Radiomic Texture Analysis Mapping Predicts Areas of True Functional MRI Activity.

Individual analysis of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scans requires user-adjustment of the statistical threshold in order to maximize true functional activity and eliminate false positives. In this study, we propose a novel technique that uses radiomic texture analysis (TA) features associated with heterogeneity to predict areas of true functional activity. Scans of 15 right-handed healthy volunteers were analyzed using SPM8. The resulting functional maps were thresholded to optimize visualization of language areas, resulting in 116 regions of interests (ROIs). A board-certified neuroradiologist classified different ROIs into Expected (E) and Non-Expected (NE) based on their anatomical locations. TA was performed using the mean Echo-Planner Imaging (EPI) volume, and 20 rotation-invariant texture features were obtained for each ROI. Using forward stepwise logistic regression, we built a predictive model that discriminated between E and NE areas of functional activity, with a cross-validation AUC and success rate of 79.84% and 80.19% respectively (specificity/sensitivity of 78.34%/82.61%). This study found that radiomic TA of fMRI scans may allow for determination of areas of true functional activity, and thus eliminate clinician bias

Low impact of climate change on subalpine grasslands in the Swiss Northern Alps?

While phenological shifts and migration of isolated species under climate change have already been observed on alpine summits, very few studies have focused on community composition changes in subalpine grasslands. Here we use permanent plots monitored since 1954 and precisely located phytosociological censuses from 1970 to study compositional changes of subalpine grasslands in two distinct regions of the Swiss Northern Alps. In both areas, warming trends during the monitoring period were associated with changes in land management (abandonment of goat and sheep pasturing or grazing replaced by mowing). Old and recent inventories were compared with correspondence analyses (CA). Ecological indicator values, community-affinities and biological traits of the species were used to infer the factors responsible for triggering the observed changes. In both regions, subalpine grasslands were stable with smaller changes than have previously been observed in alpine environments. Only a few species appeared or disappeared and changes were generally limited to increasing or decreasing frequency and cover of certain taxa. At one site, grazing abandonment favoured fallow species. Some of these species were located at their upper altitudinal distribution limits and may have spread because of rising temperatures. In both areas, declining species were predominantly alpine and low growing species; their decline was probably due to increased competition (e.g., shade) with more vigorous subalpine taxa no longer limited by grazing. We conclude that vegetation communities can respond rapidly to warming as long as colonisation is facilitated by available space or structural change. In the subalpine grasslands studied, changes were mainly driven by land management. These communities have a dense vegetation cover and newly arriving herbaceous species preferring warmer conditions may take some time to establish themselves. However, climate disturbances, such as exceptional drought, may accelerate community changes by opening gaps for new species

Language in international business: a review and agenda for future research

A fast growing number of studies demonstrates that language diversity influences almost all management decisions in modern multinational corporations. Whereas no doubt remains about the practical importance of language, the empirical investigation and theoretical conceptualization of its complex and multifaceted effects still presents a substantial challenge. To summarize and evaluate the current state of the literature in a coherent picture informing future research, we systematically review 264 articles on language in international business. We scrutinize the geographic distributions of data, evaluate the field’s achievements to date in terms of theories and methodologies, and summarize core findings by individual, group, firm, and country levels of analysis. For each of these dimensions, we then put forward a future research agenda. We encourage scholars to transcend disciplinary boundaries and to draw on, integrate, and test a variety of theories from disciplines such as psychology, linguistics, and neuroscience to gain a more profound understanding of language in international business. We advocate more multi-level studies and cross-national research collaborations and suggest greater attention to potential new data sources and means of analysis

Beam profile determination by tomography of solar scans

Beam patterns of radio telescopes with moderate (arcmin) angular resolution in the millimeter and sub-millimeter range are difficult to measure as only weak sources are available in that spectral range. This limitation can be overcome with the deconvolution of radial scans over the knife edge of the solar limb which provides beam profiles down to secondary lobe levels. Numerous applications, such as quick adjustments and checkups of telescope optics, efficiency estimates and the reconstruction of partially unresolved structures such as active regions, become possible. We investigate here the inverse problem of the beam profile reconstruction from the beam convolution with the solar limb. With simple derivatives of solar radial scans we obtained line integrals of the beam profile under different scanning angles. Reconstruction methods used in tomography of filtered reverse projection allowed us then to obtain beam profiles down to the level of secondary lobes. Tests of the algorithm were carried out with simulated data and solar scans that are verified by planet observations and terrestrial beam pattern measurements

Structure parameters for temperature and humidity from simultaneous eddy-covariance and scintillometer measurements

Line-averaged values of the structure parameters of temperature and humidity, CT2 and Cq2, were estimated from simultaneous measurements with an optical and a microwave scintillometer over a path of 4.7 km length at the Meteorological Observatory Lindenberg during the LITFASS-2003 experiment. By cross-correlating the detected signals of the two scintillometers, the temperature-humidity structure parameter, CTq, and the temperature-humidity correlation, rTq, were also derived directly from the measurements. Comparison with corresponding values obtained from local measurements with an eddy-covariance system on a meteorological tower show a consistent behaviour in time (with some exceptions especially for Cq2 and rTq during nighttime). The deviations are of a magnitude between 20 % and 35 % of the typical daytime values of the structure parameters