Photonics: From target recognition to lesion detection

Since 1989, Martin Marietta has invested in the development of an innovative concept for robust real-time pattern recognition for any two-dimensioanal sensor. This concept has been tested in simulation, and in laboratory and field hardware, for a number of DOD and commercial uses from automatic target recognition to manufacturing inspection. We have now joined Rose Health Care Systems in developing its use for medical diagnostics. The concept is based on determining regions of interest by using optical Fourier bandpassing as a scene segmentation technique, enhancing those regions using wavelet filters, passing the enhanced regions to a neural network for analysis and initial pattern identification, and following this initial identification with confirmation by optical correlation. The optical scene segmentation and pattern confirmation are performed by the same optical module. The neural network is a recursive error minimization network with a small number of connections and nodes that rapidly converges to a global minimum

Accounting Administrator Perceptions of Impediments to Seeking AACSB Accounting Accreditation

As of April, 2012, only 168 U.S. institutions had attained and maintained AACSB accounting accreditation. Our objective was to determine why more U.S. institutions have chosen not to pursue AACSB accounting accreditation by identifying accreditation-related issues that are perceived to reduce an institution’s interest in seeking and/or ability to attain it. Surveys were returned by 103 of the 303 accounting program administrators at U.S. institutions with AACSB business (but not accounting) accreditation. The 86 respondents from units not pursing accounting accreditation neither agreed nor disagreed attainment of accounting accreditation would be valued by their institution’s internal constituencies or would enhance their unit’s reputation. Further, these respondents generally perceive their unit meets AACSB accounting pre-conditions and would have the ability to meet most accounting accreditation standards if they chose to pursue accounting accreditation. The issues of most significance are resource-related – securing the necessary resources to achieve their mission and action items and to meet AACSB standards on faculty sufficiency. Overall, the respondents’ lack of interest in accounting accreditation reportedly has less to do with the inability to meet accreditation standards and more to do with a lack of perceived value in accounting accreditation to warrant commitment of necessary resources

Early Nineteenth Century Accounting by an Adolescent Merchant

Laurie J. Henry, PhD, CPA, CGFM, is an associate professor of accounting, in the Department of Accounting, College of Business and Public Administration, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529-0229. Michael E. Bitter, Ph.D., CPA, is a professor of accounting, in the School of Business Administration, M.E. Rinker, Sr. Institute of Tax and Accountancy, Stetson University, Deland, FL 32723

Multi-color pyrometer for materials processing in space

The design, construction and calibration of a computer-linked multicolor pyrometer is described. The device was constructed for ready adaptation to a spacecraft and for use in the control of thermal processes for manufacturing materials in space. The pyrometer actually uses only one color at a time, and is relatively insensitive to uncertainties in the heated object's emissivity because the product of the color and the temperature has been selected to be within a regime where the radiant energy emitted from the body increases very rapidly with temperature. The instrument was calibrated and shown to exceed its design goal of temperature measurements between 300 and 2000 C, and its accuracy in the face of imprecise knowledge of the hot object's emissivity was demonstrated

Enkephalin systems in diencephalon and brainstem of the rat

The immunocytochemical distribution of [Leu]enkephalin and an adrenal enkephalin precursor fragment (BAM-22P) immunoreactivity was investigated in the diencephalon and brainstem of rats pretreated with relatively high doses of colchicine (300–400 Μg/10 Μl intracerebroventricularly). The higher ranges of colchicine pretreatment allowed the visualization of extensive enkephalin-containing systems in these brain regions, some of which are reported for the first time. Immunoreactive perikarya were found in many hypothalamic and thalamic nuclei, interpeduncular nucleus, substan-tia nigra, the colliculi, periaqueductal gray, parabrachial nuclei, trigeminal motor and spinal nuclei, nucleus raphe magnus and other raphe nuclei, nucleus reticularis paragigantocellularis, vestibular nuclei, several nor-adrenergic cell groups, nucleus tractus solitarius, as well as in the spinal cord dorsal horn. In addition to the above regions, immunoreactive fibers were also noted in the habenular nuclei, trigeminal sensory nuclei, locus coeruleus, motor facial nucleus, cochlear nuclei, dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, and hypoglossal nucleus. When adjacent sections to those stained for [Leu]enkephalin were processed for BAM-22P immunoreactivity, it was found that these two immunoreactivities were distributed identically at almost all anatomical locations. B AM-22P immunoreactivity was generally less pronounced and was preferentially localized to neuronal perikarya. The results of the present as well as the preceding studies (Khachaturian et ai., '83) strongly suggest substantial structural similarity between the adrenal proenkephalin precursor and that which occurs in the brain. Also discussed are some differences and parallels between the distribution of [Leu]enkeph-alin and dynorphin immunoreactivities.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/50020/1/902200305_ftp.pd

Fingerprints of Random Flows?

