(Un)common space in infant neuroimaging studies: a systematic review of infant templates

In neuroimaging, spatial normalization is an important step that maps an individual’s brain onto a template brain permitting downstream statistical analyses. Yet, in infant neuroimaging, there remain several technical challenges that have prevented the establishment of a standardized template for spatial normalization. Thus, many different approaches are used in the literature. To quantify the popularity and variability of these approaches in infant neuroimaging studies, we performed a systematic review of infant MRI studies from 2000 to 2020. Here, we present results from 833 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Studies were classified into 1) processing data in single subject space, 2) using a predefined, or “off the shelf”, template, 3) creating a study specific template or 4) using a hybrid of these methods. We found that across the studies in the systematic review, single subject space was the most used (no common space). This was the most used common space for DWI and structural MRI studies while fMRI studies preferred off the shelf atlases. We found a pattern such that more recently published studies are more commonly using off the shelf atlases. When considering special populations, preterm studies most used single subject space while, when no special populations were being analyzed, an off the shelf template was most common. The most used off the shelf templates were the UNC Infant Atlases (26.1%). Using a systematic review of infant neuroimaging studies, we highlight a lack of an established “standard” template brain in these studies.

MNI-FTD templates, unbiased average templates of frontotemporal dementia variants

Standard templates are widely used in human neuroimaging processing pipelines to facilitate group-level analyses and comparisons across subjects/populations. MNI-ICBM152 template is the most commonly used standard template, representing an average of 152 healthy young adult brains. However, in patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as frontotemporal dementia (FTD), high atrophy levels lead to significant differences between individuals’ brain shapes and MNI-ICBM152 template. Such differences might inevitably lead to registration errors or subtle biases in downstream analyses and results. Disease-specific templates are therefore desirable to reflect the anatomical characteristics of the populations of interest and reduce potential registration errors. Here, we present MNI-FTD136, MNI-bvFTD70, MNI-svFTD36, and MNI-pnfaFTD30, four unbiased average templates of 136 FTD patients, 70 behavioural variant (bv), 36 semantic variant (sv), and 30 progressive nonfluent aphasia (pnfa) variant FTD patients and a corresponding age-matched template of 133 controls (MNI-CN133), along with probabilistic tissue maps for each template. Public availability of these templates will facilitate analyses of FTD cohorts and enable comparisons between different studies in an appropriate common standardized space.

Comparative analysis of wish forms on the example of tatar and english online publications

This article is devoted to a comparative study of such verbal means of communication as wish forms. They are an important category of speech etiquette, the significance of which in culture and in the life of society as a whole is undeniable. This is probably one of the few units of speech etiquette that can function in parallel with many other phenomena of speech etiquette, such as greetings, farewells, condolences, thanks, advice, etc. The relevance of the topic is due to the growing interest of linguists in the problems of language and culture, the growth of intercultural relations, as well as the need to understand the place and role of verbal communication, as mutually reinforcing each other in one communicative situation, identifying their communicative-pragmatic features in typologically different structural languages, namely Tatar and English. An integrated approach to the study of verbal means of communication in the Tatar and English languages allows us to identify not only their language features, but also to show the national and cultural specifics of the Tatars and the British, to identify the similarities and differences between two completely different cultures. In this article, we decided to consider such most famous and common wishes as Birthdays, Valentine's Day, Christmas, Ramadan, Kurban Bairam, as well as more specific, local holidays like Saybantuy and Nauruz. The choice of this topic is not accidental, since language learning and knowledge of the culture of the country under study should always go side by side. They are inextricably linked to each other. Knowledge of the culture and traditions of the people give us the opportunity to better understand the language, since many words and expressions are a kind of reflection of their traditions. It is well known that the study of foreign languages begins with such seemingly simple formulas as greetings, farewells, thanks and wishes. This topic, in our opinion, allows you to plunge deeper into the culture of the studied country. The best way to realize and understand the depth of the language is to compare it with your native language. Identify both similarities and differences. For a more accurate and in-depth analysis, we decided to consider examples from online sources. This choice as a source is not accidental, since today the Internet is the richest and most complete source of information, since it is there that you can find standard template greetings and postcards. However, in this work, we tried to consider not so much the template greetings used as a model, but the greetings of politicians, celebrities and editorial staff of online publications. Since, living language, in our opinion, is the most interesting and accurate source for comparing two genetically unrelated languages. After analyzing this material, we came to the conclusion that, first of all, the content of the wish is chosen by the speaker with an emphasis on the generally accepted system of values of the listener, his own ideas about what is bad and what is good for the addressee, whether the wish is pleasant or unpleasant to the addressee.

