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John R. Gaines, Ogden Mills "Dinny" Phipps, and Matt Winn, three of the most influential and respected individuals in American Thoroughbred racing history, have been elected to the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame as the 2017 Pillars of the Turf selections, it was announced May 24.
Gaines, Phipps, and Winn will be inducted into the Hall of Fame Aug. 4 along with jockeys Javier Castellano, Victor Espinoza, and Garrett Gomez; trainer Tom Voss; and the racehorses Goldikova and Good Night Shirt. The ceremony is open to the public and free to attend (seating is limited) and will be streamed on the internet at www.racingmuseum.org from Fasig-Tipton in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., at 10:30 a.m.
Gaines (1928-2005), a native of Sherburne, N.Y., graduated from Culver Military Academy and the University of Notre Dame and later earned a degree in genetics from the University of Kentucky. He made numerous contributions to Thoroughbred racing, including organizing the creation of the Breeders' Cup and developing Gainesway Farm into one of the sport's elite stallion operations.
Gaines took over a Standardbred business founded by his grandfather in 1925 and added a Thoroughbred division of Gainesway Farm in 1962. He acquired, syndicated, stood, and managed such top stallions as Bold Bidder, Lyphard, Riverman, Blushing Groom, Vaguely Noble, and Broad Brush. Gaines further developed the business when he moved the farm to its present location on Paris Pike and acquired half of the C. V. Whitney Farm.
In 1989, Gaines sold Gainesway Farm, but a few years later re-entered the business, though on a completely different level. He started buying mares and quickly owned more than 100. He was joined in the operation of John R. Gaines Thoroughbred by his son, Thomas, and daughter, Gloria.
Gaines conceptualized the idea for the Breeders' Cup, which he announced prior to the 1982 Kentucky Derby (G1), and worked tirelessly to lead the effort. The series was launched in 1984 and has revolutionized the sport. The program steadily expanded and the 2017 edition at Del Mar will present 13 grade 1 races with purses totaling more than $28 million during its two-day showcase.
Gaines was a founder of the National Thoroughbred Association, which later merged into the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. He was also instrumental in the founding of the Kentucky Horse Park and Maxwell H. Gluck Center for Equine Research at the University of Kentucky.
Phipps (1940-2016), a New York City native and Yale University graduate, was born into a family that had already been successful in Thoroughbred racing and breeding for multiple generations. Phipps provided inspiration and leadership to the sport on many levels. As chairman of The Jockey Club for an unprecedented term of 32 years (1983-2015), he transformed the organization from one with a primary role of maintaining the stud book into a diverse group of companies to fill specific needs within the sport.
With Phipps leading the way, The Jockey Club became a global leader in developing best practices that served various segments of the sport while becoming better than ever at the original core mission of registering all North American Thoroughbreds.
Phipps helped lead the industry to adopt and achieve enhanced integrity and lent his leadership from time to time as chairman of the New York Racing Association, the Breeders' Cup, American Horse Council, and the NTRA. He also championed research for the horse and charitable care for racing people and, all the while, maintained a breeding and racing operation of the highest standards.
Phipps was the grandson of Mrs. Henry Carnegie Phipps, whose Wheatley Stable bred 13 champions, including Seabiscuit, High Voltage, Misty Morn, Bold Ruler, Bold Lad, Successor, and Bold Bidder. Phipps' father, Ogden Phipps, shared that devotion to racing and as early as the 1930s had his own breeding and racing operation.
Dinny Phipps changed the composition of The Jockey Club as a company, but first he caused a major improvement in the core responsibility of maintaining The American Stud Book. Under Phipps and the management teams he recruited, the registration and naming process was transformed and made more efficient. Throughout the years, the registration process has been altered in the face of improving technology, such as DNA testing and microchipping.
The Jockey Club also branched out to create or acquire numerous companies that perform a variety of essential services for the industry, including Equibase Company, The Jockey Club Information Services, BloodHorse magazine, InCompass Solutions, The Jockey Club Technology Services, and TJC Media Ventures, a commercial subsidiary that oversees fan development through America's Best Racing.
Phipps bred 89 stakes winners and in recent years was a principal in the family's Phipps Stable, as it was organized to include his children. Champions bred by Phipps individually, as Phipps Stable, or other partnerships were Rhythm, Inside Information, Storm Song, Storm Flag Flying, and Smuggler. Storm Song was bred in partnership with William S. Farish. Phipps Stable and Stuart Janney III won the Kentucky Derby with their homebred Orb .
Martin J. "Matt" Winn (1861-1949), a native of Louisville, Ky., watched Aristides win the inaugural Kentucky Derby in 1875 and saw every edition after that until his death at the age of 88 in 1949, catching the race's 75th running before he died. Winn helped guide the Kentucky Derby on a path from humble beginnings into America's signature race, among other contributions to the sport.
In 1902, Winn formed a syndicate of investors that purchased struggling Churchill Downs for $40,000. He made immediate renovations to the track's clubhouse and used his unique marketing skills to help Churchill turn a profit for the first time in its history. In 1908, Louisville officials began enforcing an anti-bookmaking law that threatened the viability of Churchill Downs, so Winn began using long discarded French pari-mutuel machines to handle betting. They were immediately popular with the betting public and more were added.
