs use two X-ray sources and detector arrays offset by an angle, as

5050-408: The atomic number of the element used: Titanium usually has an amount of +1000 HU, iron steel can completely block the X-ray and is, therefore, responsible for well-known line-artifacts in computed tomograms. Artifacts are caused by abrupt transitions between low- and high-density materials, which results in data values that exceed the dynamic range of the processing electronics. CT data sets have

5151-505: The bends in a vessel, thereby helping to visualize a whole vessel in a single image or in multiple images. After a vessel has been "straightened", measurements such as cross-sectional area and length can be made. This is helpful in preoperative assessment of a surgical procedure. For 2D projections used in radiation therapy for quality assurance and planning of external beam radiotherapy , including digitally reconstructed radiographs, see Beam's eye view . A threshold value of radiodensity

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5252-470: The body) and recurring blindness in one eye. The Lourdes medical team declared the case “miraculous.” But an American team examined the data and discovered that the necessary tests—a spinal tap and a brain scan—had not been done to properly establish the cause of the condition. In fact, the American doctors said, Perrin’s symptoms are classic signs of hysteria; in the absence of appropriate medical tests, that

5353-407: The claim. Jacques Perrier, the former Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes, made a statement concerning the question of miracles in Lourdes. The bishop wishes to have a new approach to cures in Lourdes, especially concerning the different stages of recognising them: “For the Church, as well as for the believer, a pilgrimage to Mary is more than a journey to a miracle. It is a journey of love, of prayer and of

5454-446: The conservation and preservation of objects of cultural heritage. For many fragile objects, direct research and observation can be damaging and can degrade the object over time. Using CT scans, conservators and researchers are able to determine the material composition of the objects they are exploring, such as the position of ink along the layers of a scroll, without any additional harm. These scans have been optimal for research focused on

5555-484: The current Medical Bureau. Its first titular head was the nobleman Baron Dunot de Saint-Maclou , and the Bureau was housed at the residence of the Garaison Fathers in Lourdes. Following the establishment of the Bureau des Constatations Médicales, the number of recognised cures dropped from 143 in 1883 to only 83 in 1884. Dunot de Saint-Maclou died in 1891 and was succeeded by Dr. Gustave Boissarie who headed

5656-409: The friend stated that they had seen nothing. On realizing that she alone, and not her companions, had seen the apparition, Soubirous asked her sister not to tell anyone what had happened. Toinette, however, was unable to keep silent, and told their mother, Louise Soubirous. Because their mother had suspected the children were lying, both girls received a beating, and Soubirous was forbidden to return to

5757-472: The general population although this practice goes against the advice and official position of many professional organizations in the field primarily due to the radiation dose applied. The use of CT scans has increased dramatically over the last two decades in many countries. An estimated 72 million scans were performed in the United States in 2007 and more than 80 million in 2015. CT scanning of

5858-404: The grotto again. A few days passed and Soubirous asked for permission to go again with her siblings and the permission was granted. The following Sunday her mother reluctantly gave her permission to go to the grotto. She and two friends arrive and begin to pray the rosary. Bernadette again sees the apparition, and this time throws holy water at it. She told the vision that if she came from God she

5959-457: The grotto, and dismissed her. Peyramale had ordered the priests to have nothing to do with the grotto, for it was the general practice of the clergy to discourage religious visionaries. Soubirous was determined and returned with one of the priest's friends to ask again. After Soubirous was questioned before the parish clergy and dismissed, the parish priests could not agree on what course to take. Previously, Father Peyramale had told Soubirous that

6060-579: The head is also used in CT- guided stereotactic surgery and radiosurgery for treatment of intracranial tumors, arteriovenous malformations , and other surgically treatable conditions using a device known as the N-localizer . Contrast CT is generally the initial study of choice for neck masses in adults. CT of the thyroid plays an important role in the evaluation of thyroid cancer . CT scan often incidentally finds thyroid abnormalities, and so