We consider the patterns formed by small rod-like objects advected by a random flow in two dimensions. An exact solution indicates that their direction field is non-singular. However, we find from simulations that the direction field of the rods does appear to exhibit singularities. First, ` scar lines' emerge where the rods abruptly change direction by $\pi$. Later, these scar lines become so narrow that they ` heal over' and disappear, but their ends remain as point singularities, which are of the same type as those seen in fingerprints. We give a theoretical explanation for these observations.Comment: 21 pages, 11 figure

Cholinergic Modulation of Locomotion and Striatal Dopamine Release Is Mediated by α6α4* Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors

Dopamine (DA) release in striatum is governed by firing rates of midbrain DA neurons, striatal cholinergic tone, and nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs) on DA presynaptic terminals. DA neurons selectively express α6* nAChRs, which show high ACh and nicotine sensitivity. To help identify nAChR subtypes that control DA transmission, we studied transgenic mice expressing hypersensitive α6^(L9’S*) receptors. α6^(L9’S) mice are hyperactive, travel greater distance, exhibit increased ambulatory behaviors such as walking, turning, and rearing, and show decreased pausing, hanging, drinking, and grooming. These effects were mediated by α6 α4* pentamers, as α6^(L9’S) mice lacking α4 subunits displayed essentially normal behavior. In α6^(L9’S) mice, receptor numbers are normal, but loss of α4 subunits leads to fewer and less sensitive α6* receptors. Gain-of-function nicotine-stimulated DA release from striatal synaptosomes requires α4 subunits, implicating α6α4β2* nAChRs in α6^(L9’S) mouse behaviors. In brain slices, we applied electrochemical measurements to study control of DA release by α6^(L9’S) nAChRs. Burst stimulation of DA fibers elicited increased DA release relative to single action potentials selectively in α6^(L9’S), but not WT or α4KO/ α6^(L9’S), mice. Thus, increased nAChR activity, like decreased activity, leads to enhanced extracellular DA release during phasic firing. Bursts may directly enhance DA release from α6^(L9’S) presynaptic terminals, as there was no difference in striatal DA receptor numbers or DA transporter levels or function in vitro. These results implicate α6α4β2* nAChRs in cholinergic control of DA transmission, and strongly suggest that these receptors are candidate drug targets for disorders involving the DA system

Time of origin of opioid peptide-containing neurons in the rat hypothalamus

By using a combined technique of immunocytochemistry and [ 3 H]thymidine autoradiography, we have determined the “birth date” of opioid pep-tide-containing neurons in several hypothalamic nuclei and regions. These include proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons (represented by ACTH immunoreactivity) in the arcuate nucleus; dynorphin A neurons in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei and the lateral hypothalamic area; and leuenkephalin neurons in the periventricular, ventromedial, and medial mammillary nuclei, as well as in preoptic and perifornical areas. Arcuate POMC neurons were born very early in embryonic development, with peak heavy [ 3 H]thymidine nuclear labelling occurring on embryonic day E12. Supraoptic and paraventricular dynorphin A neurons were also labelled relatively early (peak at E13). The lateral hypothalamic dynorphin A neurons showed peak heavy labelling also on day E12, By contrast, leu-enkephalin neurons in the periventricular nucleus and medial preoptic area exhibited peak heavy nuclear labelling on day E14. Furthermore, perifornical and ventromedial leu-enkephalin neurons were also born relatively early (peak on days E12 and E13, respectively). However, the leu-enkephalin neurons in the medial mammillary nucleus were born the latest of all cell groups studied (i.e., peak at E15). The results indicate a differential genesis of these opioid peptide-containing neuronal groups in different hypothalamic nuclei and regions.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/50027/1/902360409_ftp.pd

Common fare: an example of “blanket” rates in Hawai’i waterborne trade

Blanket” rate structures apply uniform rates to a geographical region in spite of differences in the costs of carrying the goods. They are generally utilized by carriers to achieve some strategic objective, whether rate simplification, to be more competitive, or to meet some political objectives. While blanket rates are common in land transportation, the Hawai’i waterborne trade offers a unique example of this pricing mechanism. Further, given new and potential competitive factors in this trade, this is a unique case study for those interested in transportation pricing and the economic impacts of changes in the competitive struct ure in an isolated market