Multi-Sequence Average Templates for Aging and Neurodegenerative Disease Populations

Magnetic resonance image (MRI) processing pipelines use average templates to enable standardization of individual MRIs in a common space. MNI-ICBM152 is currently used as the standard template by most MRI processing tools. However, MNI-ICBM152 represents an average of 152 healthy young adult brains and is vastly different from brains of patients with neurodegenerative diseases. In those populations, extensive atrophy might cause inevitable registration errors when using an average template of young healthy individuals for standardization. Disease-specific templates that represent the anatomical characteristics of the populations can reduce such errors and improve downstream driven estimates. We present multi-sequence average templates for Alzheimers Dementia (AD), Fronto-temporal Dementia (FTD), Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), cognitively intact and impaired Parkinsons Disease patients (PD-CIE and PD-CI, respectively), individuals with Subjective Cognitive Impairment (SCI), AD with vascular contribution (V-AD), Vascular Mild Cognitive Impairment (V-MCI), Cognitively Intact Elderly (CIE) individuals, and a human phantom. We also provide separate templates for males and females to allow better representation of the diseases in each sex group.

Optimizing MultiStack Parallel (MSP) Sorting Algorithm

Mobile smartphones/laptops are becoming much more powerful in terms of core count and memory capacity. Demanding games and parallel applications/algorithms can hopefully take advantages of the hardware. Our parallel MSPSort algorithm is one of those examples. However, MSPSort can be optimized and fine tuned even further to achieve its highest capabilities. To evaluate the effectiveness of MSPSort, two Linux systems are quad core ARM Cortex-A72 and 24-core AMD ThreadRipper R9-2920. It has been demonstrated that MSPSort is comparable to the well-known parallel standard template library sorting functions, i.e. Balanced QuickSort and Multiway MergeSort in various aspects such as run time and memory requirements.

An investigation of an overlap in penalty calculations: profit commission in reinsurance treaties versus profit commission in binder agreements for underwriting managers

Reinsurance treaties and binder agreements regulate penalty calculations in the event the insurer and underwriting manager is unprofitable and/or profitable. The formulae and different premium terminologies are investigated to calculate loss ratios and whether there is an overlap in sliding scale penalty calculations/formulae relevant to loss ratios of treaties and binder agreements. Treaties and binder agreements generally use sliding scale penalties to calculate reinsurance commission or sharing in the insurer’s profits by an underwriting manager and is in conflict with the Conventional Penalties Act 15 of 1962 of South Africa. The Conventional Penalties Act 15 of 1962 must guide reinsurers and insurers in their profit calculations formulae to prevent any form of sliding scale penalties relevant to loss ratios. It is therefore suggested that a standard template of profit calculations and terminologies should be used in binder agreements to prevent different calculations of loss ratios in the short term insurance landscape. This will guide the Financial Conduct Authority Services (previously the Financial Services Board) to understand loss ratios of affordable short term financial products when compared to loss ratios of other short term financial products in South Africa. Keywords: Reinsurance commission; loss ratio; risk premium; penalties; underwriting manager

Variables (Bias-cut) of Tailoring and their Effect on the Quality of Fitting the Standard Pattern for Large-Shaped Iraqi Ladies

The present research is descriptive and analytical by nature; it practically presents the method of implementing the standard pattern in an unconventional way using the bias-cut line. The study aims at investigating the variables of bias-cut and their suitability for fitting large-shaped Iraqi ladies. It also aims at exploring the artistic and innovative features of the bias-cut. Therefore, one needs to understand the rules and basics of clothing and the nature of the body to reach the maximum degree of control.Consequently, the study is to answer the following questions: What is the effectiveness of tailoring on the bias-cut in fitting a standard template of a large-shaped Iraqi ladies? Is it possible to obtain from the offered possibilities of bias-cut styles innovative designs that go with fashion lines?The study represents a new addition to the clothing industry through the use of unconventional methods in fitting the standard template. It helps to find innovative solutions and new entrances using design treatments. The sample of the study included (100) women stature chosen on purpose. The study has found that the use of the fitting variables contributed to increasing the fitting and avoiding the minor defects of the standard template. The study recommends focusing on treating some abnormalities in some body patterns, using optical illusions when designing clothes. This is due to the elasticity, softness and luxury of the bias-cut line, which helps hide and avoid the defects of the standard template and adjust them. The study suggested studying the variables of tailoring and their effect on the special-sized clothes group.