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Disease activity in RA is reported to be visualized better through the use of US contrast media than by unenhanced US. However, the routine use of contrast for US examinations is not established as for MRI in the assessment of synovitis. The main obstacles to using US contrast media are high costs, technical limitations (for instance in near fields), a relatively short time window of examination, and the need for optimally designed bubbles for near field investigation at higher frequencies. New therapies targeting the microvascular level are demanding an improved diagnostic potential to provide sensitive detection of vascularity. Such methods are required for scientific research as well as in daily clinical examinations. Reliable imaging techniques for the early detection of pannus, as well as for monitoring synovial vascularization and early bone erosions, are necessary for the appropriate management of patients with RA. In addition, there is a need for a grading system that includes synovial activity, which can be obtained by sensitive US assessment of synovial vascularity. This should encompass an assessment of soft tissues in the initial assessment of the disease, as well as subsequent monitoring.

Despite the improvement in detection and characterization of focal liver lesions that can be achieved using contrast-enhanced US, several issues are still open. First, contrast US will hardly replace CT or MR imaging for preoperative assessment of patients with liver tumors, as these techniques still offer a more comprehensive assessment of the liver parenchyma, which is mandatory to properly plan any kind of surgical or interventional procedure. Second, the daily schedule of each US laboratory doing liver examinations will have to be reformulated, and many US laboratories will have to update their equipment and to provide proper training for their doctors. Last but not least, the cost of the introduction of contrastenhanced US into daily practice will have to be taken into account. It can be argued that cost saving associated with patients who will no longer need a CT or MR imaging of the liver after contrast-enhanced US could largely counterbalance the cost of the examination. However, an optimal use of contrast-enhanced US will require the definition of precise diagnostic flow charts for each clinical situation. Nevertheless, contrast-enhanced US has the potential to become the primary liver imaging modality for early detection and characterization of focal lesions. Early diagnosis of primary and secondary liver malignancies greatly enhances the possibility of curative surgical resection or successful percutaneous ablation, resulting in better patient care and eventually in improved patient survival.

Despite the improvement in detection and characterization of focal liver lesions that can be achieved using contrast-enhanced US, several issues are still open. First, contrast US will hardly replace CT or MR imaging for preoperative assessment of patients with liver tumors, as these techniques still offer a more comprehensive assessment of the liver parenchyma, which is mandatory to properly plan any kind of surgical or interventional procedure. Second, the daily schedule of each US laboratory doing liver examinations will have to be reformulated, and many US laboratories will have to update their equipment and to provide proper training for their doctors. Last but not least, the cost of the introduction of contrastenhanced US into daily practice will have to be taken into account. It can be argued that cost saving associated with patients who will no longer need a CT or MR imaging of the liver after contrast-enhanced US could largely counterbalance the cost of the examination. However, an optimal use of contrast-enhanced US will require the definition of precise diagnostic flow charts for each clinical situation. Nevertheless, contrast-enhanced US has the potential to become the primary liver imaging modality for early detection and characterization of focal lesions. Early diagnosis of primary and secondary liver malignancies greatly enhances the possibility of curative surgical resection or successful percutaneous ablation, resulting in better patient care and eventually in improved patient survival.

The objective of this paper is to present the grand schemes of a model to be used in an agricultural Decision support System. We start by explaining and justifying the need for a hybrid system that uses both Multi-Agent System and Constraint Programming paradigms. Then we show our approach for Constraint Programming and Multi-Agent System mixing based on the concept of . Also, we present some concrete constraints and agents to be used in an application based on our proposed approach for modeling the problem of water use for agricultural purposes.

Disease activity in RA is reported to be visualized better through the use of US contrast media than by unenhanced US. However, the routine use of contrast for US examinations is not established as for MRI in the assessment of synovitis. The main obstacles to using US contrast media are high costs, technical limitations (for instance in near fields), a relatively short time window of examination, and the need for optimally designed bubbles for near field investigation at higher frequencies. New therapies targeting the microvascular level are demanding an improved diagnostic potential to provide sensitive detection of vascularity. Such methods are required for scientific research as well as in daily clinical examinations. Reliable imaging techniques for the early detection of pannus, as well as for monitoring synovial vascularization and early bone erosions, are necessary for the appropriate management of patients with RA. In addition, there is a need for a grading system that includes synovial activity, which can be obtained by sensitive US assessment of synovial vascularity. This should encompass an assessment of soft tissues in the initial assessment of the disease, as well as subsequent monitoring.

Disease activity in RA is reported to be visualized better through the use of US contrast media than by unenhanced US. However, the routine use of contrast for US examinations is not established as for MRI in the assessment of synovitis. The main obstacles to using US contrast media are high costs, technical limitations (for instance in near fields), a relatively short time window of examination, and the need for optimally designed bubbles for near field investigation at higher frequencies. New therapies targeting the microvascular level are demanding an improved diagnostic potential to provide sensitive detection of vascularity. Such methods are required for scientific research as well as in daily clinical examinations. Reliable imaging techniques for the early detection of pannus, as well as for monitoring synovial vascularization and early bone erosions, are necessary for the appropriate management of patients with RA. In addition, there is a need for a grading system that includes synovial activity, which can be obtained by sensitive US assessment of synovial vascularity. This should encompass an assessment of soft tissues in the initial assessment of the disease, as well as subsequent monitoring.

Disease activity in RA is reported to be visualized better through the use of US contrast media than by unenhanced US. However, the routine use of contrast for US examinations is not established as for MRI in the assessment of synovitis. The main obstacles to using US contrast media are high costs, technical limitations (for instance in near fields), a relatively short time window of examination, and the need for optimally designed bubbles for near field investigation at higher frequencies. New therapies targeting the microvascular level are demanding an improved diagnostic potential to provide sensitive detection of vascularity. Such methods are required for scientific research as well as in daily clinical examinations. Reliable imaging techniques for the early detection of pannus, as well as for monitoring synovial vascularization and early bone erosions, are necessary for the appropriate management of patients with RA. In addition, there is a need for a grading system that includes synovial activity, which can be obtained by sensitive US assessment of synovial vascularity. This should encompass an assessment of soft tissues in the initial assessment of the disease, as well as subsequent monitoring.

Many new functional imaging techniques, with their strengths, weaknesses and costs, are expected to reach the clinic for early assessment of tumour response to new drugs in development. These allow an evaluation of the efficacy of innovative treatments in oncology, such as the anti-angiogenic and anti-vascular treatments that are in full expansion and are aimed at the destruction of tumour vascularisation.

In ultrasonography, the combination of perfusion software and contrast agents gives rise to a functional imaging method. The access to raw data and the development of software using the tracking of lesions permits a more precise and objective quantification of treatment efficiency to be performed.

Disease activity in RA is reported to be visualized better through the use of US contrast media than by unenhanced US. However, the routine use of contrast for US examinations is not established as for MRI in the assessment of synovitis. The main obstacles to using US contrast media are high costs, technical limitations (for instance in near fields), a relatively short time window of examination, and the need for optimally designed bubbles for near field investigation at higher frequencies. New therapies targeting the microvascular level are demanding an improved diagnostic potential to provide sensitive detection of vascularity. Such methods are required for scientific research as well as in daily clinical examinations. Reliable imaging techniques for the early detection of pannus, as well as for monitoring synovial vascularization and early bone erosions, are necessary for the appropriate management of patients with RA. In addition, there is a need for a grading system that includes synovial activity, which can be obtained by sensitive US assessment of synovial vascularity. This should encompass an assessment of soft tissues in the initial assessment of the disease, as well as subsequent monitoring.