Pseudo-T2 mapping for normalization of T2-weighted prostate MRI

Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine - Signal intensity normalization is necessary to reduce heterogeneity in T2-weighted (T2W) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for...     

Surface and electronic structure of Ga0.92In0.08N thin film investigated by photoelectron spectroscopy

The surface and electronic structure of Ga_0.92In_0.08N layers grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) have been investigated by means of photoemission. Stability of chemical composition of the surface subjected to Ar⁺ ion sputtering was proven by means of X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The analysis of the relative intensities of In 3d, Ga 3p, and N 1s peaks showed that argon ion bombardment does not change significantly the relative contents of the layer constituents. Simultaneous efficient removal of the main contaminants (O and C) was observed during the sputtering procedure, proving that argon sputtering can be used as a method for preparation of clean Ga_1−xIn_xN surfaces.For a clean (0001)-(1×1) surface prepared by repeated cycles of Ar⁺ ion sputtering and annealing, electronic structure was investigated. The band structure was explored along the Γ-A direction of the Brillouin zone, measuring angle-resolved photoemission spectra along the surface normal. A similar set of data was also acquired for the same surface of GaN layer. Comparison of the collected data revealed an additional feature at the valence band edge, which can be ascribed to the presence of In in the layer.     

Anti-B-50 (GAP-43) antibodies decrease exocytosis of glutamate in permeated synaptosomes

The involvement of the protein kinase C substrate, B-50 (GAP-43), in the release of glutamate from small clear-cored vesicles in streptolysin-O-permeated synaptosomes was studied by using anti-B-50 antibodies. Glutamate release was induced from endogenous as well as 3H-labelled pools in a [Ca(2+)]-dependent manner. This Ca(2+)-induced release was partially ATP dependent and blocked by the light-chain fragment of tetanus toxin, demonstrating its vesicular nature. Comparison of the effects of anti-B-50 antibodies on glutamate and noradrenaline release from permeated synaptosomes revealed two major differences. Firstly, Ca(2+)-induced glutamate release was decreased only partially by anti-B-50 antibodies, whereas Ca(2+)-induced noradrenaline release was inhibited almost completely. Secondly, anti-B-50 antibodies significantly reduced basal glutamate release, but did not affect basal noradrenaline release. In view of the differences in exocytotic mechanisms of small clear-cored vesicles and large dense-cored vesicles, these data indicate that B-50 is important in the regulation of exocytosis of both types of neurotransmitters, probably at stages of vesicle recycling and/or vesicle recruitment, rather than in the Ca(2+)-induced fusion step.     

Where Should We Have the Meeting?

Abstract

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Scholars and practitioners in the fields of planning, public participation, and consensus building have devised a variety of techniques for participatory decision making. Despite the ever-growing literatures on public participation, consensus building, and deliberative democracy, few scholars have studied perhaps the most elemental consideration in designing participatory processes: how to create physical environments for productive interactions and conversations. In this study, we address that gap in the scholarship on participatory decision making by answering two questions: What are planners are seeking to achieve when creating venues for engagement, participation, or collaboration? What are the tools at their disposal to do so? We interviewed practitioners with significant experience in the facilitation of planning processes, selected at random from the National Roster of Environmental Conflict Resolution Professionals, and developed a set of objectives and considerations for creating effective venues for participation and collaboration in planning. Based on our analysis, we find that venue creation involves three key dimensions: determining the appropriate venue-related process objectives, selecting a location, and arranging the chosen space.

Takeaway for practice: Combining insights from existing guidance in handbooks and reports with the findings from our interviews, we developed the Venue Creation Tool to support more informed discussions and choices related to venues for participation and collaboration in planning.     

Flow-Based Web Application Brute-Force Attack and Compromise Detection

In the early days of network and service management, researchers paid much attention to the design of management frameworks and protocols. Since then the focus of research has shifted from the development of management technologies towards the analysis of management data. From the five FCAPS areas, security of networks and services has become a key challenge. For example, brute-force attacks against Web applications, and compromises resulting thereof, are widespread. Talks with several Top-10 Web hosting companies in the Netherlands reflect that detection of these attacks is often done based on log file analysis on servers, or by deploying host-based intrusion detection systems (IDSs) and firewalls. However, such host-based solutions have several problems. In this paper we therefore investigate the feasibility of a network-based monitoring approach, which detects brute-force attacks against and compromises of Web applications, even in encrypted environments. Our approach is based on per-connection histograms of packet payload sizes in flow data that are exported using IPFIX. We validate our approach using datasets collected in the production network of a large Web hoster in the Netherlands.