6161-453: The head is typically used to detect infarction ( stroke ), tumors , calcifications , haemorrhage , and bone trauma . Of the above, hypodense (dark) structures can indicate edema and infarction, hyperdense (bright) structures indicate calcifications and haemorrhage and bone trauma can be seen as disjunction in bone windows. Tumors can be detected by the swelling and anatomical distortion they cause, or by surrounding edema. CT scanning of

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6262-578: The heart and arteries. Fewer scanners of this design have been produced when compared with spinning tube types, mainly due to the higher cost associated with building a much larger X-ray tube and detector array and limited anatomical coverage. Dual Energy CT, also known as Spectral CT, is an advancement of Computed Tomography in which two energies are used to create two sets of data. A Dual Energy CT may employ Dual source, Single source with dual detector layer, Single source with energy switching methods to get two different sets of data. CT perfusion imaging

6363-527: The insides of these objects, as was the case with the virtual unwrapping of the En-Gedi scroll and the Herculaneum papyri . Micro-CT has also proved useful for analyzing more recent artifacts such as still-sealed historic correspondence that employed the technique of letterlocking (complex folding and cuts) that provided a "tamper-evident locking mechanism". Further examples of use cases in archaeology

6464-487: The key uses for CT scanning have been flaw detection, failure analysis, metrology, assembly analysis, image-based finite element methods and reverse engineering applications. CT scanning is also employed in the imaging and conservation of museum artifacts. CT scanning has also found an application in transport security (predominantly airport security ) where it is currently used in a materials analysis context for explosives detection CTX (explosive-detection device) and

6565-459: The lady had taught her a prayer, which she said every day of her life, but never wrote down or repeated to anyone. By this time, the news was spreading to other towns, and many people assumed that Soubirous's lady was the Virgin Mary . Over 100 people were present, and the apparition said to her: "You will pray to God for sinners." Afterwards Soubirous was interrogated by Dominique Jacomet,

6666-471: The lady was: "Penance! Penance! Penance! Pray to God for sinners! Kiss the ground as an act of penance for sinners!" [The Lady] told her that she should go and drink at the fountain and wash herself. Seeing no fountain I went to drink at the Gave . She said it was not there; she pointed with her finger that she was to go in under the rock. She went, and she found a puddle of water which was more like mud, and

6767-441: The long run, however initial investment cost is high. The result of a CT scan is a volume of voxels , which may be presented to a human observer by various methods, which broadly fit into the following categories: Technically, all volume renderings become projections when viewed on a 2-dimensional display , making the distinction between projections and volume renderings a bit vague. The epitomes of volume rendering models feature

6868-685: The next six years he became a wheelchair user, and nearly blind. While on pilgrimage to Lourdes in April 1970, he felt a sudden warmth from head to toe, his vision returned, and he was able to walk unaided. His cure was recognised on 17 June 1978. Visited Lourdes: 24 December 1976. Age 12, from Paterno, Sicily . Ewing's sarcoma of right knee. Offered amputation by her doctors, her mother refused and took her to Lourdes instead. On returning to Italy, her tumour rapidly regressed until no remaining evidence existed, although it left her tibia angulated, which required an operation ( osteotomy ) to correct. Her cure

6969-416: The observers. It would be very unusual for anyone to adopt this formal form of address when speaking to a penniless, working-class peasant girl such as Bernadette. Armed with a lighted candle for protection, Soubirous came to the grotto. This originated the custom of carrying lighted candles to the grotto. Eight people were present including Soubirous's mother and two of her aunts, one of whom, Aunt Bernarde,

7070-452: The police commissioner. Her father, François Soubirous, eventually assured the commissioner that the affair would cease. About 150 people were present. Jean-Baptiste Estrade (a tax inspector), Duffo (a court official), and the officers from the garrison were present. Soubirous said later that the lady had told her a secret, which was only for her alone; this secret was never revealed to anyone. About 250 people were present. The message of

7171-406: The prayers of her Rosary which she held in her left hand while in her right was a large blessed candle, alight. The child was just beginning to make the usual ascent on her knees when suddenly she stopped and, her right hand joining her left, the flame of the big candle passed between the fingers of the latter. Though fanned by a fairly strong breeze, the flame produced no effect upon the skin which it

