4D Multi-atlas Label Fusion using Longitudinal Images

Longitudinal reproducibility is an essential concern in automated medical image segmentation, yet has proven to be an elusive objective as manual brain structure tracings have shown more than 10% variability. To improve reproducibility, lon-gitudinal segmentation (4D) approaches have been investigated to reconcile tem-poral variations with traditional 3D approaches. In the past decade, multi-atlas la-bel fusion has become a state-of-the-art segmentation technique for 3D image and many efforts have been made to adapt it to a 4D longitudinal fashion. However, the previous methods were either limited by using application specified energy function (e.g., surface fusion and multi model fusion) or only considered tem-poral smoothness on two consecutive time points (t and t+1) under sparsity as-sumption. Therefore, a 4D multi-atlas label fusion theory for general label fusion purpose and simultaneously considering temporal consistency on all time points is appealing. Herein, we propose a novel longitudinal label fusion algorithm, called 4D joint label fusion (4DJLF), to incorporate the temporal consistency modeling via non-local patch-intensity covariance models. The advantages of 4DJLF include: (1) 4DJLF is under the general label fusion framework by simul-taneously incorporating the spatial and temporal covariance on all longitudinal time points. (2) The proposed algorithm is a longitudinal generalization of a lead-ing joint label fusion method (JLF) that has proven adaptable to a wide variety of applications. (3) The spatial temporal consistency of atlases is modeled in a prob-abilistic model inspired from both voting based and statistical fusion. The pro-posed approach improves the consistency of the longitudinal segmentation while retaining sensitivity compared with original JLF approach using the same set of atlases. The method is available online in open-source

SU(2)⊗SU(2)SU(2)\otimes SU(2) Gauge Extensions of the MSSM Revisited

We study an extension of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model with a gauge group $SU(2)_1\otimes SU(2)_2$ breaking to $SU(2)_L$. The extra wino has an enhanced gauge coupling to the SM-like Higgs boson and, if light, has a relevant impact on the weak scale phenomenology. The low energy Higgs quartic coupling is modified both by extra $D$-term corrections and by a modification of its renormalization group evolution from high energies. At low values of $\tan\beta$, the latter effect may be dominant. This leads to interesting regions of parameter space in which the model can accommodate a 125 GeV Higgs with relatively light third generation squarks and an increased $h \rightarrow \gamma \gamma$ decay branching ratio, while still satisfying the constraints from electroweak precision data and Higgs vacuum stability.Comment: 21 pages, 5 figures. References update

Characterizing Some Gaia Alerts with LAMOST and SDSS

Gaia is regularly producing Alerts on objects where photometric variability has been detected. The physical nature of these objects has often to be determined with the complementary observations from ground-based facilities. We have compared the list of Gaia Alerts (until 20181101) with archival LAMOST and SDSS spectroscopic data. The date of the ground-based observation rarely corresponds to the date of the Alert, but this allows at least the identification of the source if it is persistent, or the host galaxy if the object was only transient like a supernova. A list of Gaia Nuclear Transients from Kostrzewa-Rutkowska et al. (2018) has been included in this search also. We found 26 Gaia Alerts with spectra in LAMOST+SDSS labelled as stars (12 with multi-epoch spectra). A majority of them are CVs. Similarly 206 Gaia Alerts have associated spectra labelled as galaxies (49 with multi-epoch spectra). Those spectra were generally obtained on a date different from the Alert date, are mostly emission-line galaxies, leading to the suspicion that most of the Alerts were due to a SN. As for the GNT list, we found 55 associated spectra labelled as galaxies (13 with multi-epoch spectra). In two galaxies, Gaia17aal and GNTJ170213+2543, was the date of the spectroscopic observation close enough to the Alert date: we find a trace of the SN itself in their LAMOST spectrum, both classified here as a type Ia SN. The GNT sample has a higher proportion of AGNs, suggesting that some of the detected variations are also due to the AGN itself. Similar for Quasars, we found 30 Gaia Alerts but 68 GNT cases have single epoch quasar spectra, while 12 plus 23 have multi-epoch spectra. For ten out of these 35, their multi-epoch spectra show appearance or disappearance of the broad Balmer lines and also variations in the continuum, qualifying them as "Changing Look Quasars".Comment: Accepted for publication in APSS, 14 pages, 8 figures, 2 table

