Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A comparison between simulated and experimental basis sets for assessing short‐TE in vivo 1H MRS data at 1.5 T

A number of algorithms designed to determine metabolite concentrations from in vivo 1H MRS require a collection of single metabolite spectra, known as a basis set, which can be obtained experimentally or by simulation. It has been assumed that basis sets can be used interchangeably, but no systematic study has investigated the effects of small variations in basis functions on the metabolite values obtained. The aim of this study was to compare the results of simulated with experimental basis sets when used to fit short‐TE 1H MRS data of variable quality at 1.5 T. Two hundred and twelve paediatric brain tumour spectra were included in the analysis, and each was analysed twice with LCModel™ using a simulated and experimental basis set. To determine the influence of data quality on quantification, each spectrum was assessed and 152 were classified as being of ‘good’ quality. Bland–Altman statistics were used to measure the agreement between the two basis sets for all available spectra and only ‘good’‐quality spectra. Monte‐Carlo simulations were performed to investigate the influence of minor shifts in metabolite frequencies on metabolite concentration estimates. All metabolites showed good agreement between the two basis sets, and the average metabolite limits of agreement were approximately ±3.84 mM for all available data and ±0.99 mM for good‐quality data. Errors obtained from the Monte‐Carlo analysis were found to be more accurate than the Cramer–Rao lower bounds (CRLB) for 12 of 15 metabolites when metabolite frequency shifting was considered. For the majority of purposes, a level of agreement of ±0.99 mM between simulated and experimental basis sets is sufficiently small for them to be used interchangeably. Multiple analyses using slightly modified basis sets may be useful in estimating fitting errors, which are not predicted by CRLBs. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
CONTROLE DO CAPITAL INTELECTUAL: UM MODELO APLICADO À GESTÃO DOS ATIVOS DO CONHECIMENTO

The knowledge management (KM) and intellectual capital (IC) have been topics of great relevance in academia and business. However, the literature suggests that there is a research gap that need to be better understood deriving from the difficulties encountered by researchers and companies in manage, measure and control the intangible assets. The purpose of this article is to propose a theoretical-conceptual model to support the development of a control system to IC and KM. Accordingly it is discussed the design of the management control system (MCS) and previous studies that supports the proposed model are analyzed. The study expands the understanding on the focal topic and helps to fill that research gap, showing that: (1) an adequate design of the MCS can contribute to the externalizing of part of the tacit knowledge, transforming it into explicit knowledge through acculturation of the members of the company; (2) the organizational culture helps to systematize and disseminate knowledge in the company; (3) the cultural control can help to integrate the knowledge, manage it and turn it into IC; and (4) the MCS can collaborate in the individual knowledge socialization process and in the collective knowledge institutionalization aiming to create value for companies.
Isolation and identification of fecal bacteria from adult swine

An examination of the fecal microflora of adult swine was made with regard to the efficiency of several roll tube media in enumeration and recovery of anaerobes, the effects of medium constituents on recovery, and the isolation and identification of the predominant kinds of bacteria. Total number of organisms by microscopic bacterial counts varied among fecal samples from 4.48 X 10(10) to 7.40 X 10(10) bacteria/g (wet weight). Comparison of different nonselective roll tube media indicated that about 30% of the fecal bacteria could be recovered with a rumen fluid (40%, vol/vol) medium (M98-5). Recoveries of 21 and 15%, respectively, were obtained with M10 and rumen fluid-glucose-cellobiose agar (RGCA) media. Rumen fluid, Trypticase, sugars, and CO2 gas phase were important components required for maximum recovery with this medium. Similar high recoveries of anaerobes were also obtained with M98-5 containing swine cecal extract of place in rumen fluid or M10 plus swine cecal extract. Significantly lower recoveries were observed with RCGA, media supplemented with swine fecal extracts, reinforced clostridial medium, brain heart infusion agar, and prereduced blood agar. Ninety percent of the bacteria isolated from roll tube media were gram positive and consisted of facultatively anaerobic streptococci, Eubacterium sp. , Clostridium sp. , and Propionibacterium acnes. The remainder of the flora (8%) included several other species of anaerobes and Escherichia coli. Rumen fluid (or volatile fatty acids), Trypticase, and yeast extract additions to basal media stimulated the growth of anaerobic strains. Variation in the relative proportions of the predominant fecal microflora was observed. This work indicates that satisfactory enumeration, isolation and cultivation of the predominant microflora in swine feces can be obtained when strict anaerobic culture methods and a rumen fluid medium are used.
A Model of Marketing Knowledge use within Firms