7272-409: The quantity was so small that she could hardly gather a little in the hollow of her hand. Nevertheless she obeyed, and started scratching the ground; after doing that she was able to take some. The water was so dirty that three times she threw it away. The fourth time she was able to drink it. She made her eat grass growing in the same place where she had drunk; once only; she didn't know why. Then

7373-587: The recommended guidelines, in an attempt to do surveillance on the nodules. However, established guidelines advise that patients without a prior history of cancer and whose solid nodules have not grown over a two-year period are unlikely to have any malignant cancer. For this reason, and because no research provides supporting evidence that intensive surveillance gives better outcomes, and because of risks associated with having CT scans, patients should not receive CT screening in excess of those recommended by established guidelines. Computed tomography angiography (CTA)

7474-450: The reconstruction of data in non-orthogonal (oblique) planes, which help in the visualization of organs which are not in orthogonal planes. It is better suited for visualization of the anatomical structure of the bronchi as they do not lie orthogonal to the direction of the scan. Curved-plane reconstruction (or curved planar reformation = CPR) is performed mainly for the evaluation of vessels. This type of reconstruction helps to straighten

7575-408: The regional language that Bernadette (whose French was poor) used, the apparition used a remarkably formal form of the language in her request: "Would you have the goodness to come here for fifteen days?" ( Occitan : Boulet aoue ra gracia de bié aci penden quinze dias? ; French : Voulez-vous me faire la grâce de venir ici pendant quinze jours? ). The significance of this politeness was not lost on

7676-435: The requests for the procession and chapel could not be fulfilled unless and until the lady's name was known. On this occasion, Soubirous asked for the lady's name; according to Soubirous, the lady only smiled and laughed. Over 9,000 people were present. The third time I went to see M. le Curé , to tell him that a Lady had ordered me to go and say to the priests that they were to have a chapel built there, he looked at me for

7777-454: The right leg. Her cure was recognised on 26 May 1965. Visited Lourdes: 17 July 1959. Age 22, from Marseilles , France. Femoral osteoperiostitis with fistulae, epistaxis , for ten years. Her cure was recognised on 11 May 1965. Visited Lourdes: 1 June 1963. Age 23, from Scurelle , Italy . Sarcoma (cancer) of pelvis ; tumour so large that his left thigh became loose from the socket, leaving his left leg limp and paralysed. After taking

7878-492: The same distance as I was the other times. All I saw was Our Lady ... She was more beautiful than ever." The grotto reopened to the public in October 1858 by order of Emperor Louis Napoleon III . Soubirous received no further apparitions after the 18th appearance (on 16 July 1858), and she did not feel any desire to visit the grotto afterwards. The people, however, kept on visiting. In 1866, Soubirous left Lourdes to join

7979-479: The same session, which are combined into a single superposed ( co-registered ) image. Thus, functional imaging obtained by PET, which depicts the spatial distribution of metabolic or biochemical activity in the body can be more precisely aligned or correlated with anatomic imaging obtained by CT scanning. PET-CT gives both anatomical and functional details of an organ under examination and is helpful in detecting different type of cancers. Since its introduction in

8080-450: The spring. Simultaneously, she went into labor and had to leave almost immediately to give birth. She gave an account of these events to local physician Dr. Pierre Romaine Dozous, who began to collect information on healings at the spring. The lady commanded Soubirous: "Go, tell the priests to come here in procession and to build a chapel here." Accompanied by her two aunts, Soubirous went to ask Father Peyramale ; he forbade her to go to

8181-443: The suffering community.” Occasionally cases are dismissed by the Medical Bureau but still attain a level of fame and notoriety. One example is that of Jack Traynor . Visited Lourdes: After his healing, from 9 to 15 May 1878 Pieter De Rudder was a farm labourer, born Jabbeke July 2, 1822, died March 22, 1898. His recovery from a broken leg (1875) is one of the most famous recognized Lourdes miracles (a bronze cast of his bones