In 1911, Winn changed racing forever by introducing the $2 minimum bet; in the past, the minimum pari-mutuel bet had been $5, beyond the feasibility of most working people. Winn also saw the new economic power of women and desired to make Churchill Downs and the Derby interesting to them, too. He began the practice of inviting—and using money to lure—celebrities, male and female, to the Derby and publicizing their attendance.
Churchill's finances steadily improved under Winn, who in 1915, convinced prominent owner Harry Payne Whitney to bring his New Jersey-bred filly Regret to the Kentucky Derby. The recruiting effort paid off handsomely, as the national publicity surrounding Regret's victory stamped the Derby as a marquee event on the American racing calendar. In recognition of his achievements, Winn was named an honorary Kentucky Colonel.
The Pillars of the Turf category is designated to honor individuals who made extraordinary contributions to Thoroughbred racing in a leadership or pioneering capacity at the highest national level. Candidates must be deemed to have represented the sport with indisputable standards of integrity and commitment through disciplines such as breeding and ownership, innovation, philanthropy, promotion, and education.
Gaines, Phipps, and Winn join previous Pillars of the Turf selections August Belmont II (2013), Paul Mellon (2013), E. R. Bradley (2014), E. P. Taylor (2014), Alfred Vanderbilt II (2015), John Hay Whitney (2015), Arthur B. Hancock, Jr. (2016), and William Woodward, Sr. (2016) in the Hall of Fame.
A committee of racing industry experts and historians, under the guidance of chairman D. G. Van Clief, comprise the Pillars of the Turf Selection Committee. The members include Van Clief, Edward L. Bowen, Bob Curran, Jane Goldstein, Ken Grayson, Jay Hovdey, G. Watts Humphrey, Bill Marshall, Mary Simon, Stella Thayer, Gary West, and Amy Zimmerman.


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The sociopath narcissist.only those that have been abused by one will see it! , my ex husband
Not all sociopaths are criminals, they are often someone you know. They can be quite charming in the presence of friends and coworkers but among close relationships will fly into a rage at the least little thing.
There is just no winning with some people. Aubrey accounts her experiences with narcissistic and sociopaths abuse and her recovery
have lifelong patterns of deceitfulness for personal gain. They lack remorse and empathy and are wizards at rationalizing away how they hurt and mistreat others." ~ Gary Small It is just so sad when it involves children.

subset: commoncrawl


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Dan Kwian Pottery Villa
The type of search By District | By Place
Map Have Map No Map
Nakhon Ratchasima attractions
Attractions in Thailand
Operating day: Daily
Operating time: 08.30 - 16.30
Dan Kwian Pottery Villa Situated on Highway No. 24, about 14 kilometers from the city of Nakhon Ratchasima is a village noted for unique pottery widely used for interior and outdoor decoration.
The uniqueness of Dan Kwian clay is its durability, pliability and rusty color. When combined with attractive designs and the proper heating process the products are irresistible.
How to get there 15 kilometres from the city on Highway No. 224 (Nakhon Ratchasima-Chok Chai).
Mobile: 0878777544, 0812654078
Dan Kwian Pottery Villa Map
Category: ●Suburban Living
Group: ●Village, Community
Tag: ●Dan Kwian Pottery Villa
Last Update: 2 MonthAgo
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Facebook Fanpage


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We will help you find a local history of art teacher in Askam-in-furness and across the UK. Private history of art tuition is an excellent way to bolster confidence while increasing grades and doesn't have to be dull! Please use our service to find Askam-in-furness history of art tutors and select the one who best suits your requirements.
First Tutors is the best place to find the top Askam-in-furness history of art tutors for your needs, helping you find a private Askam-in-furness history of art tutor for any subject including GCSE English, A-Level Maths or even university Physics. We also help with language tuition, so if you want to learn Italian, take a Russian course or prepare yourself for Italian life, we can help - and all in Askam-in-furness! We order history of art Askam-in-furness teachers in your area according to their history of art lesson costs and distance from you.
If you are a Askam-in-furness history of art teacher wishing to offer your private history of art tuition services in Askam-in-furness or anywhere else across the UK, please register with First Tutors or find out more about what we do here. Private history of art tuition is a great way to re-affirm your history of art knowledge while helping someone else, all in your local Askam-in-furness area!


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MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – The Myrtle Beach Police Department says they now know who is responsible for several car break-ins around Myrtle Beach.
Police say Riki Mozingo and Ronald Dunham II were arrested after officers identified and stopped a stolen car on Feb 16. According to the press release, the two were taken into custody on charges related to the stolen vehicle and narcotics possession, but during that stop officers found evidence that linked them to multiple car break-ins.
The police report says several cars were broken into at the parking garage at the Beach Colony Resort on Feb. 15. According to the press release from police, the suspects were also charged with 16 counts of breaking into motor vehicles and one count of larceny.
After being released for charges stemming from the February incident, Mozingo was identified as a suspect in several more car burglary cases that happened in the parking lot at Broadway at the Beach on Feb. 28.
