A simple and objective method for reproducible resting state network (RSN) detection in fMRI

Spatial Independent Component Analysis (ICA) decomposes the time by space functional MRI (fMRI) matrix into a set of 1-D basis time courses and their associated 3-D spatial maps that are optimized for mutual independence. When applied to resting state fMRI (rsfMRI), ICA produces several spatial independent components (ICs) that seem to have biological relevance - the so-called resting state networks (RSNs). The ICA problem is well posed when the true data generating process follows a linear mixture of ICs model in terms of the identifiability of the mixing matrix. However, the contrast function used for promoting mutual independence in ICA is dependent on the finite amount of observed data and is potentially non-convex with multiple local minima. Hence, each run of ICA could produce potentially different IC estimates even for the same data. One technique to deal with this run-to-run variability of ICA was proposed by Yang et al. (2008) in their algorithm RAICAR which allows for the selection of only those ICs that have a high run-to-run reproducibility. We propose an enhancement to the original RAICAR algorithm that enables us to assign reproducibility p-values to each IC and allows for an objective assessment of both within subject and across subjects reproducibility. We call the resulting algorithm RAICAR-N (N stands for null hypothesis test), and we have applied it to publicly available human rsfMRI data (http://www.nitrc.org). Our reproducibility analyses indicated that many of the published RSNs in rsfMRI literature are highly reproducible. However, we found several other RSNs that are highly reproducible but not frequently listed in the literature.Comment: 54 pages, 13 figure

The Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal Food Plans, 2007

The Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal Food Plans, three fundamental parts of the U.S. food guidance system, have been revised by USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, with assistance from USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, Economic Research Service, and Agricultural Research Service. The plans provide representative healthful market baskets at three different cost levels. This revision maintains the same inflation-adjusted costs as those of the previous three food plans, last revised in 2003. In line with previous food plans, an assumption used to develop these plans was that all purchased food is consumed at home. The newly revised (2007) Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal Food Plans differ from, and improve upon, the previous versions in a number of ways: • The Plans are based on the most current dietary standards: the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans as well as the 2005 MyPyramid Food Guidance System. • The Plans use the latest data on food consumption, nutrient content, and food prices: the 2001-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the 2001- 2002 Food Price Database. • The Plans offer a more realistic reflection of the time available for home food preparation; hence, each plan incorporates more prepared foods within the recipes and requires fewer preparations from scratch.USDA Food Plans, Low-Cost Food Plan, Moderate-Cost Food Plan, Liberal Food Plan, Diet Quality, Cost of Food, Agricultural and Food Policy, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Health Economics and Policy,

IDENTIFIKASI FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI PENGAMBILAN KEPUTUSAN PASANGAN USIA SUBUR DALAM MENGIKUTI PROGRAM KB (STUDI KASUS DI DESA LERABOLENG KECAMATAN TITEHENA KABUPATEN FLORES TIMUR)

Family planning (KB) is a national-scale program managed by the National Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) with very good goals, namely husband and wife or Couples Of Childbearing Age (PUS) so that they can plan the time of pregnancy correctly to create a healthy, happy, and prosperous family or family. For this matter, the BKKBN as the body that manages the family planning program encourages every PUS to use contraceptives to prevent or delay pregnancy until the time is right.However, in its application, many factors influence the decision making of EFA in family planning. This study aims to identify the factors that influence the decision making of couples of childbearing age in participating in the family planning program in Leraboleng Village, Titehena District, East Flores Regency.The approach used in this study was a qualitative approach with 21 informants with data collection techniques namely interviews , observation and documentation. The data analysis techniques used in this study were data collection, data reduction, data presentation and conclusion drawing. The results showed that the decision of EFA in joining the family planning program in Leraboleng Village, Titehena District, East Flores Regency, especially active PUS was initially initiated by the wives, then husband and wife discussed together so that they finally agreed to join the Family Planning program. However, in terms of making the decision to stop participating in the Family Planning program (drop-out), in general, the initiative actually comes from the husbands. The factors that most influence the decision making of EFA to actively participate in the Family Planning program are socio-economic factors, knowledge factors and EFA's perception of the Family Planning program