8282-617: The third appearance, and therefore its identity was a matter of considerable speculation. Pious villagers Jeanne-Marie Milhet and Antoinette Peyret, on hearing Soubirous' description of the apparition, thought it was the returning spirit of one of their friends, who had died a few months before. Although not part of Catholic doctrine, the concept of the revenant was deeply rooted in Pyrenean superstition. According to tradition, revenants rarely spoke, but communicated their messages in writing, and so Milhet and Peyret furnished Soubirous with paper,

8383-458: The time can confirm what I have said. On 8 June 1858, the mayor of Lourdes barricaded the grotto and stationed guards to prevent public access. Visitors were fined for kneeling near the grotto or talking about the grotto. This was the final appearance. Because the grotto was barricaded by the local government, Soubirous knelt outside the fence by the riverbank. "I thought I was at the Grotto, at

8484-498: The town physician, originally watched the apparitions from a skeptical viewpoint. He believed Soubirous, whom he knew well, was in her right mind aside from the apparitions. He reported: Bernadette seemed to be even more absorbed than usual in the Appearance upon which her gaze was riveted. I witnessed, as did also every one else there present, the fact which I am about to narrate. She was on her knees saying with fervent devotion

8585-422: The use of thin sections and physical preparation. X-ray CT is used in paleontology to non-destructively visualize fossils in 3D. This has many advantages. For example, we can look at fragile structures that might never otherwise be able to be studied. In addition, one can freely move around models of fossils in virtual 3D space to inspect it without damaging the fossil. X-ray CT and micro-CT can also be used for

8686-459: The view that physicians generally have in reality when positioned in front of patients. Pixels in an image obtained by CT scanning are displayed in terms of relative radiodensity . The pixel itself is displayed according to the mean attenuation of the tissue(s) that it corresponds to on a scale from +3,071 (most attenuating) to −1,024 (least attenuating) on the Hounsfield scale . A pixel

8787-565: The waters, he was free of pain and could walk. By February 1964 the tumour was gone, the hip joint had recalcified, and he returned to a normal life. His cure was recognized on 26 May 1976. Visited Lourdes: 1 May 1970. Age 41, from Le Lion-d'Angers , France. Recurrent right hemiplegia , with ocular lesions, due to bilateral carotid artery disorders. Symptoms, which included headache , impaired speech and vision, and partial right-side paralysis began without warning in February 1964. During

8888-529: The window are displayed as a gray intensity proportional to position within the window. The window used for display must be matched to the X-ray density of the object of interest, in order to optimize the visible detail. Window width and window level parameters are used to control the windowing of a scan. Multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) is the process of converting data from one anatomical plane (usually transverse ) to other planes. It can be used for thin slices as well as projections. Multiplanar reconstruction

8989-566: The workings of the Antikythera mechanism or the text hidden inside the charred outer layers of the En-Gedi Scroll . However, they are not optimal for every object subject to these kinds of research questions, as there are certain artifacts like the Herculaneum papyri in which the material composition has very little variation along the inside of the object. After scanning these objects, computational methods can be employed to examine

9090-441: Was a much more probable diagnosis. Furthermore, hysteria is known to respond favorably to highly emotional circumstances like those encountered at religious ceremonies... If Serge Perrin’s case is representative, there are good reasons to be distrustful of officially declared miraculous cures at Lourdes." Lourdes apparitions The Lourdes apparitions are several Marian apparitions reported in 1858 by Bernadette Soubirous ,

9191-488: Was about to quit the Grotto when I asked her to show me her left hand. I examined it most carefully, but could not find the least trace of burning anywhere upon it. I then asked the person who was holding the candle to light it again and give it to me. I put it several times in succession under Bernadette's left hand but she drew it away quickly, saying 'You are burning me!'. I record this fact just as I have seen it without attempting to explain it. Many persons who were present at

9292-436: Was awarded jointly to South African-American physicist Allan MacLeod Cormack and British electrical engineer Godfrey Hounsfield "for the development of computer-assisted tomography". On the basis of image acquisition and procedures, various type of scanners are available in the market. Sequential CT, also known as step-and-shoot CT, is a type of scanning method in which the CT table moves stepwise. The table increments to