Myrtle Beach police say Mozingo was arrested again on March 1 and charged with additional counts of breaking into motor vehicles and unlawful possession of a firearm.


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© copyright DennisMichelsen.com - all rights reserved - 2015
Dennis Michelsen
Dennis Michelsen is one of the most versatile
talents in the motor sports industry.
Whether master of ceremonies at a VIP racing
experience, hosting a motor sports conference,
appearing on major market radio shows or
handling photography duty at an event; Dennis
brings a unique flair to everything he does.
His specialty is bringing out the best
performances in industry insiders who are not
comfortable in front of the microphone, teaching
racers/industry professionals how to be more
media savvy, and provide marketing partners
unique branded photography from racing events
and trade shows.
Dennis will help your event be more successful
and your marketing partners pleased that they
supported you.
Now accepting reservations for the trade show
season and the 2015 racing season.
Host : Moderator : Announcer : Coaching : Development
Made by LoriMunro.com
up like he is running the Olympic torch. Always a pleasure when he interviews you"
Humpy Wheeler
Upcoming Events 2015
Race and Performance Panel at The SEMA Show
Las Vegas, Nevada
Tuesday, November 3rd, 1pm
Dennis will be joining a panel of industry
experts discussing the future of motorsports
with host John Waraniak. Attendees will hear
directly from a full grid of frontline leaders to
production as well as the direction, relevance,
and importance of motorsports and technology to the future of
motor racing and the performance industry. This forum is free of
charge to those attending The SEMA Show.
Dennis will be available November 4th through 6th for media
assignments at The SEMA Show.
Race Track Business Conference
Indianapolis, Indiana
Wednesday, December 9th, 8am- 530pm
Dennis will be handling Master of
Ceremony duties for the 4th straight year
at the Race Track Business Conference
hosted by Tim Frost from the
National Speedway Directory. Industry
insiders gather every year on the day
before the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show begins to open
a dialogue for motorsports professionals on a variety of topics. FIA
Formula 1 Race Director headlines this event for 2015. Tickets are
available at
Dennis will be providing audio interviews for PRI Exhibitors at the
MIA Booth each day during the PRI show and is available for further
media assignments during show hours.
© copyright DennisMichelsen.com - all rights reserved - 2015
Made by LoriMunro.com
VIP Experience Host
Dennis Michelsen
Engage your
audience with the
energy and
excitement of an
experience that
simulates a live
radio show that
brings out the
driver's personality in a unique way. Past VIP shows
have included Tequila Patron NHRA Funny Car driver
Alexis DeJoria.
Dennis has been the moderator at the Race Track Business Conference since it's inception in 2012.
Gorsline Company provides protection strategies for high risk individuals involved with racing.
Dennis worked with John Gorsline in advance of his RTBC appearance to explain insurance issues to
industry professionals.
"I had the honor of being asked to be a panelist for the PRI workshop last year. Dennis Michelsen was the
moderator and he made me feel very comfortable by asking very intelligent and interesting questions that
made the entire experience quite enjoyable. The session was very successful, thanks to Dennis' ability to make
everyone 'shine' by focusing on everyone's individual expertise. Dennis is a true professional and an expert in
John Gorsline- Gorsline Company
"Dennis is a true professional and an expert in moderating"
John Gorsline- Gorsline Company
© copyright DennisMichelsen.com - all rights reserved - 2015
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Trade Show Representation
Dennis Michelsen
Trade Show Moderator
Expert at forum style presentations keeping the attendees of conferences engaged and presenters at ease to
convey their message in a clear and concise manner. Instead of drab power point presentations, let Dennis get
the most out of your presenters with a round table type of performance instead. Dennis is the regular host of the
Race Track Business Conference held at the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Indianapolis and helped
develop the unique format used that has been praised by industry insiders including John Lopes, Ralph Sheheen,
Cary Agajanian, and Humpy Wheeler.
Trade Show Representative
Interviews with drivers and industry professionals are a great way to bring more attention to your booth at
upcoming trade shows. Dennis also has over 15 years experience as a sales representative for a variety of
products at trade shows all over the country.
Dennis conducts interviews with International Motorsports Companies at the booth of the
Motorsport Industry Association during the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Indianapolis
every December. This provides International companies branded audio content to present news about
their products and their expansion to the North American market.
"Race Talk Radio always impresses me with their enthusiastic knowledge of racing, and their determination
to find out more about the business world of motorsport. The MIA is a firm supporter of this outstanding
professional service."
Chris Aylett- Motorsport Industry Association
Dennis is the host of the Race Track Business Conference presented by the National Speedway Directory at the
Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Indianapolis and has helped make this event THE networking event
for industry professionals.
"Dennis Michelsen is the consummate professional - he is a quick study and has the ability to adapt to all
situations. One of the most knowledge people in the business!"
Tim Frost- Frost Motorsports LLC- National Speedway Directory
"One of the most knowledge people in the business!"
Tim Frost- Frost Motorsports LLC- National Speedway Directory
© copyright DennisMichelsen.com - all rights reserved - 2015
Made by LoriMunro.com
Radio Announcer
Dennis Michelsen
Radio Announcer
Versatility is important in broadcasting and Dennis can handle a variety of
announcing roles.
