Simultaneous lesion and neuroanatomy segmentation in Multiple Sclerosis using deep neural networks

Segmentation of both white matter lesions and deep grey matter structures is an important task in the quantification of magnetic resonance imaging in multiple sclerosis. Typically these tasks are performed separately: in this paper we present a single segmentation solution based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for providing fast, reliable segmentations of multimodal magnetic resonance images into lesion classes and normal-appearing grey- and white-matter structures. We show substantial, statistically significant improvements in both Dice coefficient and in lesion-wise specificity and sensitivity, compared to previous approaches, and agreement with individual human raters in the range of human inter-rater variability. The method is trained on data gathered from a single centre: nonetheless, it performs well on data from centres, scanners and field-strengths not represented in the training dataset. A retrospective study found that the classifier successfully identified lesions missed by the human raters. Lesion labels were provided by human raters, while weak labels for other brain structures (including CSF, cortical grey matter, cortical white matter, cerebellum, amygdala, hippocampus, subcortical GM structures and choroid plexus) were provided by Freesurfer 5.3. The segmentations of these structures compared well, not only with Freesurfer 5.3, but also with FSL-First and Freesurfer 6.0

Addressing gaps in care for upper limb absence through teaching, learning, and research: a doctoral experiential project

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat

The Diffusion of Volksmarching in the United States

I am indebted to the following persons for their invaluable assistance in collecting data for this paper: 1) Mr. James P. Buchanan, president of the Duluth (MN) Volkssport Association, without whose aid this project never would have begun; 2) Dr. David Toth, past president of the American Volkssport Association; 3) Mr. Carol Coffee, current president of the AVA; 4) Lt. C. Leon Childers, Executive Director of the AVA; 5) Mr. James Busbee of the Double Eagle Wanderers of Albuquerque, NM; Mr. Allison John Stafford, president of the Virginia Volkssport Association; and Mr. John M. Gaustad of The Jim Bowie Wanderers of Opelousas, LA, for taking the time to supply information beyond what was covered in the written research questionnaire; and 6) the officers of the 106 volksmarching clubs which returned completed questionnaires. I also would like to thank the following persons for their assistance in the mailing of questionnaires and the preparation of this manuscript: Dr. James R. O\u27Malley, Dr. Robert Myers, Miss Charlotte Entrekin, and Mrs. Nancy Steinen of the West Georgia College Department of Geography and Mr. Jim Ingram of the University of Georgia Cartographic Services

Schwere Beats und schwere Jungs Therapeutische Erreichbarkeit mittels Triple-R bei schweren Adoleszenzstörungen in der stationären Psychiatrie

Wie sind Jugendliche mit schweren Adoleszenz-störungen in der stationären Psychiatrie therapeutisch trotzdem zu erreichen, was kann multi-mediale Technologie hierzu beitragen und was heisst das für das Übertragungsgeschehen einer Behandlung? Der Artikel zeigt auf, wie mit Hilfe von Triple-R, einem musiktherapeutischen Verfahren, die Kontaktaufnahme zu jugendlicher Klientel auch unter schwierigen Umständen gelingen kann und so ein therapeutischer Prozess überhaupt möglich wird

The Relationship Between Community College Academic Advising and Time to Degree Completion

Increasing student on-time completion is a challenge for many higher education institutions. In the community college chosen for this study, only 5.2% of its first-time-in-college, full-time students graduated within 3 years with a 2-year degree. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between participation in the college\u27s academic advising program and students\u27 time-to-degree completion, based on the pre- and post-entry attributes outlined in Tinto\u27s institutional departure theory. A non-experimental, correlational, quantitative research method with multiple regression analysis was applied, using a convenience sample of 190 graduating students from the institution\u27s 2011 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) cohort. Specifically, the quantitative design employed bivariate correlation analysis to select applicable pre- and post-entry characteristics and then regression analysis to determine the degree to which academic advising predicted time-to-degree completion based on characteristics. The regression analysis indicated that the variables of first-generation, intent to transfer, use of services, club participation, and financial aid eligibility significantly impacted student time to degree completion. The data analysis also indicated that students who did not see an academic advisor graduated faster than those who did. These findings led to a white paper recommending implementation of a tiered academic advising approach, development of specific advising outcomes, and increased data collection to improve the advising structure at the institution. By working to increase the IPEDS graduation rate, the institution can provide opportunities for students to increase their employment and earnings potential, improving the overall quality of life for students, their families, and the community, thus promoting positive social change