The contribution of the new technologies to the 21st - Century Design

In the past the market economy was dominated by the local and regional design,characterized for strong links to the customs, traditions and natural resources from eachregion.As the consequence of the technological advances and the growing needs of consumption,at present, products are manufactured based on economical, functional and marketingcriterions, which means that their design is very offset from the regional and local signs.Between the challenges that characterize the actual economy, one highlights the existenceof more market niches, product variations and shorter life cycles. To survive in this economy,marked by the competition and the globalisation, one search to imply in product developingprocess, the design, engineering, marketing and production department, that composes aknown industrial methodology called concurrent or simultaneous engineering.In this article, one intends to exhibit the applications and advantages of the newtechnologies, like Rapid Prototyping (RP), that are valuable tools of the concurrentengineering and to analyse the specific implications in the design history and teaching.RP is a family of modern technologies that generate three-dimensional solid objects undercomputer control. Besides its designation be reported to the first major application that isindustrial prototyping, the RP equipments also allow the rapid tooling and the directmanufacture of small series or single products.Nowadays, the commercialisation of RP equipments, termed concept modellers or 3Dprintersis in great expansion. Although these machines use a very reduced class of cheapmaterials with poor mechanical characteristics, they allow the designers to verify and quicklytest the ideas that they are developing during the creative process. The designer can realize inplenitude the iterative process of creation without the traditional economical and materialslimitations, being enough to send the CAD file directly to the RP equipment placed in aoffice, like an usual inkjet printer. So it is possible to test new ideas with better accuracybefore its concretisation, avoiding misunderstandings and delays and inciting the positivecriticism through the involvement of the technical staff from all the related departments.Particularity, faced to the challenges due to the globalisation, the traditional and regionalindustries will find in these technologies the means that they need to ensure its own futuresurviving.This presentation is divided in the following sections:- Innovation loop in the past and in the present. The iterative process.- New technologies available to the design and the designers: Rapid Prototyping andInternet.- Design Pedagogy: new challenges in the formation of future generations of designers.- Conclusions and future trends

Indirect rapid tooling with aluminium and milled fibre reinforced resins

It is well known that Rapid Prototyping (RP) and Rapid Tooling (RT) are fundamental technologies to reduce the time tomarket and consequently increase productivity and competitiveness of companies working in different industrial sectors.RT with epoxy resins is presently accepted as an established process of indirect rapid tooling. However, patents,processing difficulties and companies limitations disable a wider implementation of this technology.This paper presents the experimental results of a detailed work, conducted at INEGI, to manufacture moulds for plasticinjection, with tailored properties, using RP models and aluminium filled and fibres reinforced epoxy resins

The effect of aluminium granulometry on the behaviour of filled epoxy resins for rapid tooling

Aluminium filled epoxies moulds have beenused in indirect rapid tooling. These moulds, whichhave a low cost processing, are very competitive,when applied in the manufacturing of low volumeseries.The geometry and the size distribution of thealuminium particles affect significantly the powderpacking density, the resin ratio, the thermalconductivity, the curing time, the homogeneity andthe mechanical characteristics of the tool.Using three high temperature epoxy resins itwas possible to understand the resin behaviour inthe presence of the aluminium filler and formulatefilled resins with the best compromise ofmechanical, thermal and processing performance

Effect of competitive interactions between ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi on castanea sativa performance

In Northeast of Portugal the macrofungal community associated to chestnut tree (Castanea sativa Mill.) is rich and diversified. Among fungal species, the ectomycorrhizal Pisolithus tinctorius and the saprotroph Hypholoma fasciculare are common in this habitat. The aim of the present work was to assess the effect of the interaction between both fungi on growth, nutritional status and physiology of C. sativa seedlings. In pot experiments, C. sativa seedlings were inoculated with P. tinctorius and H. fasciculare individually or in combination. Inoculation with P. tinctorius stimulated the plant growth and resulted in increased foliar-N, -P, and photosynthetic pigment contents. These effects were suppressed when H. fasciculare was simultaneously applied with P. tinctorius. This result could be related to the inhibition of ectomycorrhizal fungus root colonization as a result of antagonism or to the competition for nutrient sources. If chestnut seedlings have been previously inoculated with P. tinctorius, the subsequent inoculation of H. fasciculare 30 days later did not affect root colonization and mycorrhization benefits were observed. This work confirms an antagonistic interaction between ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi with consequences on the ectomycorrhizal host physiology. Although P. tinctorius is effective in promoting growth of host trees by establishing mycorrhizae, in the presence of other fungi it may not always be able to interact with host roots due to an inability to compete with certain fungi.Authors are grateful to Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) for financial support (Project PTDC/AGR-AAM/099556/2008)