Major market radio stations have used Dennis
as a host or substitute show host including
WSSP/FM105.7 The Fan in Milwaukee. Dennis
can also provide an at the track guest for
racing shows covering NASCAR, dirt track
racing, oval short track or road course racing.
Dennis has also handled play by play, color
commentary or pit road announcing duties on the radio for ARCA, ASA Late
Models and more.
Dennis is a regular guest and substitute co-host on "Sparky's Final Inspection" heard every
Saturday on 105.7 The Fan Sports Radio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
"Dennis is one of the brightest guys in the racing industry! A pro behind a microphone, and an honor to
have him on our show throughout the year to give us his great insight into different issues!"
Steve "Sparky" Fifer
- Assistant Program Director/ Talk Show Host 105.7 The Fan Sports Radio Milwaukee
Dennis engineers the online delivery for the syndicated radio show "Speed Freaks" every week.
"Dennis has been a trusted and reliable partner of SpeedFreaks for several years now. His tenure on this
side of the motorsports field is impeccable. He'll give you 100% in anything he does for you"
Kenny Sargent- Speed Freaks
More Media Coaching Success Stories....
© copyright DennisMichelsen.com - all rights reserved - 2015
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Media Coaching
Dennis Michelsen
A driver's unique personality is what drives fan interest
so why do so many people try to train the personality out
of the driver? Media Coaching is not a one size fits all
program it needs to be adapted to each person's unique
needs. Dennis has worked with shy drivers and those
with speech impairments teaching them ways to cope
with being too nervous in front of the microphone.
Sometimes the best way to coach people is to not let
them know they are being coached by developing custom
podcasts or regular interview segments to give them the
experience they need to be entertaining in a variety of
long and short form interviews.
Media Coaching is
not a "One Size
Fits All" program
Dennis has developed branded content for Fall
Line Motorsports a road racing team from Buffalo
Grove, Illinois that helps develop drivers from the
SCCA levels to the pro leagues and provides media coaching
for young drivers in their program.
"It has been a pleasure to have known and worked with
Dennis these past 2 years. Dennis is a true professional with
an amazing knowledge of racing. At the Apex is a true
industry landmark that Dennis has taken to a new level. I
look forward to a long future as a part of Dennis radio
Michael Harvey; Team Manager Fall-Line
Alexis DeJoria
NHRA Tequila Patron Funny Car Driver
Dennis was recruited by Alexis' PR team to provide media
coaching for Alexis while also building a custom podcast for
her first two seasons in NHRA.
Billy Johnson
Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series Driver
Dennis was recruited by Billy's PR rep to provide media
coaching services while featuring Billy as a semi-regular
on the "At the Apex" radio show.
Johanna Long
NASCAR Driver Dennis developed a custom podcast and
provided media coaching during Johanna's first season in
the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
David Levine
Racers Edge Motorsports
Dennis prepared a podcast for Racers Edge Motorsports before and
after every Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series race while
providing media coaching for driver David Levine and Team Owner
Jon Mirachi.
Alex Kennedy
NASCAR Driver
Dennis handled PR duties and media coaching for Alex as
he competed in the ASA Late Model Series before making
it to NASCAR.
Justin Allgaier
NASCAR Driver
During his years in ARCA Dennis interviewed Justin at
each race to help him develop his skills speaking with
the media.
© copyright DennisMichelsen.com - all rights reserved - 2015
Made by LoriMunro.com
Custom Development
Dennis Michelsen
Custom Development
Dennis has developed custom podcast or radio show
solutions for a variety of clients covering every form of
auto racing plus covering the business of the sport.
Clients have included NASCAR driver Johanna Long,
NHRA driver Alexis DeJoria, the Pro All Stars Series, the
ASA Late Model Series, the ASA Sanctioning Body, the
World of Outlaws Racer's Edge Motorsports and more.
Social Media Management
Custom Short Form Audio Pieces
Voice Over for Videos
Voice Over for Websites
Driver Team Matchmaker
Preferred Services Advice
Dennis provided branded coverage for the Formula Promotions ladder system of open wheel racing
for the past two seasons. Drivers new to this level of racing also received reviews of their interviews
as well as media coaching to help them with their presentations.
"Dennis and his show, At the Apex, have done a great job of not only promoting the F2000, F1600 and Atlantic
Championships but also giving our younger drivers a platform to work on their media skill set."
Monty Mathisen- Mathisen Media- PR Director for Formula Promotions
Dennis has provided branded content for the past 2 seasons to bring attention to the Team USA Scholarship
program. This program has provided racing scholarships to rising stars in the sport for over 20 years.
"I really need to thank Dennis Michelson and At The Apex for their enthusiasm and assistance in promoting our
Team USA Scholarship cause and helping to develop the future of American auto racing."
Jeremy Shaw
Dennis worked with NASCAR Reporter Steve Waid to develop an audio version of his weekly commentary "Waid's
"Working with Dennis Michelsen of RaceTalkRadio was a very pleasant and enjoyable experience. I found Dennis
to be a true professional and, I might add, his show was very informative and entertaining. It was a pleasure
to be part of it."