Light emitting devices based on colloidal quantum dots

Organische lichtemittierende Dioden (OLEDs) finden dank ihrer großflächigen Emissions-natur, ultradünner Bauweise und Flexibilität Einsatz in einer Vielzahl zukunftsweisender Anwendungen wie z.B. als Displays Verwendung. Eine gegen Umwelteinflüsse robustere Alternative zu den organischen Leuchtmolekülen bieten die auf anorganischen Halbleitern basierten Quantenpunkte (engl. Quantum dots, QDs), welche durch ihre Herstellung aus der Flüssigphase unabhängig von der Substratgröße mit einfachen (Druck-)Verfahren aufgebracht werden können. Die Emissionswellenlänge von QDs kann dabei durch die Material-zusammensetzung und auf Grund von Quantisierungseffekte über die Größe beeinflusst werden. Für effiziente QD-basierte lichtemittierende Bauelemente (engl. light emitting device, LED) werden ähnlich wie bei OLEDs sowohl auf der Anoden- als auch auf der Kathodenseite Hilfssichten benötigt, die die Ladungsträgerinjektion in die Emitterschicht (QDs) unterstützen. Die Kommerzialisierung der Technologie selbst steht jedoch im Vergleich zu OLEDs noch am Anfang, überwiegend begründet durch den Einsatz umweltbedenklicher (z.B. cadmium- (Cd) haltiger) und/oder limitiert verfügbarer Materialien (z.B. Indium). Der Schwerpunkt dieser Arbeit lag auf der Entwicklung effizienter und heller lösungs-mittelbasierter QD-LEDs. Hierfür wurden zuerst die „state-of-the-art“-Prozesstechnologie und Messtechnik auf Grundlage des bekannten QD-LED-Systems aus organischen Hilfsschichten und Cd-basierten Kern-Hülle-QDs am Lehrstuhl etabliert. Auf der Grundlage dieses bestehenden Systems wurde Graphen als kohlenstoffbasierte Alternative zur typischen transparenten Elektrode aus Indiumzinnoxid (ITO) implementiert. Bei einer systematischen Untersuchung des Einflusses der Anzahl der Graphenlagen auf das Bauelementverhalten konnte für eine Bilagenelektrode sogar eine höhere Lichtausbeute als bei der ITO-Referenz gezeigt werden. Zinkoxid-Nanokristalle (ZnO-NK), deren Funktionsweise als anorganische Hilfsschicht in der Literatur bis heute kontrovers diskutiert wird, wurden im nächsten Schritt zur Effizienzsteigerung der QD-LEDs eingeführt. Durch den Einsatz unterschiedlicher ZnO-NK mit gezielt eingestellten Eigenschaften sowie Simulationen zum Bauelementverhalten wurde erstmalig ein Erklärungsmodell für die Wirkungsweise des ZnO als Lochblockade oder Elektroneninjektor abgeleitet. Ausgehend von den Erkenntnissen zu dem Cd-basiertem Standardschichtsystem konnte die Integration Cd-freier QDs aus Kupferindiumsulfid (CuInS2) in einer QD-LED realisiert werden. Mithilfe der gezielt angepassten ZnO-NK-Hilfsschicht konnte die externe Effizienz der Bauelemente um drei Größenordnungen auf 0,4% und die Helligkeit um den Faktor 50 auf 110 cd/m2 gesteigert. Aufgrund des breiten Emissionsspektrums der CuInS2-QDs von ca. 100 nm bei einer Emissionswellenlänge von ca. 595 nm konnten diese als Grundlage für Weißlicht emittierende QD-LEDs in Kombination mit blauen QDs in einer innovativen Mischschicht-Architektur realisiert werden. In dieser Arbeit wurden dabei erstmalig weiße QD-LEDs mit einem Rekord-Farbwiedergabeindex (CRI) von 78 mit nur zwei Emissions-komponenten realisiert werden, welche über einen breiten Spannungsbereich eine stabile Licht-emission ohne großen Farbdrift aufwiesen. Damit wurde mit dieser Arbeit ein wichtiger Schritt zur Anwendungsrelevanz von kostengünstigen, lösungsmittelbasierten und gleichzeitig nachhaltigen QD-LEDs gelegt.Thanks to their large area emission, ultra-thin and flexibility device architecture, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) can be used in a wide range of trend-setting applications such as displays. Due to their robustness against environmental influences, quantum dots (QDs) based on inorganic