LUMIS Interactive graphics operating instructions and system specifications

The LUMIS program has designed an integrated geographic information system to assist program managers and planning groups in metropolitan regions. Described is the system designed to interactively interrogate a data base, display graphically a portion of the region enclosed in the data base, and perform cross tabulations of variables within each city block, block group, or census tract. The system is designed to interface with U. S. Census DIME file technology, but can accept alternative districting conventions. The system is described on three levels: (1) introduction to the systems's concept and potential applications; (2) the method of operating the system on an interactive terminal; and (3) a detailed system specification for computer facility personnel

Analysis of residual dependencies of independent components extracted from fMRI data

Independent component analysis (ICA) of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data can be employed as an exploratory method. The lack in the ICA model of strong a priori assumptions about the signal or about the noise leads to difficult interpretations of the results. Moreover, the statistical independence of the components is only approximated. Residual dependencies among the components can reveal informative structure in the data. A major problem is related to model order selection, that is, the number of components to be extracted. Specifically, overestimation may lead to component splitting. In this work, a method based on hierarchical clustering of ICA applied to fMRI datasets is investigated. The clustering algorithm uses a metric based on the mutual information between the ICs. To estimate the similarity measure, a histogram-based technique and one based on kernel density estimation are tested on simulated datasets. Simulations results indicate that the method could be used to cluster components related to the same task and resulting from a splitting process occurring at different model orders. Different performances of the similarity measures were found and discussed. Preliminary results on real data are reported and show that the method can group task related and transiently task related components

An automatic deep learning approach for coronary artery calcium segmentation

Coronary artery calcium (CAC) is a significant marker of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events. In this work we present a system for the automatic quantification of calcium score in ECG-triggered non-contrast enhanced cardiac computed tomography (CT) images. The proposed system uses a supervised deep learning algorithm, i.e. convolutional neural network (CNN) for the segmentation and classification of candidate lesions as coronary or not, previously extracted in the region of the heart using a cardiac atlas. We trained our network with 45 CT volumes; 18 volumes were used to validate the model and 56 to test it. Individual lesions were detected with a sensitivity of 91.24%, a specificity of 95.37% and a positive predicted value (PPV) of 90.5%; comparing calcium score obtained by the system and calcium score manually evaluated by an expert operator, a Pearson coefficient of 0.983 was obtained. A high agreement (Cohen's k = 0.879) between manual and automatic risk prediction was also observed. These results demonstrated that convolutional neural networks can be effectively applied for the automatic segmentation and classification of coronary calcifications

Attachment forerunners, dyadic sensitivity and development of the child in families with a preterm born baby

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore attachment forerunners and dyadic sensitivity in the family with preterm born child. Methods: 89 families, 35 with preterm born children ( 2500 gr.) were studied from 3 months to 1 year corrected age (267 total subjects). Mother-child and father-child couples were subjected to CARE-Index and both parents to DAS, CES-D and STAI Y-2. The child\u2019s psychomotor development was assessed by Bayley Scales. Results: The mothers of preterm children presented high risk interactive behaviors at CARE-Index (low scores at Dyadic Sensitivity Scale, p = .000), high anxiety (p = .003) and depression (p = .03). Preterm fathers presented low scores at Dyadic Sensitivity Scale (p = .000) and high anxiety (p = .024). In interaction, attachment forerunners suggest an insecure attachment in preterm mothers (p = .001) and fathers (p = .000) and in preterm children in the interaction with the mother (p = .028). These risk factors were correlated, in both parents, with low performance of the child at Bayley Scales (p =.04). Fathers of preterm children presented also a negative perception of the child and an unsatisfied perception of the hospital care. Conclusions: The results show in the preterm family that 40% of mothers and 75% of fathers are in high risk area suggested by CARE-Index. In these cases, insecure attachment forerunners, low dyadic sensitivity and psychological difficulties (couple conflicts, anxiety, depression) seem to influence the psychomotor development of the preterm child

L’influenza dell’attaccamento e della sensibilità diadica genitorialesullo sviluppo psicomotorio del bambino nato pretermine

Lo scopo di questa ricerca è studiare i precursori dell’attaccamento e la sensibilità diadica genitoriale nelle famiglie con bambino nato pretermine. Sono state considerate 110 famiglie delle quali 55 con figli nati pretermine ( peso alla nascita < 1500 gr.) per un totale di 330 soggetti valutati durante i primi sei mesi di età corretta del bambino. Le diadi madre-bambino e padre-bambino sono state sottoposte al CARE-Index, una procedura videoregistrata per la valutazione dei precursori dell’attaccamento; ad entrambi i genitori sono stati somministrati CES-D, per la valutazione della depressione e STAI Y-2, per la valutazione dell’ansia di tratto. Lo sviluppo psicomotorio dei neonati è stato valutato tramite le scale Bayley. Rispetto ai controlli, nelle madri dei bambini pretermine sono stati evidenziati bassi punteggi di Sensibilità Diadica al CARE-Index (p=.025) ed elevati livelli di ansia (p=.026). Nei padri sono stati riscontrati bassi punteggi di Sensibilità Diadica (p=.004) e alti livelli di sintomi depressivi (p=.003). Nelle famiglie pretermine i precursori dell’attaccamento sono più frequentemente di tipo insicuro nelle madri (p=.000) e nei padri (p=.000), mentre nei neonati solo nell’interazione con la madre (p=012). Questi fattori sono risultati associati a minori punteggi alle scale Bayley (p=.000). Nelle madri dei neonati pretermine si riscontrano frequenti difficoltà con la famiglia di origine, nei padri una percezione negativa del proprio bambino e una maggiore insoddisfazione per l’assistenza ricevuta. Questi risultati evidenziano che il 40% delle madri e il 75% dei padri dei bambini nati pretermine rientra nella fascia ad alto rischio del CARE-Index (che richiede un trattamento psicologico e/o farmacologico). In tali casi, la scarsa sensibilità diadica, i precursori di attaccamento insicuro e le difficoltà psicologiche dei genitori sembrano influenzare lo sviluppo psicomotorio del bambino