Steve Waid- Member of the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame
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Dennis Michelsen
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Dennis Michelsen
to contact Dennis Michelsen directly, please
send an email
for a speedy response
"Dennis Michelsen is a versatile and conscientious
talent that brings honesty, enthusiasm and
professionalism to everything he does, be it on-air, hosting
trade shows or just in daily interaction. I'm proud to not only
call him my peer, but also my friend."
Jerry Bonkowski
NASCAR Reporter - NBC Sports - SiriusXM/NASCAR Radio


text:
Medical services provided by most of the hospitals in the current scenario are having many positive as well as negative sides.The latest facilities provided by the modern hospitals are in a way giving more specialized treatment services to the patients.By the hospitalization, the cost of such treatments can also be much higher regardless of the financial conditions of the patients.
The technology and its developments we have seen in the medical industry is also a worth factor in saving the life of the patients. The patients monitoring systems as well as medical alarms are the new introduction to the home healthcare services where the patient can enjoy the freedom of being monitored at home than spending more time in the hospitals.The medical alerts which are enabling the access to the 24 hours support at the press of a button can be a great relief for the patients.The benefit is that it can be useful for you in connecting with your family members or other persons, even an ambulance when there is an emergency. Just pressing the medical pendent will be making you available of the doctor who you want to consult. Tele-healthcare as the new step in the home healthcare in long terms is enabling the patients to take care of their medical conditions and thereby managing things independently.
If you feel anything more complicated or abnormal,then the tele-healthcare can detect such signs and inform the same with the concerned people.You can find everything and get updated even from the comfortable atmosphere of your home.Doctors normally suggest the patients of heart failure, diabetes etc. to use such systems in trusting the efficiency of these systems. Patient Connect is an Australian provider involved in the business of these services. For the individual use, the medical alarms are offering the utilities of bulkbilled services and 24 / 7 access to medical care.These waterproof pendants are installed by the qualified technicians.The request for an after hours doctor services, network connecting with the doctors and nurses, generation of the electronic reports for taking appropriate preventive measures etc. are greatly helping the patients in giving them a smooth heath conditions.The usefulness of the alarm pendants for the aged care facilities can be in the form of easily detecting the existing conditions of the patient and helping the treating person to give supportive medical supports. When the medical alert pendants are backed with 50 meters range and around 40 hours backup, everything is safe and secure in handling such technical equipment.
The home healthcare services are providing to be one of the most trustable health care technology partners where the patients are free from the inconveniences of the normal hospital atmosphere.They are enjoying such an atmosphere where they can be happier.


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July 9, 2012 BY Aaron Hope
Sandwiched between arguably the best sneaker of the '90s and no slouch of a 'Silver Bullet' on the other side, Nike Running's 1996 lineup has been largely forgotten by the masses. Hardcore sneakerheads continue to wait for the OGs even while rocking their Tailwind 96-12s, regular Sneaker News readers will recall our Classics Revisited profile of the Air Max 96 II, and the model that made that one a 'sequel' is still awaiting a proper retro treatment. But the AM96 does indeed return in a form at least recognizable to those around when the originals hit over a decade and a half ago, as the Nike Air Max 96+ Evolve arrives at Nike Spotswear in a colorway reminiscent of, but respectfully distant from the white/navy/neon OG. The perfect integration of the 'evolved' 180-degree Max Air unit is the kind of thing we could have only dreamed about back when Air bubbles had seams on them, so click through to see this remake and grab a pair at NSW stores like CNCPTS.
Filed under: Just Released Nike Air Max Running
Tags: Nike Air Max 96 Evolve


text:
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Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)1 has emerged as a unique MRI-based probe of brain microstructure able to sensitively distinguish heterogeneous tissue types and detect structural abnormalities in human populations and experimental disease models. DTI maps are constructed from estimation of the diffusion tensor (DT), which describes the 3-dimensional self-diffusion of water, at every MRI voxel (Basser et al., 1994). The eigenvalues (λ1, λ2 and λ3) and eigenvectors (ε1, ε2 and ε3) of the DT can be used to characterize differences in magnitude and shape of diffusion in DTI index maps, such as fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusion (MD). Although FA and MD are the primary DTI indices employed in brain research, the diffusion tensor is a rich source of structural information with the potential to provide additional metrics relevant to a range of neurobiological questions including alterations in tissue orientation properties consistent with developmental or pathological reorganizatiht on of circuitry.
In conventional analysis, the orientation of ε1 has been depicted by directionally encoded color (DEC) maps (Pajevic & Pierpaoli, 1999) enabling qualitative visual comparisons. While this type of subjective observation can provide qualitative insight into the nature of tissue abnormality, there is a general need for quantitative statistcal methods to assess the likelihood that any observed alterations differ from random variation. A range of approaches have been suggested for this purpose (Jones et al., 2002), however the existing frameworks (Wu et al., 2004; Wang et al., 2008) are based on the coherence and dispersion of ε1, and hemispheric symmetry of white matter tracts and do not make possible groupwise statistical comparison of regional orientation information.
