This study aims to quantify the heterogeneity of tumour enhancement in dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) using texture analysis methods. The suitability of the coherence and the fractal dimension to monitor tumour response was evaluated in 18 patients with limb sarcomas imaged by DCE-MRI pre- and post-treatment. According to the histopathology, tumours were classified into responders and non-responders. Pharmacokinetic (Ktrans) and heuristic model-based parametric maps (slope, max enhancement, AUC) were computed from the DCE-MRI data. A substantial correlation was found between the pharmacokinetic and heuristic model-based parametric maps: ρ = 0.56 for the slope, ρ = 0.44 for maximum enhancement, and ρ = 0.61 for AUC. From all four parametric maps, the enhancing fraction, and the heterogeneity features (i.e. coherence and fractal dimension) were determined. In terms of monitoring tumour response, using both pre- and post-treatment DCE-MRI, the enhancing fraction and the coherence showed significant differences between the response group and the non-response group (i.e. the highest sensitivity (91%) for Ktrans, and the highest specificity (83%) for max enhancement). In terms of treatment prediction, using solely the pre-treatment DCE-MRI, the enhancing fraction and coherence discriminated between responders and non-responders. For prediction, the highest sensitivity (91%) was shared by Ktrans, slope and max enhancement, and the highest specificity (71%) was achieved by Ktrans. On average, tumours that responded showed a high enhancing fraction and high coherence on the pre-treatment scan. These results suggest that specific heterogeneity features, computed from both pharmacokinetic and heuristic model-based parametric maps, show potential as a biomarker for monitoring tumour response.

We show that, for any integer $\ell$ with $q-\sqrt{p} -1 \leq \ell 9$, there exists a multiset $M$ satisfying that $0\in M$ has the highest multiplicity $\ell$ and $\sum_{b\in M} b =0$ such that every polynomial over finite fields $\fq$ with the prescribed range $M$ has degree greater than $\ell$. This implies that Conjecture 5.1. in \cite{gac} is false over finite field $\fq$ for $p > 9$ and $k:=q-\ell -1 \geq 3$.

Adsorption is one of the effective methods of advanced wastewater treatment, which industries employ to reduce hazardous organic and inorganic wastes in effluents. The use of low cost adsorbent has been investigated as a replacement for current costly methods of removing toxic substances from wastewater. In this article, the use of low cost adsorbents for the removal of toxic substances from wastewater has been reviewed.

In Hadzimehmedovicet al.[Phys. Rev. C 84, 035204 (2011)] we have used the Zagreb realization of Carnegie-Melon-Berkeley coupled-channel, unitary model as a tool for extracting pole positions from the world collection of partial-wave data, with the aim of eliminating model dependence in pole-search procedures. In order that the method is sensible, we in this paper discuss the stability of the method with respect to the strong variation of different model ingredients. We show that the Zagreb CMB procedure is very stable with strong variation of the model assumptions and that it can reliably predict the pole positions of the fitted partial-wave amplitudes.

Na uzorku od dvadeset i cetiri (N=24) studenta prve godine Fakulteta fizickog vaspitanja i sporta Univerziteta u Banjoj Luci, sprovedeno je transferzalno istraživanje s ciljem da se istraži povezanost mase tijela, kao reprezenta tjelesnih dimenzija, sa ispoljavanjem maksimalne sile muskulature nogu. U ovom istraživanju eksperimentalni pristup u određivanju alometrijskog eksponenta, za testove kojima se procjenjuje maksimalna sila muskulature nogu (Cucanj 80° b=0.78, cucanj 110° b=0.88, cucanj 140° b=1.06, cucanj 1RM b=0,62), obezbjeđuje rezultate približne teorijski predviđenim. b=0.67 ukoliko se rezultati testova normalizuju masom tijela (m). Tako da ispoljavanje maksimalne sile muskulature nogu zavisi od tjelesnih dimenzija, prije svega od tjelesne mase, i da bi se dobila relativna sila (jacina) ispitanika rezultate mjerenja maksimalne sile muskulature nogu treba dijeliti sa masom tijela stepenovanom alometrijskim eksponentom.

Este trabalho foi desenvolvido no viveiro de producao de mudas no Instituto Federal de Educacao, Ciencia e Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Norte – Campus Ipanguacu (IFRN/Campus Ipanguacu) com o objetivo de analisar o desempenho do microaspersor Amanco MF (bocal branco de 1,14 mm) em condicao de campo. O coeficiente de variacao de fabricacao (CVf) foi de 2,29%, que, de acordo com a ABNT, e considerado bom. A equacao caracteristica Q = 5,7655P0,7179, foi ajustada atraves de regressao linear, com um coeficiente de determinacao (R2) de 0,9993. As vazoes medias do microaspersor ficaram 25 % abaixo das apresentadas no catalogo do fabricante, no intervalo de pressao de 100 a 250 kPa. O emissor apresentou intensidade de precipitacao media de 0,0031 mm h-1 na superficie estudada. O perfil de distribuicao tridimensional e as isoietas de precipitacao apresentaram-se bastantes irregulares. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: perfil tridimensional de aplicacao, microaspersao, intensidade de precipitacao,equacao caracteristica, coeficiente de variacao de fabricacao.

Each and every energy-dependent partial-wave analysis is parametrizing the pole positions in a procedure defined by the way the continuous energy dependence is implemented. These pole positions are, henceforth, inherently model dependent. To reduce this model dependence, we use only one, coupled-channel, unitary, fully analytic method based on the isobar approximation to extract the pole positions from each available member of the worldwide collection of partial-wave amplitudes, which are understood as nothing more but a good energy-dependent representation of genuine experimental numbers assembled in a form of partial-wave data. In that way, the model dependence related to the different assumptions on the analytic form of the partial-wave amplitudes is avoided, and the true confidence limit for the existence of a particular resonant state, at least in one model, is established. The way the method works and first results are demonstrated for the ${S}_{11}$ partial wave.

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is an effective technique for high-speed digital transmission over time-dispersive channels. However, for coherent detection, a reliable channel estimation (CE) is required. OFDM is characterized by its high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), which makes it very sensitive to nonlinear distortions that may affect the channel estimation accuracy leading to a bit error rate (BER) performance degradation. In this paper, we present closed-form BER expression for OFDM with a pilot-assisted CE in a nonlinear and frequency-selective fading channel. We discuss how, and to what extent, the nonlinear degradation affects the BER performance with the CE based on a time/frequency division-multiplexed (TDM/FDM) pilot. The analysis is based on a Gaussian approximation of the nonlinear noise due to both HPA amplitude limitation and quantization. We also evaluate the estimator's mean square error (MSE) with both TDM and FDM pilots. Our results show that pilot-assisted CE using FDM pilot is more sensitive to nonlinear distortions than the CE using a TDM pilot, since its pilot subcarriers are affected by nonlinear noise due to both the HPA and the quantization.