semiconductors offer an alternative to the organic dye molecules. Due to their synthesis from the liquid phase, QDs can be used in applications independent of their substrate size with simple printing or coating processes. The emission wavelength of QDs can be tuned by the composition of the material and by the size of the QDs due to confinement effects. Similarly to OLEDs, support layers are required for efficient light emitting devices (LEDs) on the anode and the cathode side to support the injection of charge carriers into the emitter layer (QDs). However, industrial application of QD based LEDs is still in the beginning compared to the OLEDs due to the usage of materials which are harmful to the environment (e.g. Cadmium (Cd)) and / or limited in supply (e.g. Indium). The focus of this work is laid on the development of efficient and bright solution based QD-LEDs. Based on the establishment of state-of-the-art process and measurement technologies in the department, the organic support layers in known QD-LED systems based on cadmium based core/shell QDs were optimized. In order to replace transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes, graphene was implemented as a carbon based alternative. In a systematic investigation of the effect of the number of graphene layers on the device behavior, an electrode based on a bilayer of graphene even achieved higher light output than the ITO reference. Zinc oxide nanocrystals (ZnO-NC), whose working mechanism as an inorganic support layer is discussed controversially in the literature until today, was introduced to increase the efficiency of the QD-LEDs. By comparing the device performance of QD-LEDs with different ZnO-NCs with simulations, an explanation for the ZnO’s function as a hole blocker or electron injector was given for the first time. Based on the findings on the Cd-based layer system, the integration of Cd-free QDs made from copper indium sulfide (CuInS2) could be realized in a QD-LED. With the help of the specifically engineered ZnO-NC support layer, the external efficiency of the devices was increased by three orders of magnitude to 0.4 % and the brightness by the factor 50 to 110 cd/m². Due to the broad emission spectrum of the CuInS2-QDs with ca. 100 nm for an emission wavelength of ca. 595 nm, the QDs could be used as a basis for white light emitting QD-LEDs in combination with blue QDs in an innovative mixed layer architecture. In this work, white light emitting QD-LEDs with a record color index (CRI) of 78 with only two emission components were achieved, which had a stable light emission for a wide voltage range without a large color drift. This is an important step towards the application relevance of cost effective, solution based, and sustainable QD-LEDs

Quantum Dot/Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cell Hybrid Device and Mechanism of Its Operation

A new type of light-emitting hybrid device based on colloidal quantum dots (QDs) and an ionic transition metal complex (iTMC) light-emitting electrochemical cell (LEC) is introduced. The developed hybrid devices show light emission from both active layers, which are combined in a stacked geometry. Time-resolved photoluminescence experiments indicate that the emission is controlled by direct charge injection into both the iTMC and the QD layer. The turn-on time (time to reach 1 cd/m(2)) at constant voltage operation is significantly reduced from 8 min in the case of the reference LEC down to subsecond in the case of the hybrid device. Furthermore, luminance and efficiency of the hybrid device are enhanced compared to reference LEC directly after device turn-on by a factor of 400 and 650, respectively. We attribute these improvements to an increased electron injection efficiency into the iTMC directly after device turn-on