The objective of this work was to develop a straightforward statistical approach for the quantitative analysis of directional DTI information and to interrogate robust subjective visual observations of abnormal tissue orientation on DEC maps in the hilus region of the hippocampal dentate gyrus following injury. The Fisher probability density function (Fisher, 1953), which is the spherical coordinate system analogue of the familiar Gaussian probability density function, was chosen as the basis for this framework. Historically, Fisher statistics have been widely implemented in the field of paleomagnetism (Butler & Butler, 1992; Tauxe, 2010) to characterize magnetization vectors measured from rock samples and used to determine the history of the Earth's magnetic field. Here we report for the first time the theoretical and practical application of Fisher statistics for analysis of DTI directional information and demonstrate the utility of this approach to detect directional abnormalities in the dentate gyrus following injury.
The Fisher statistical method can be used to estimate descriptive and inferential statistics from a set of directional observations. Just as one-dimensional statistics are based on the Gaussian probability density function with true mean (μ) and variance (σ2), these directional statistics are based on the Fisher probability density function, with true direction (υ) and precision parameter (κ).
The type of directional data that can be interrogated using Fisher statistics are normally distributed sets of unit vectors where each vector has a length of 1 and originates from x=y=z=0 so that each set may be represented by a group of points on the unit sphere. For a set of N vectors, V = (v1, …, vN), a mean direction vector, vm, can be determined and each vector in the set, vi = (xi, yi, zi), can be described by it's angle, αi, relative to vm using the dot product αi,=cos−1(vi˙ vm).
Ultimately, an estimate can be made for the confidence angle, α(1-p), within which (1-p)% of all directional observations can be expected to be found and F-statistic hypothesis testing may be performed to make inferences about group differences in orientation.
The Fisher probability density function (pdf) (Fisher, 1953) describes the probability of a point on a sphere of unit radius within an angular area dA (in steradians) centered at an angle α from υ:
where κ is a precision parameter that is inversely proportional to the dispersion.
Since it is more useful for this type of statistics to consider the pdf in terms of the spatial variables α and , the azimuthal angle, and because dA=sin(α)dαdϕ, the pdf is more often written as:
which gives the probability of finding a direction vector in the circular strip on the unit sphere between the angles α and α+dα from the true direction.
The Fisher probability distribution is the basis for the estimation of descriptive and inferential statistics presented in this section.
The mean direction vector, vm, describing the average of a set of N unit vectors can be calculated as follows:
and R is the length of the resultant vector sum of all observations, which is given by:
The precision parameter, κ, is a population parameter that describes the concentration of the pdf around the true direction. As κ approaches 0, the distribution becomes uniform over the unit sphere and as κ approaches∞, the distribution becomes singular at the true direction. The sample estimate of κ is k (Fisher, 1953; McFadden, 1980) given by:
where N is the number of unit vectors in the sample and R is the length of the resultant vector calculated in (4).
For a confidence level of (1-p)% (typically 95% or p=0.05), a circle can be defined by all points at an angle of α(1-p) from the calculated mean direction, vm. α(1-p) is given by:
where N is the number of unit vectors in the sample, R is the resultant vector calculated in (4) and p is defined according to confidence level.
In order to test the null hypothesis - that sample observations from 2 or more groups are taken from the same population - the mean direction vectors and confidence angles may be compared across groups or inferential statistics may be calculated.
An intuitive comparison of group directional information is to use the circle of confidence defined by α95. The clearest inferences can be made when: 1) α95 circles for the groups do not overlap, then the null hypothesis is unlikely or 2) the mean direction vector from one group lies inside α95 of the other, then the null hypothesis is likely. A less clear case occurs when α95 circles for the groups do overlap, but the mean from each group lies outside the α95-circle of the other.
A more quantitative way to perform hypothesis testing is by calculation of the F statistic. The following equation was derived by Watson (Watson, 1956), to compare two groups with N1 and N2 observed unit vectors respectively and resultant vectors of length R1 and R2 respectively:
where N=N1+N2 and R is the length of the resultant vector for the pooled direction vector observations from both groups. The larger the value of F, the more different the two group mean directions and, a p-value may be obtained using the appropriate degrees of freedom (2 and 2(N-2) respectively). Equation 7 also extends to hypothesis testing of more than 2 groups.
Although Fisher statistics are generalizable to the analysis of many types of directional data sets, it is important to consider certain inherent attributes of DTI data for accurate directional analysis. Here, it is suggested that the potential pitfalls of DTI data be avoided or accounted for prior to statistical analysis so that the input for Fisher statistics are groups of direction vectors where each vector accurately represents the tissue orientation within a given region of interest (ROI) for one brain sample and is collected and calculated consistently across all samples and groups.
Sources of variance that may contribute to erroneous directional measurement include: positioning of the sample within the scanner reference frame, gross brain structure abnormalities (e.g. by uneven fixation) and ROI mask placement variations. To the extent possible, these should be reduced by experimental practices or corrected for by post-processing techniques, for example DTI-appropriate registration to standard space (Jones et al., 2002).
