Pixel-by-pixel analysis of DCE MRI curve patterns and an illustration of its application to the imaging of the musculoskeletal system

Dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI is a widespread method that has found broad application in the imaging of the musculoskeletal (MSK) system. A common way of analyzing DCE MRI images is to look at the shape of the time-intensity curve (TIC) in pixels selected after drawing an ROI in a highly enhanced area. Although often applied to a number of MSK affections, shape analysis has so far not led to a unanimous correlation between these TIC patterns and pathology. We hypothesize that this might be a result of the subjective ROI approach. To overcome the shortcomings of the ROI approach (sampling error and interuser variability, among others), we created a method for a fast and simple classification of DCE MRI where time-curve enhancement shapes are classified pixel by pixel according to their shape. The result of the analysis is rendered in multislice, 2D color-coded images. With this approach, we show not only that differences on a short distance range of the TIC patterns are significant and cannot be appreciated with a conventional ROI analysis but also that the information that shape maps and conventional standard DCE MRI parameter maps convey are substantially different.     

Niche-dependent development of functional neuronal networks from embryonic stem cell-derived neural populations

Background  

The present work was performed to investigate the ability of two different embryonic stem (ES) cell-derived neural precursor populations to generate functional neuronal networks in vitro. The first ES cell-derived neural precursor population was cultivated as free-floating neural aggregates which are known to form a developmental niche comprising different types of neural cells, including neural precursor cells (NPCs), progenitor cells and even further matured cells. This niche provides by itself a variety of different growth factors and extracellular matrix proteins that influence the proliferation and differentiation of neural precursor and progenitor cells. The second population was cultivated adherently in monolayer cultures to control most stringently the extracellular environment. This population comprises highly homogeneous NPCs which are supposed to represent an attractive way to provide well-defined neuronal progeny. However, the ability of these different ES cell-derived immature neural cell populations to generate functional neuronal networks has not been assessed so far.     

Playing with Numbers, with Fermions and Bosons

We construct nonlinear maps which realize the fermionization of bosons and the bosonization of fermions with the view of obtaining states coding naturally integers in standard or in binary basis. Specifically, with reference to spin systems, we derive raising and lowering bosonic operators in terms of standard fermionic operators and vice versa. The crucial role of multiboson operators in the whole construction is emphasized. Dedicated to Giuseppe Castagnoli for his 65th birthday.     

颗粒-颗粒接触力的热力学模型

以颗粒二体接触力模型为基础和出发点的软球离散元模拟是当前颗粒物理和力学领域广泛应用的研究手段.但文献上经常使用的、包括著名的Hertz-Mindlin和Luding在内的力模型并没有完全明确弹性势能或耗散热的计算方法,故从热力学层面看它们还需要完善.考虑到机械能的耗散行为是这类材料的重要物理内容,本文借鉴近年来提出的颗粒固体流体动力学(GSH)思路,提出一种具有明确势能和热功率的接触力建模方法.该理论除明确给出了机械能和热能的计算公式外,还能具体描述能量守恒、热力学平衡态和熵增加等基本原理,解决了传统接触力模型在这些方面的欠缺问题.初步计算显示本文模型的恢复系数可以随碰撞速率的增加而减弱,这比现有的其他模型更符合实验观测.虽然为简单起见这些公式仅局限于二维和忽略颗粒转动运动情况,文中讨论了如何推广到三维含转动情形,以及所涉及的滚动和扭转接触力的热力学处理问题.鉴于是否在Onsager非平衡热力学基础上建模是本文给出的接触力公式有别于当前其他模型的关键所在,文中强调了这里的主要建模对象应该是热力学特征函数和Onsager迁移系数,而接触力是它们的推导结果.这是一个与目前直接针对接触力进行建模的不同思路.文中对颗粒物质特有的、反映样品几何变形与弹应变之间联络的一个非对角迁移系数做了详细介绍,并且认为它与打滑等复杂力学现象关系密切,无论宏观GSH尺度上,还是细观接触力尺度上都不可忽略.     

Global bifurcations in a laser with injected signal: Beyond Adler's approximation

We discuss the dynamics in the laser with an injected signal from a perturbative point of view showing how different aspects of the dynamics get their definitive character at different orders in the perturbation scheme. At the lowest order Adler's equation [Proc. IRE 34, 351 (1946)] is recovered. More features emerge at first order including some bifurcations sets and the global reinjection conjectured in Physica D 109, 293 (1997). The type of codimension-2 bifurcations present can only be resolved at second order. We show that of the two averaging approximations proposed [Opt. Commun. 111, 173 (1994); Quantum Semiclassic. Opt. 9, 797 (1997); Quantum Semiclassic. Opt. 8, 805 (1996)] differing in the second order terms, only one is accurate to the order required, hence, solving the apparent contradiction among these results. We also show in numerical studies how a homoclinic orbit of the Sil'nikov type, bifurcates into a homoclinic tangency of a periodic orbit of vanishing amplitude. The local vector field at the transition point contains a Hopf-saddle-node singularity, which becomes degenerate and changes type. The overall global bifurcation is of codimension-3. The parameter governing this transition is theta, the cavity detuning (with respect to the atomic frequency) of the laser. (c) 2001 American Institute of Physics.     