The gamma-ray burst monitor for Lobster-ISS

Lobster-ISS is an X-ray all-sky monitor experiment selected by ESA two years ago for a Phase A study (now almost completed) for a future flight (2009) aboard the Columbus Exposed Payload Facility of the International Space Station. The main instrument, based on MCP optics with Lobster-eye geometry, has an energy passband from 0.1 to 3.5 keV, an unprecedented daily sensitivity of 2x10^{-12} erg cm^{-2}s$^{-1}, and it is capable to scan, during each orbit, the entire sky with an angular resolution of 4--6 arcmin. This X-ray telescope is flanked by a Gamma Ray Burst Monitor, with the minimum requirement of recognizing true GRBs from other transient events. In this paper we describe the GRBM. In addition to the minimum requirement, the instrument proposed is capable to roughly localize GRBs which occur in the Lobster FOV (162x22.5 degrees) and to significantly extend the scientific capabilities of the main instrument for the study of GRBs and X-ray transients. The combination of the two instruments will allow an unprecedented spectral coverage (from 0.1 up to 300/700 keV) for a sensitive study of the GRB prompt emission in the passband where GRBs and X-Ray Flashes emit most of their energy. The low-energy spectral band (0.1-10 keV) is of key importance for the study of the GRB environment and the search of transient absorption and emission features from GRBs, both goals being crucial for unveiling the GRB phenomenon. The entire energy band of Lobster-ISS is not covered by either the Swift satellite or other GRB missions foreseen in the next decade.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures. Paper presented at the COSPAR 2004 General Assembly (Paris), accepted for publication in Advances in Space Research in June 2005 and available on-line at the Journal site (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/02731177), section "Articles in press

Devices for Screening and Monitoring of Tumors Based on Chemoresistive Sensors

Abstract In this work two devices are presented, named SCENT A1 (A1) and SCENT B1 (B1), composed of chemoresistive sensors. Such devices are capable of discriminating the different compositions of gas mixtures emitted by stools, for colorectal cancer screening (A1), and by blood, for tumors monitoring (B1), according to defined sampling protocols. Results have been acquired by a LabView® software and statistically treated (e.g. quadratic discriminant analysis, QDA) and show to be encouraging with an error of 5% for SCENT A1. Preliminary results of SCENT B1 proved to be promising. Further studies will be carried out for clinically validating the two devices

Development status of a Laue lens project for gamma-ray astronomy

We report the status of the HAXTEL project, devoted to perform a design study and the development of a Laue lens prototype. After a summary of the major results of the design study, the approach adopted to develop a Demonstration Model of a Laue lens is discussed, the set up described, and some results presented.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figures, 2007 SPIE Conference on Optics for EUV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Astronomy II

Infrared Spectroscopy of a Massive Obscured Star Cluster in the Antennae Galaxies (NGC 4038/4039) with NIRSPEC

We present infrared spectroscopy of the Antennae Galaxies (NGC 4038/4039) with NIRSPEC at the W. M. Keck Observatory. We imaged the star clusters in the vicinity of the southern nucleus (NGC 4039) in 0.39" seeing in K-band using NIRSPEC's slit-viewing camera. The brightest star cluster revealed in the near-IR (M_K(0) = -17.9) is insignificant optically, but coincident with the highest surface brightness peak in the mid-IR (12-18 micron) ISO image presented by Mirabel et al. (1998). We obtained high signal-to-noise 2.03 - 2.45 micron spectra of the nucleus and the obscured star cluster at R ~ 1900. The cluster is very young (4 Myr old), massive (16e6 M_sun), and compact (density ~ 115 M_sun pc^(-3) within a 32 pc half-light radius), assuming a Salpeter IMF (0.1 - 100 M_sun). Its hot stars have a radiation field characterized by T_eff ~ 39,000 K, and they ionize a compact H II region with n_e ~ 1e4 cm^(-3). The stars are deeply embedded in gas and dust (A_V ~ 9-10 mag), and their strong FUV field powers a clumpy photodissociation region with densities n_H >= 1e5 cm^(-3) on scales of up to 200 pc, radiating L[H_2 1-0 S(1)] = 9600 L_sun.Comment: 4 pages, 5 embedded figures. To appear in proceedings of 33d ESLAB Symposium: Star Formation from the Small to the Large Scale, held in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, Nov. 1999. Also available at http://astro.berkeley.edu/~agilber