8,416 research outputs found
Radiation trapping in coherent media
We show that the effective decay rate of Zeeman coherence, generated in a
Rb87 vapor by linearly polarized laser light, increases significantly with the
atomic density. We explain this phenomenon as the result of radiation trapping.
Our study shows that radiation trapping must be taken into account to fully
understand many electromagnetically induced transparency experiments with
optically thick media
Could Distance be a Proxy for Severity-of-Illness? A Comparison of Hospital Costs in Distant and Local Patients.
We test the hypothesis that hospital costs, after adjusting for DRG mix, are higher in distant patients than in local patients. Data were obtained from the Washington State Commission Hospital Abstract Reporting System (CHARS) and included all patients discharged from 15 metropolitan hospitals in the state of Washington during fiscal year 1987 (N = 181,072)
Software Defined Radio: Inexpensive Hardware and Software Tools
DSP topics such as software defined radio are more easily taught if appropriate demonstrations and laboratory experiences are provided. This paper describes a new, inexpensive software defined radio educational platform based upon MATLAB and the Texas Instruments C6713 digital signal processing starter kit. We describe the hardware and software issues and briefly describe recommended classroom use
Atherosclerotic carotid plaque composition: a 3T and 7T MRI-histology correlation study
Background and Purpose
Carotid artery atherosclerotic plaque composition may influence plaque stability and risk of
thromboembolic events, and non-invasive plaque imaging may therefore permit risk
stratification for clinical management. Plaque composition was compared using non-invasive
in-vivo (3T) and ex-vivo (7T) MRI and histopathological examination.
Methods
Thirty three endarterectomy cross sections, from 13 patients, were studied. The datasets
consisted of in-vivo 3T MRI, ex-vivo 7T MRI and histopathology. Semi-automated
segmentation methods were used to measure areas of different plaque components. Bland-
Altman plots and mean difference with 95% confidence interval were carried out.
Results
There was general quantitative agreement between areas derived from semi-automated
segmentation of MRI data and histology measurements. The mean differences and 95%
confidence bounds in the relative to total plaque area between 3T versus Histology were:
fibrous tissue 4.99 % (-4.56 to 14.56), lipid-rich/necrotic core (LR/NC) with haemorrhage -
1.81% (-14.11 to 10.48), LR/NC without haemorrhage -2.43% (-13.04 to 8.17), and
calcification -3.18% (-11.55 to 5.18). The mean differences and 95% confidence bounds in
the relative to total plaque area between 7T and histology were: fibrous tissue 3.17 % (-3.17
to 9.52), LR/NC with haemorrhage -0.55% (-9.06 to 7.95), LR/NC without haemorrhage -
12.62% (-19.8 to -5.45), and calcification -2.43% (-9.97 to 4.73).
Conclusions
This study provides evidence that semi-automated segmentation of 3T/7T MRI techniques
can help to determine atherosclerotic plaque composition. In particular, the high resolution of
ex-vivo 7T data was able to highlight greater detail in the atherosclerotic plaque composition.
High field MRI may therefore have advantages for in vivo carotid plaque MR imaging
The DSP of Money
This paper discusses a simple framework that can be used to connect a significant number of the tools and techniques developed in a first course in either discrete-time signals and systems or digital signal processing. While this framework is not revolutionary, it allows for the rapid placement of new material into the course’s context. Additionally, a simple model of an unstable financial system allows for a rapid introduction and overview of the course while observably increasing student interest and motivation. In these challenging economic times, it is somewhat reassuring to know that some unstable financial accounts are actually a good thing
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