Is There a Significant Difference Between the Results of the Coulomb Dissociation of 8B and the Direct Capture 7Be(p,g)8B Reaction?

Recent claims of the Seattle group of evidence of "slope difference between CD [Coulomb Dissociation] and direct [capture] results" are based on wrong and selective data. When the RIKEN2 data are included correctly, and previously published Direct Capture (DC) data are also included, we observe only a 1.9 sigma difference in the extracted so called "scale independent slope (b)", considerably smaller than claimed by the Seattle group. The very parameterization used by the Seattle group to extract the so called b-slope parameter has no physical foundation. Considering the physical slope (S' = dS/dE), we observe a 1.0 sigma agreement between slopes (S') measured in CD and DC, refuting the need for new theoretical investigation. The claim that S17(0) values extracted from CD data are approximately 10% lower than DC results, is based on misunderstanding of the CD method. Considering all of the published CD S17(0) results, with adding back an unconfirmed E2 correction of the MSU data, yields very consistent S17(0) results that agree with recent DC measurements of the Seattle and Weizmann groups. The recent correction of the b-slope parameter (0.25 1/MeV) suggested by Esbensen, Bertsch and Snover was applied to the wrong b-slope parameter calculated by the Seattle group. When considering the correct slope of the RIKEN2 data, this correction in fact leads to a very small b-slope parameter (0.14 1/MeV), less than half the central value observed for DC data, refuting the need to correct the RIKEN2 data. In particular it confirms that the E2 contribution in the RIKEN2 data is negligible. The dispersion of measured S17(0) is mostly due to disagreement among individual DC experiments and not due to either experimental or theoretical aspects of CD.Comment: Reference 12 amended with an important communication from Dr. Bertsc

Construction and evaluation of measures of identification of sound elements in words in kindergarten,

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston Universit

Fully automated segmentation and tracking of the intima media thickness in ultrasound video sequences of the common carotid artery

Abstract—The robust identification and measurement of the intima media thickness (IMT) has a high clinical relevance because it represents one of the most precise predictors used in the assessment of potential future cardiovascular events. To facilitate the analysis of arterial wall thickening in serial clinical investigations, in this paper we have developed a novel fully automatic algorithm for the segmentation, measurement, and tracking of the intima media complex (IMC) in B-mode ultrasound video sequences. The proposed algorithm entails a two-stage image analysis process that initially addresses the segmentation of the IMC in the first frame of the ultrasound video sequence using a model-based approach; in the second step, a novel customized tracking procedure is applied to robustly detect the IMC in the subsequent frames. For the video tracking procedure, we introduce a spatially coherent algorithm called adaptive normalized correlation that prevents the tracking process from converging to wrong arterial interfaces. This represents the main contribution of this paper and was developed to deal with inconsistencies in the appearance of the IMC over the cardiac cycle. The quantitative evaluation has been carried out on 40 ultrasound video sequences of the common carotid artery (CCA) by comparing the results returned by the developed algorithm with respect to ground truth data that has been manually annotated by clinical experts. The measured IMTmean ± standard deviation recorded by the proposed algorithm is 0.60 mm ± 0.10, with a mean coefficient of variation (CV) of 2.05%, whereas the corresponding result obtained for the manually annotated ground truth data is 0.60 mm ± 0.11 with a mean CV equal to 5.60%. The numerical results reported in this paper indicate that the proposed algorithm is able to correctly segment and track the IMC in ultrasound CCA video sequences, and we were encouraged by the stability of our technique when applied to data captured under different imaging conditions. Future clinical studies will focus on the evaluation of patients that are affected by advanced cardiovascular conditions such as focal thickening and arterial plaques

Resistance as Motivation for Innovation: Open Source Software

Resistance is frequently viewed as a negative aspect of human interaction. Although resistance manifests itself in numerous ways, resistance to change is frequent when individuals are introduced to new ideas or innovations. This form of resistance can limit forward progress of either an individual or an organization. However, a few papers investigated possible positive roles of resistance in human life. This paper proposes that resistance can be a positive motivator to achieve change. Open source software (OSS) is a technological innovation that is laden with aspects of resistance. One of the initial motivations for the development of open source software was psychological reactance on the part of a few software developers. Reactance is a limited part of the overall construct of resistance; specifically, resistance caused by external threats to an individual\u27s freedom of choice, which generally manifests itself affectively. This paper looks at the role of resistance as a motivator for technological innovation from the perspective of open source softwre development. It also presents techniques for overcoming resistance to the adoption of open source software. Specific techniques presented are the Alpha and Omega strategies for overcoming resistance. Alpha strategies work by attempting to increase the approach forces towards some goal. Conversely, Omega strategies attempt to decrease the avoidance forces, thereby removing resistance to change. Both techniques are used in the context of open source software development to motivate participants

Evaluation of novel depressed collector for linear-beam microwave tubes

Evaluation tests to demonstrate feasibility of increasing efficiency of linear beam microwave tubes using novel depressed collecto

Functional interaction between the ZO-1-interacting transcription factor ZONAB/DbpA and the RNA processing factor symplekin

Epithelial tight junctions participate in the regulation of gene expression by controlling the activity of transcription factors that can interact with junctional components. One such protein is the Y-box transcription factor ZONAB/DbpA that binds to ZO-1, a component of the junctional plaque. Symplekin, another nuclear protein that can associate with tight junctions, functions in the regulation of polyadenylation and thereby promotes gene expression. Here, we addressed the question of whether these two proteins interact and whether this is of functional relevance. We demonstrate that ZONAB/DbpA and symplekin form a complex in kidney and intestinal epithelial cells that can be immunoprecipitated and that exists in the nucleus. The interaction between ZONAB/DbpA and symplekin can be reconstituted with recombinant proteins. In reporter gene assays in which ZONAB/DbpA functions as a repressor, symplekin functionally interacts with ZONAB/DbpA, indicating that symplekin can also promote transcriptional repression. RNAi experiments indicate that symplekin depletion reduces the nuclear accumulation and the transcriptional activity of ZONAB/DbpA in colon adenocarcinoma cells, resulting in inhibition of proliferation and reduced expression of the ZONAB/DbpA-target gene cyclin D1. Our data thus indicate that symplekin and ZONAB/DbpA cooperate in the regulation of transcription, and that they promote epithelial proliferation and cyclin D1 expression