The process of knowledge utilization within firms has come to be viewed as an increasingly important area for research in light of its implications for organizational effectiveness. However, our current understanding of this phenomenon is limited because the process of knowledge use in organizations is complex and difficult to conceptualize and measure. Building on prior research in public policy, sociology, marketing, and other administrative disciplines, the authors first explicate the nature of knowledge utilization and propose a framework for circumscribing the concept of knowledge utilization. Next, using an emerging theoretical perspective on knowledge utilization, the “organizational” view, the authors present a conceptual model and research propositions that provide insights into informational and organizational factors that affect marketing knowledge utilization in firms.
Postoperative Handover: Problems, Pitfalls, and Prevention of Error

Objective:To identify the information transfer and communication problems in postoperative handover and to develop and validate a novel protocol for standardizing this communication. Background:Effective clinical handover ensures continuity of patient care. Patient handovers within surgical units are largely informal. A thorough understanding of the problem is vital to develop standardized protocols. Methods:A qualitative semistructured interview study was conducted with 18 healthcare professionals to uncover the problems with postoperative handover and to identify solutions, including components of a postoperative handover protocol. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and submitted to emergent theme analysis. Multiple blind coders were used to ensure triangulation and reliability of the coding process. A Delphi method was used to elicit consensus from a group of 50 surgical professionals so as to validate the handover protocol. Results:Many of the information transfer and communication failures at the postoperative phase are deemed to be due to an incomplete handover. All the interviewed healthcare professionals agreed that postoperative handover should be structured in the form of a standardized protocol so as to prevent omissions of any critical information. Based on this, 28 items were submitted to the Delphi process. Of these, 21 items had a mean importance score greater than 4.0 and were included in the final postoperative handover proforma under the following headings: patient-specific information, surgical information, and anesthetic information. Conclusion:The present study identified that the postoperative handover is informal, unstructured and inconsistent with often incomplete information transfer. Based on end-user input, a handover protocol was successfully developed and validated. Use of this may facilitate standardization of this critical activity and thereby improve the quality of patient care.
Effects of Elevated Levels of Manganese and Iron in Drinking Water on Birth Outcomes

We examined the impact of elevated exposure levels of pregnant women to manganese and iron through drinking water on pregnancy outcomes. We conducted an epidemiological study among 16,408 pregnant women of Kaunas. We assessed each woman at her residence for exposure to manganese and iron levels measured in four Kaunas public water supply networks. We used a logistic regression to model the association between drinking water quality and birth outcomes controlling the confounding variables. Analysis yielded an increase in adjusted odds ratios (AOR) for term low birth weight (LBW) for moderate exposure level, 1.53 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.89-2.66); and 1.70 (95% CI 1.07-2.71) for high exposure level. Maternal exposure was associated with a mean reduction of 21 g (SE, 9 g; p=0.02) in birth weight. No associations were observed between manganese and iron levels and preterm birth. These findings suggest that elevated levels of manganese and iron in drinking water are associated with a reduction in birth weight in term-born infants. However, further individual-level epidemiologic studies are necessary to investigate the factors that contribute to the increased sensitivity of some pregnant women.
Colorectal Cancer Metastatic to the Brain: Time Trends in Presentation and Outcome

Objective: It was the aim of this study to compare differences in disease pattern, patient characteristics and survival in patient cohorts treated during different decades. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients with brain metastases from colorectal cancer treated between 1983 and June 2008 in Northern Norway. The patients were assigned to 3 different groups, based on the decade of treatment. Results: The time interval between first cancer diagnosis and brain metastases has significantly increased over time. The use of chemotherapy before development of brain metastases has also increased. Only few patients did not harbour extracranial metastases. Chemotherapy after diagnosis of brain metastases has been used exclusively in the present decade, but in only 3 patients. Combined surgical resection or radiosurgery plus whole-brain radiotherapy has increasingly been utilized, but whole-brain radiotherapy alone remained the cornerstone. Neither survival from first cancer diagnosis nor from brain metastasis treatment has improved significantly; however, with up to 17 patients, the groups were small. Three factors were significantly associated with better survival: good performance status, limited number of brain metastases (1 vs. 2–3 vs. 4 or more) and absence of extracranial metastases. The prognostic impact of the recursive partitioning analysis classes was confirmed, while the new graded prognostic assessment index performed less well. Conclusions: Median survival was maximum 6 months in all decades, despite the increasing use of more aggressive treatment. As most patients harbour extracranial metastases that threaten their lives, systemic treatment might theoretically play a role in the management of these patients, but more data need to be collected to confirm the clinical impact of this approach.
Service quality dimensions of hybrid services