9393-400: Was canonized a saint in 1933 by Pope Pius XI. In 1958, Pope Pius XII issued the encyclical Le pèlerinage de Lourdes ("The pilgrimage to Lourdes") on the 100th anniversary of the apparitions. Pope John Paul II visited Lourdes three times; Pope Benedict XVI visited Lourdes on 15 September 2008 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the apparitions. On Thursday, 11 February 1858,

9494-610: Was given a tiny fragment of the Eucharist and awoke. Reported being "instantly and permanently cured" later that night while lying in her wheelchair beside the spring. She had not yet bathed in or drunk the water . Her cure was recognised officially on 11 November 1950. Visited Lourdes: 30 April 1952. Age 28, from Fribourg , Switzerland . Multiple sclerosis for five years. His cure was recognised on 18 December 1960. Visited Lourdes: 15 May 1952. Age 34, from Bouille-Loretz , France. Multiple sclerosis for three years. Her cure

9595-436: Was her godmother and the most influential member of her mother's family. Soubirous's story caused a sensation with the townspeople, who were divided in their opinions on whether or not Soubirous was telling the truth. Soon a large number of people followed her on her daily journey, some out of curiosity and others who firmly believed that they were witnessing a miracle. Thirty people were present. Soubirous reported later that

9696-403: Was her smile; then he said she was laughing at me and that I would do well not to go to her again. But, I could not help going. I came back for a fortnight. The vision appeared every day, except one Monday [22 February] and one Friday [26 February]. She repeated to me several times that I was to tell the priests they were to build a Chapel there, and I was to go to the fountain to wash, and that I

9797-553: Was recognised on 16 July 1956. Visited Lourdes: 8 October 1953 and 10 October 1954. Age 32, from La Richardais, France. Arachnoiditis of posterior cranial fossa ( blindness , deafness , hemiplegia ). Her cure was recognised on 15 August 1956. Visited Lourdes: 21 September 1954. Age 26, from Carmaux , France. Budd-Chiari syndrome (supra-hepatic venous thrombosis). Her cure was recognised on 31 May 1963. Visited Lourdes: 5 June 1958. Age 27, from Patti, Sicily . Tuberculous osteoarthritis with fistulae at multiple sites in

9898-476: Was recognised on 28 June 1989. She went on to become a nurse. Visited Lourdes: 9 October 1987. Age 51, French. Multiple sclerosis . His cure was recognised on 9 February 1999. Dr. Patrick Theillier was the twelfth doctor to head the Lourdes Medical Bureau. He received his medical degree from Lille in 1964. He was head of the Bureau from 1998 until his retirement in 2009. Italian-American paediatrician Dr. Alessandro ("Sandro") di Franciscis (born Naples, 1955)

9999-502: Was to pray for sinners. During this fortnight, she told me three secrets which she forbade me to tell anyone. I have been faithful until now. I went every day for a fortnight, and each day I asked her who she was–and this petition always made her smile. After the fortnight I asked her three times consecutively. She always smiled. At last I tried for the fourth time. She stopped smiling. With her arms down, she raised her eyes to heaven and then, folding her hands over her breast she said, "I am

10100-554: Was to stay, but if not, she was to go. The lady simply bowed her head and smiled. Then Soubirous continued saying the rosary. When she had finished, the apparition disappeared and the girls returned for Vespers. Troubled by the notion that the apparition might represent an evil spirit, Soubirous used the holy water as a test. A further and positive reassuring sign was the apparition's beautiful bare feet; evil apparitions (even when taking human form ) were believed to have cloven hooves or animal paws. The Apparition did not speak until

10201-446: Was touching. Astonished at this strange fact, I forbade anyone there to interfere, and taking my watch in my hand, I studied the phenomenon attentively for a quarter of an hour. At the end of this time Bernadette, still in her ecstasy, advanced to the upper part of the Grotto, separating her hands. The flame thus ceased to touch her left hand. Bernadette finished her prayer and the splendour of the transfiguration left her face. She rose and

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