Continuously tunable 1 byte delay in coupled-resonator optical waveguides

A reconfigurable coupled-resonator optical waveguide made of a few directly coupled ring resonators is employed to control the delay of data streams modulated at tens of gigabits per second. A delay of 8 bit lengths (1 optical byte) with a small pulse broadening and 1 dB/bit fractional loss is achieved by using only eight rings. The limiting role of waveguide loss and spurious backreflections is experimentally investigated. The high storage efficiency (1 bit/ring) of the device enables an easy, reliable, hitless, and relatively low-power-consuming management of the delay. A higher storage efficiency is demonstrated to be associated to an unavoidable higher pulse distortion.     

Single-shot extreme ultraviolet laser imaging of nanostructures with wavelength resolution

We have demonstrated near-wavelength resolution microscopy in the extreme ultraviolet. Images of 50 nm diameter nanotubes were obtained with a single ~1 ns duration pulse from a desktop-size 46.9 nm laser. We measured the modulation transfer function of the microscope for three different numerical aperture zone plate objectives, demonstrating that 54 nm half-period structures can be resolved. The combination of near-wavelength spatial resolution and high temporal resolution opens myriad opportunities in imaging, such as the ability to directly investigate dynamics of nanoscale structures.     

Ultra-High-Capacity Passive Optical Network Systems with Free-Space Optical Communications

Abstract

This article experimentally demonstrates a hybrid fiber–free-space passive optical network that enables high spectral density, aggregated capacity, and total throughput through ultra-dense wavelength-division multiplexing baseband and radio-over-fiber channels. Ultra-dense wavelength-division multiplexing 10-Gb/s Nyquist-shaped 16-ary quadrature amplitude modulation, 10-Gb/s radio-over-fiber orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing, and 8.75-Gb/s baseband orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing signals per user were transmitted through a maximum 40-km passive optical network, which includes a 6-m free-space optics link with acceptable performance.     

Dysregulation of chemo-cytokine production in schizophrenic patients versus healthy controls

Background  

The exact cause of schizophrenia is not known, although several aetiological theories have been proposed for the disease, including developmental or neurodegenerative processes, neurotransmitter abnormalities, viral infection and immune dysfunction or autoimmune mechanisms. Growing evidence suggests that specific cytokines and chemokines play a role in signalling the brain to produce neurochemical, neuroendocrine, neuroimmune and behavioural changes. A relationship between inflammation and schizophrenia was supported by abnormal cytokines production, abnormal concentrations of cytokines and cytokine receptors in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid in schizophrenia. Since the neuropathology of schizophrenia has recently been reported to be closely associated with microglial activation we aimed to determined whether spontaneous or LPS-induced peripheral blood mononuclear cell chemokines and cytokines production is dysregulated in schizophrenic patients compared to healthy subjects. We enrolled 51 untreated first-episode schizophrenics (SC) and 40 healthy subjects (HC) and the levels of MCP-1, MIP-1α, IL-8, IL-18, IFN-γ and RANTES were determined by Elisa method in cell-free supernatants of PBMC cultures.     

Gold chloride cluster ions generated by vacuum laser ablation

In this work, a simple way for study the possibility of formation a vapor cluster species of tetrachloroauric acid (HAuCl₄), using the laser ablation in the absence of a buffer or reactive atmosphere, and without a postablation supersonic expansion on a commercial matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer, is reported. Tetrachloroauric acid is known as precursor for the synthesis of gold nanostructures and the complex salts; therefore it is an important task to discover and quantify the species arising from HAuCl₄, in order to understand their role in the gold assisted reactions. Mass spectrum of HAuCl₄ in a reflector negative-ion mode contains the hydrated mono- and dinuclear gold clusters in the m/z range 286–436, and gold chloride clusters in the m/z range 447–795. In the first part of spectrum, m/z range 286–436, the hydrated gold cluster species of type Au _n ^? (H₂O)_m (n?=?1–2; m?=?1, 2, 5, 7, 8) and [Au_n(OH)_k]^?(H₂O)_m (n?=?1–2; k?=?1–2; m?=?1, 4–8) were found. Besides that, there are gold chloride clusters with general formula [AuH_r(HCl)₂]^?(H₂O)_m (m?=?1–5; 8–9; r?=?0–2) in this part of spectrum. In the second part of spectrum, the m/z range 447–795, only gold chloride clusters were obtained. Their general formulae can be written as [AuCl_t(HCl)_v]^?(H₂O)_m (t?=?1–4; v?=?5–8; m?=?2–4, 6–8) and [Au_n(HCl)_v]^?(H₂O)_m (n?=?1–2, v?=?4–5, m?=?1–2, 5, 7). The analysis of concentration effects on the LDI mass spectra of gold clusters reveals that the relative intensities of signals for the mono- and dinuclear Au clusters increase with decreasing the concentration of water HAuCl₄ solutions.