Optical stark effect in the 2-photon spectrum of NO

A large optical Stark effect has been observed in the two-photon spectrum X(2)Pi yields A(2)Sigma(+)_ in NO. It is explained as a near-resonant process in which the upper state of the two-photon transition is perturbed by interactions with higher-lying electronic states coupled by the laser field. A theoretical analysis is presented along with coupling parameters determined from ab initio wave functions. The synthetic spectrum reproduces the major experimental features

Atomic Entanglement vs Photonic Visibility for Quantum Criticality of Hybrid System

To characterize the novel quantum phase transition for a hybrid system consisting of an array of coupled cavities and two-level atoms doped in each cavity, we study the atomic entanglement and photonic visibility in comparison with the quantum fluctuation of total excitations. Analytical and numerical simulation results show the happen of quantum critical phenomenon similar to the Mott insulator to superfluid transition. Here, the contour lines respectively representing the atomic entanglement, photonic visibility and excitation variance in the phase diagram are consistent in the vicinity of the non-analytic locus of atomic concurrences.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

(2+1) resonant enhanced multiphoton ionization of H_2 via the E, F^(1)Σ^+_g state

In this paper, we report the results of ab initio calculations of photoelectron angular distributions and vibrational branching ratios for the (2+1) REMPI of H_2 via the E, F^(1)Σ^+_g state, and compare these with the experimental data of Anderson et al. [Chem. Phys. Lett. 105, 22 (1984)]. These results show that the observed non‐Franck–Condon behavior is predominantly due to the R dependence of the transition matrix elements, and to a lesser degree to the energy dependence. This work presents the first molecular REMPI study employing a correlated wave function to describe the Rydberg–valence mixing in the resonant intermediate state

Parent training for preschool ADHD: a randomized controlled trial of specialized and generic programs

BackgroundThe New Forest Parenting Package' (NFPP), an 8-week home-based intervention for parents of preschoolers with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), fosters constructive parenting to target ADHD-related dysfunctions in attention and impulse control. Although NFPP has improved parent and laboratory measures of ADHD in community samples of children with ADHD-like problems, its efficacy in a clinical sample, and relative to an active treatment comparator, is unknown. The aims are to evaluate the short- and long-term efficacy and generalization effects of NFPP compared to an established clinic-based parenting intervention for treating noncompliant behavior [Helping the Noncompliant Child' (HNC)] in young children with ADHD. MethodsA randomized controlled trial with three parallel arms was the design for this study. A total of 164 3-4-year-olds, 73.8% male, meeting DSM-IV ADHD diagnostic criteria were randomized to NFPP (N=67), HNC (N=63), or wait-list control (WL, N=34). All participants were assessed at post-treatment. NFPP and HNC participants were assessed at follow-up in the next school year. Primary outcomes were ADHD ratings by teachers blind to and uninvolved in treatment, and by parents. Secondary ADHD outcomes included clinician assessments, and laboratory measures of on-task behavior and delay of gratification. Other outcomes included parent and teacher ratings of oppositional behavior, and parenting measures. (Trial name: Home-Based Parent Training in ADHD Preschoolers; Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01320098; URL: ). ResultsIn both treatment groups, children's ADHD and ODD behaviors, as well as aspects of parenting, were rated improved by parents at the end of treatment compared to controls. Most of these gains in the children's behavior and in some parenting practices were sustained at follow-up. However, these parent-reported improvements were not corroborated by teacher ratings or objective observations. NFPP was not significantly better, and on a few outcomes significantly less effective, than HNC. ConclusionsThe results do not support the claim that NFPP addresses putative dysfunctions underlying ADHD, bringing about generalized change in ADHD, and its underpinning self-regulatory processes. The findings support documented difficulties in achieving generalization across nontargeted settings, and the importance of using blinded measures to provide meaningful assessments of treatment effects