Purpose – This paper aims to identify the dimensions of service quality in the case of hybrid services.Design/methodology/approach – The service quality dimensions are identified using an exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Next the reliability and validity of the factors are established through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using AMOS.Findings – The paper identifies nine service quality dimensions in the hybrid services – customer service, staff competence, reputation, price, tangibles, ease of subscription, technology security and information quality, technology convenience, and technology usage easiness and reliability.Practical implications – The various dimensions of service quality should be viewed as the levers of improving perceived service quality in the minds of its current customers. Identifying the service quality dimensions in hybrid contexts can offer service providers valuable insights regarding on which aspects of the service to focus in order to improve customer satisfaction, loyalty,.
Metabolism of fibrinogen in cirrhosis of the liver.

This work was presented in part at the National Meeting of the American Federation for Clinical Research, Atlantic City, N. J. May 1970. During this study Dr. Tytgat and Dr. Collen were recipients of a grant from the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research. Received for publication 10 December 1970 and in revised form 22 February 197
Firm resources, competitive actions and performance: investigating a mediated model with evidence from the in‐vitro diagnostics industry

Building on the resource-based view (RBV) and competitive dynamics literatures, this paper proposes that considering resources or actions independently offers an incomplete understanding of the drivers of superior performance. Instead, we hypothesize that resources enable competitive actions and that when these actions leverage the firm's resources, superior performance results. We tested these hypotheses with panelized data on the technological resources and competitive actions of firms in the in-vitro medical diagnostic substance manufacturing industry. The results provide substantial support for our hypotheses, specifically with respect to mediation. Our theory and results underscore how the integration of the competitive dynamics and RBV literatures can significantly improve our understanding of firm performance. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Influence of Institutions, Investor Protection and Corporate Block-Shareholders in Asset Pricing

This study introduces a new asset pricing factor to capture both the effects of concentrated ownership and institutional development of in 61 international equity markets. The evidence suggests the new measure offers significant improvements over the size and book-to-market value three factor model of Fama and French (1993) and to a lesser extent the two factor liquidity augmented model of Liu (2006) in capturing the cross section of average stock returns. The findings emphasise the importance of institutional quality, legal origin and concentrated ownership that are the basis of property rights protection in the portfolio diversification decisions of minority investors
Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide Measurements in Rhinitis and Asthma in Children

Exaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is considered a good noninvasive marker to assess airway inflammation in asthma and allergic rhinitis. In asthma, exhaled NO is very useful to verify adherence to therapy, and to predict upcoming asthma exacerbations. It has been also proposed that adjusting anti-inflammatory drugs guided by the monitoring of exhaled NO, could improve overall asthma control. Other studies showed increased FeNO levels in subjects with allergic rhinitis.
Marketing strategy selection, marketing metrics, and firm performance

Purpose – This research aims to investigate the relationship between customer‐based performance measures (marketing measures of firm success) and business growth performance (strategy measures of firm success), in the context of strategic marketing positioning decisions and suggests customer‐based metrics may play a key role in measuring overall business achievements.Design/methodology/approach – This is an empirical survey of 209 business‐to‐business services firms.Findings – Customer‐based performance (marketing measures) is associated with the choice of generic positioning and segmentation strategies, while strategic positioning choice (i.e. low‐cost vs differentiation) is indirectly, rather than directly, associated with business growth performance. The “both” strategy, where firms simultaneously pursue both low‐cost and differentiated strategies, leads to improved performance in these B2B services firms.Research limitations/implications – The study potentially has industry‐ and/or service‐specific li.
E-commerce information systems (ECIS) success: A South African study