Most DEC maps report directional coloration based on an absolute value algorithm, which creates maps that are qualitatively intuitive and do not suffer from discontinuity artifacts (Pajevic & Pierpaoli, 1999), however this approach suffers from ambiguity in that each color represents 4 unique directions. For example, if <R,G,B> = < |x|, |y|, |z|>, then the directions: x,y,z = (0.6667, 0.3333, 0.6667), (−0.6667, 0.3333, 0.6667), (0.6667, −0.3333, 0.6667) and (−0.6667, −0.3333, 0.6667) are all different from one another, but coded for by the same shade of "pink". This is particularly evident for bilateral structures, such as the fimbria (see figures 1a and e), which are encoded for by the same color in both brain hemispheres when in fact the ε1 vectors for symmetric anatomical locations are oriented differently, albeit symmetrically. Consequently, care should be taken to consider ROIs from different hemispheres separately or carefully transform directional data from anatomically symmetric regions to a single hemisphere.
Perhaps the most substantial issue in the analysis of directional DTI data arises from the arbitrary sign of the DTI eigenvectors (i.e. ε1=−ε1) which implies that the collection of eigenvectors in an ROI may be clustered about two points, known as antipodes, that are exactly opposite one another on the unit sphere (illustrated in figure 1b). Uncorrected, this could lead to severe misestimation of the direction vector. To avert this, it is possible to map all vectors to a single antipode before determining the direction vector. Similarly, direction vectors for all observations within and across groups should be taken from antipodes in the same hemisphere, although choice of the hemisphere will depend on the orientation of the structure in question.
Ex-vivo brain samples from two rat models of brain injury, status epilepticus (SE) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), were compared to control samples. DTI images from these models were selected specifically for the development of the Fisher statistics method based on qualitative identification of abnormalities on a DEC map. All rats were from the Sprague Dawley strain and all animals were housed and treated according to national guidelines and institutional oversight and approval.
SE was induced by kainic acid administered intraperitoneally (8–10 mg/kg) to juvenile (P=35, n=4) and adult (P70, n=2) male rats according to conventional procedures (Ben-Ari, 1985). For inclusion, rats must have demonstrated sustained class V seizure behavior and the groups were combined based on similarity of the brain images and identified abnormalities on the DEC map. TBI was induced in adult rats (n=6 male and 4 female) by controlled cortical impact (CCI) according to conventional procedures (Dixon et al., 1991) using a stereotaxic impactor with 3mm cylindrical bit placed over the temporo-parietal cortex. CCI was performed with a velocity of 4 m/s and penetration depth between 1–3 mm. Controls (n=3) were normal adult male rats.
At greater than 6 months following SE or CCI each rat was transcardially perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde (PFA) and the brain was removed from the skull and stored in PFA for a minimum of 2 weeks. Prior to imaging, brains were rinsed in 0.9% saline for 48 hours. During imaging, brain samples were placed in a custom built sample holder and immersed in Fluorinert (FC-3283; 3M, St. Paul, MN).
For each 7 hour and 2 minute ex-vivo DTI acquisition, 3 brains were simultaneously imaged using a 4.7 T Agilent MRI system and 3.5cm diameter quadrature volume RF coil. A series of multi-slice, diffusion-weighted, spin echo images were acquired with three non-weighted (b~0) and 30 diffusion weighted (b~1200 s/mm2, δ=4.5 ms, Δ=11.2 ms and G=23.84 G/cm), using non-colinear weighting directions (selected from the GE medical systems tensor.dat direction set by Bryan Mock). Other imaging parameters were TE/TR=24.17/2000ms, FOV = 30×30 mm2, matrix = 192×192 reconstructed to 256×256, slice thickness = 0.5mm, number of slices = 35 and 2 signal averages.
DTI maps were created offline using a combination of FSL software and custom Matlab code (version 7.8, R2009a). The diffusion tensor was determined at each voxel using a non-linear least squares fitting algorithm (Koay et al., 2006). FA and DEC maps were generated as well as images containing the Cartesian vector coordinates for ε1.
To address the sources of experimental error described in section 2.5.1, no brains were included with compromised perfusion surgeries and design of the sample holder and positioning of the samples in the scanner reference frame were intended to minimize variations in sample orientation. No registration of the images was performed to make post-processing corrections for sample misalignment. ROI generation was carefully planned and performed to ensure consistent placement.
Multi-slice ROI masks for the left and right hilus of the dorsal hippocampal dentate gyrus, midline corpus callosum (CC) and left and right fimbria were manually created for each sample in the native space of the acquired DTI images based on anatomical landmarks as defined by standard coordinates of a rat brain atlas (Watson & Paxinos, 1986). The ROI masks were then used to extract ε1 for every voxel in the ROI.
Based on the suggestions made in 2.5.3, all ε1 measurements were mapped to a single antipode and a single unit direction vector for each ROI for each sample was determined as follows. First, a reference "pole" was defined automatically by pooling all ε1 measurements and their −ε1 pairs across all voxels and all subjects for a given ROI. Then, cluster analysis was performed to determine a pair of necessarily opposite vectors and the vector in the positive z hemisphere was selected for use as the "pole". Next, each (ε1, −ε1) pair in the ROI was evaluated and only the vector nearest to the "pole" was included. Finally, the unit direction vector describing average direction in the ROI for each sample was defined as the vector average of the mapped eigenvectors within the ROI and the collection of sample unit direction vectors across experimental groups were subjected to Fisher statistical analysis.
All statistical analysis and generation of spherical plots was performed using custom Matlab code. For each group, the resultant vector length and mean direction vector were calculated from the collection of observed direction vectors according to equations (3) and (4). For visualization and hypothesis testing, the mean direction vector and circle defined by α95, calculated using equation (6), were plotted for each group and the direction vectors for each sample in all three groups were plotted. The F-statistic was calculated for group comparisons according to equation (7) and a p-value was determined from the F distribution table.
Sets of directional DTI data were measured and analyzed for the CC, fimbria and hilus of rats following SE, TBI and normal controls. The technique and results are illustrated in figures 1 and and22.
There was no significant difference in CC mean direction between controls and SE model animals (F=0.198, p=0.823) or TBI model animals (F=0.228, p=0.798). There were also no directional differences found in the left or right fimbria between controls and SE (left: F=3.325, p=0.066; right: F=0.782, p=0.476) or TBI (left: F=0.041, p=0.960; right: F=0.196, p=0.823) groups.
Significant directional differences were found in the hilus between the control group and the SE model group (left: F=16.520, p<0.001; right: F=15.189, p<0.001) as well as the TBI model group on the side of injury (right: F=24.8560, p<0.001), but not the contralateral side (left: F=2.230, p=0.131).
The Fisher statistical method was applied to obtain descriptive statistics of DTI directional information in three groups of ex-vivo rat brain samples and enabled quantitative inferences about directional differences in 3 different brain structures. No directional abnormalities were found following injury in the CC or fimbria, but a significant difference was found for the hilus that confirmed subjective visual observations of ε1 directional shift from anterior-posterior to dorsal-ventral. Although the structural substrates of this directional alteration remain to be shown, the hilus is known to be highly susceptible to cell loss and aberrant reorganization following injury and during epileptogenesis (Dudek et al., 2002). Directional analysis using Fisher statistics appears to be sensitive to tissue change following both TBI and SE and may complement and extend the findings of other post-SE DTI investigations, which have shown increased FA in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus (Laitinen et al., 2010) and correlations of DTI measures with histological measures of mossy fiber sprouting (Kuo et al., 2008; Laitinen et al., 2010). This approach also quantitatively distinguished the expected spatial patterns of directional abnormalities between the two models by showing significant bilateral differences from control values in the SE model and differences in the TBI model that were restricted to the side of injury.
Fisher statistics are potentially useful for the comparison of direction vectors between experimental groups, however they may not be suitable for all types of directional DTI data. The requirement that directional data are normally distributed about the mean direction vector and independently observed precludes analysis within a single sample (e.g. eigenvectors in an ROI). For data that do not conform to the requirements of Fisher statistics, other approaches exist, such as the Kent distribution for elliptically distributed directions, the Bingham distribution for bimodal data or non-parametric methods (a useful review of these methods exists in Tauxe, 2010).
A framework for the statistical description and inference of directional DTI data has been presented based on the Fisher statistical method and was demonstrated to be effective for distinguishing ROIs with altered directional properties following injury. Quantitative investigation of directional properties of brain tissue are potentially useful in both animal and human studies to identify regions of tumor infiltration, white matter tract disruption, developmental structural organization or any other process that affects the directional microstructure of brain tissue.
The authors thank Sue Osting and Craig Levenick for their technical assistance with animal surgeries and sample preparation. This work was funded by the following sources: NINDS R01 25020 and Department of Defense DR080424. EH is funded in part by an award from the Lily's Fund for Epilepsy Research.
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1Abbreviations: Diffusion tensor imaging, DTI; diffusion tensor, DT; fractional anisotropy, FA; mean diffusion, MD; directionally encoded color maps, DEC maps; probability density function, pdf; region of interest, ROI; status epilepticus, SE; traumatic brain injury, TBI; controlled cortical impact, CCI; corpus callosum, CC.
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A new algorithm for identifying the flavour of B-s(0) mesons at LHCb
A new algorithm for the determination of the initial flavour of B-s(0) mesons is presented. The algorithm is based on two neural networks and exploits the b hadron production mechanism at a hadron collider. The first network is trained to select charged kaons produced in association with the B-s(0) meson. The second network combines the kaon charges to assign the B-s(0) flavour and estimates the probability of a wrong assignment. The algorithm is calibrated using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1) collected by the LHCb experiment in proton-proton collisions at 7 and 8 TeV centre-of-mass energies. The calibration is performed in two ways: by resolving the B-s(0)-B-s(0) flavour oscillations in B-s(0) -> D-s(-)pi(+) decays, and by analysing flavour-specific B-s2*(5840)(0) -> B+K- decays. The tagging power measured in B-s(0) -> D-s(-)pi(+) decays is found to be (1.80 +/- 0.19 ( stat) +/- 0.18 (syst))%, which is an improvement of about 50% compared to a similar algorithm previously used in the LHCb experiment.
- doi:10.1088/1748-0221/11/05/P05010
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Keywords: Analysis and statistical methods ; Particle identification methods ; Pattern recognition ; cluster finding ; calibration and fitting methods
Record created on 2016-07-19, modified on 2017-05-12