As a phenomenon of the 1990s, e-Commerce is relatively new. Its advent offered the promise of new opportunities to businesses and entrepreneurs around the world. The hyperbole associated with the Internet and the Web resulted in a mindset that e-Commerce was an easy road to success. It was believed that this new technology-based approach would revolutionise business in a number of ways, including changing the relationships between the stakeholders and allowing small organisations to play on the global stage. However, the road to business enhancement through e-Commerce has not been easy. Many organisations have not survived their attempts to engage in e-Commerce and others have radically changed their approach since the eBubble burst. There were many reasons for the failure of these e-Commerce initiatives. They included poor business ideas, no control of expenditure, lack of general business experience and immaturity, as well as little understanding of the crucial importance of managing the technology through which the Internet and the Web delivers e-Commerce opportunities. This thesis explores the intricacies of IS within the South African B2C eCommerce environment and argues that without a coherent understanding of the factors affecting IS success, the implementation of traditional IS evaluation mechanisms may be problematic. A comparative analysis of studies in this field between the preand poste-Commerce eras, ascertained a paucity of theoretical frameworks and a fragmented body of knowledge in the extant literature, with a narrow focus on web-interface issues. Consequently, the main aim of the study was to advance theory in the field of IS evaluation. The empirical work reported in this thesis examines the role of information systems in facilitating the various components of e-Commerce. In the research a new name for this has been used, viz., e-Commerce Information Systems (ECIS). The research involved analysing evidence that was collected from over 60 interviews as well as from many websites and other documentation supplied by knowledgeable informants from South African B2C e-Commerce businesses. The transcription and coding of the substantive body of qualitative evidence was informed by grounded theory method, hermeneutical analysis, and reflexive interpretation. NVivo was also employed to facilitate the management and interpretation of the evidence.
Carbon is not required during crystallization to produce ferrobasalts/ferrodiorites (FTP rocks)

Abstract Experiments were conducted to determine whether the presence of graphite is required to produce the Fe-Ti-P-enrichment, silica-depletion trend seen in ferrobasalts and ferrodiorites/jotunites. A nominally anhydrous Snake River Plain olivine tholeiite was crystallized at 9.3 kbar in Fe-Pt capsules; the composition of the Fe-Pt alloy was empirically chosen such that the charge neither lost nor gained iron. The results of these experiments and those of previous experiments conducted in graphite are strikingly similar: in both cases the residual liquids were depleted in silica and enriched in Fe, Ti, and P. We conclude that the presence of carbon is not essential for producing this distinctive trend.
Hemodynamic effects of the laparoscopic pneumoperitoneum during sepsis in a porcine endotoxic shock model.

OBJECTIVE The authors compared the hemodynamic effects of laparoscopic intervention with conventional laparotomy in an endotoxic shock model in the pig. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA Laparoscopic techniques are being applied more frequently to severely ill patients to evaluate potential abdominal sources of sepsis. Although hemodynamic effects of laparoscopy are minimal in healthy patients, recent studies have shown more significant changes in patients with chronic cardiopulmonary disease. It is unclear whether these effects are applicable to acutely septic patients. METHODS Twelve domestic pigs received intravenous lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection and underwent surgical abdominal exploration using either laparoscopy or conventional laparotomy. For baseline comparison, four pigs underwent exploratory laparoscopy without intravenous LPS injection. Hemodynamic measurements and blood gas analyses were obtained using Swan-Ganz and arterial catheters. RESULTS After LPS exposure, animals undergoing laparoscopic evaluation were significantly more hypercarbic (p < 0.01) and acidotic (p < 0.01) than those undergoing conventional laparotomy. Their mean pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance were greater as well (not significant). The cardiac index (p < 0.05) and stroke volume (p < 0.05) were decreased in the laparoscopic group. Their oxygen delivery was decreased and oxygen consumption increased, although these were not significantly different from those of the laparotomy group. The degree of acidosis was highly correlated with the cardiac index (correlation coefficient, r = 0.82). CONCLUSIONS Animals exposed to LPS tolerate laparoscopy but with significant hemodynamic compromise. Much of this effect seems to be mediated by a cardiodepressive effect of acidosis. This study suggests that laparoscopic intervention, when used in septic patients, should be used with caution.
“Mesonephroma” of ovary. Tumor of müllerian nature related to the endometrioid carcinoma

A review of the pathologic features of 17 unselected and 11 selected cases of ovarian “mesonephroma,” characterized by clear and hobnail‐shaped cells, disclosed a high incidence of pelvic endometriosis in the unselected series, frequent admixtures with endometrioid carcinoma in both series and 11 cases in which the tumor arose from the epithelium of an endometrial cyst. In view of these findings, the occasional origin of “mesonephromas” in the endometrium and the lack of convincing evidence for a mesonephric origin or direction of differentiation, the authors believe that these tumors are müllerian, not mesonephric, and that they are closely related to endometrioid tumors. The similar clinical behavior of “mesonephromas” and endometrioid carcinomas of the ovary, which has been reported elsewhere, supports the concept that they are related. The endometrioid nature of “mesonephromas” has possible therapeutic implications, inasmuch as carcinomas of the uterine endometrium may respond to progestational drugs.