Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Technetium-99m-methylene diphosphonate scintimammography to image primary breast cancer.

UNLABELLED Technetium-99m-methylene diphosphonate (MDP) uptake within breast lesions was investigated during routine presurgical bone scintigraphy in a cohort of women at high risk for cancer who were candidates for surgery or excisional biopsy. The aim was twofold: (a) to demonstrate positive 99mTc-MDP uptake in primary breast cancer and (b) to differentiate malignant from benign lesions. METHODS Anterior and oblique lateral views of the breasts were acquired 0-4 min, 10-20 min and 2 hr after intravenous injection of 740 MBq of 99mTc-MDP in 200 women with elevated suspicion or proven diagnosis of breast cancer (Group 1) and in 80 women with other solid tumor types (Group 2). RESULTS Physical examination and mammography revealed breast abnormalities in all Group 1 subjects. The mammographic findings were definitely positive for carcinoma in 120 patients, highly suspicious in 27 and indeterminate in 53. Breast cancer was later histologically diagnosed in 172 women (86%) and benign disease found in 28 women (14%). Of these patients, 158 (92%) showed focal uptake of 99mTc-MDP in the images collected 10-20 min after injection. This was found to be the best timing for imaging, with tumor-to-background ratios as high as 4.3 (mean +/- s.d. = 3.8 +/- 0.4). Two hr after injection, only 61 of the 158 (38%) malignant lesions were clearly detectable. CONCLUSION Technetium-99m-MDP is concentrated by primary breast carcinoma 10-20 min after injection, enabling successful external gamma imaging. Scintimammography with 99mTc-MDP is an accurate test that differentiates malignant from benign breast lesions, particularly in patients with indeterminate mammograms.
GTCF based LARC contouring motion control of an industrial X-Y linear-motor-driven stage

A global task coordinate frame (GTCF) based learning adaptive robust controller (LARC) is practically synthesized for an industrial X-Y linear-motor-driven stage to achieve not only good parametric adaptation ability and uncertain disturbance robustness, but also excellent transient/steady-state contouring performance. With the employment of GTCF which is globally based on the shape of the desired contour, the real-time contouring error calculation model is rather accurate and the coordination of multi-axes motion is guaranteed. Then a LARC control framework is proposed for the coupled system dynamics in GTCF, where the adaptive robust control term is to deal with the strongly coupled system model, and the iterative learning control term is to address the effect of unmodelled dynamics. Comparative experiments are carried out on an industrial linear-motor-driven stage, and the results consistently verify that the proposed GTCF based LARC controller has excellent contouring performance, and robustness to parametric variations and external disturbances.
Classification of Time Spent in the Intrapreneurial Process

This paper aims to enrich the concept of time as used in management. We study how R&D engineers manage their time to pursue intrapreneurial activities that correspond to new business ideas which emerge outside assigned tasks. The availability of time has been underlined by scholars as a positive factor for intrapreneurship and as a key resource for projects. Yet, time as a resource is mostly viewed as quantitative. In contrast, we conduct an in-depth investigation of the qualitative nature of time used and/or needed by intrapreneurs. Our empirical study shows that various forms of time are called upon in the intrapreneurial process. Moreover, we find that the contribution of each form of time varies according to the three main components of the intrapreneurial process (identification, exploration, development of an innovative opportunity). This leads to a theoretical re-conception of time, complementing the traditional quantitative view with qualitative forms of time involved in the intrapreneurial process. From a practical standpoint, we suggest that empowerment and managerial benevolence toward intrapreneurs, who take time from their assigned tasks in the crucial phase of exploration, can help foster intrapreneurship.
Campus recreation directors' leadership to provide professional assistance to help students obtain professional and graduate assistant positions

Over the years, the Campus Recreation field has become a dynamic and exciting area with a variety of job and career opportunities. This study attempted to examine the type, frequency and perceived importance of assistance Campus Recreation directors provide for students to obtain a professional or graduate assistant position in the Campus Recreation field. This study found career counseling and résumé advice were the most popular type of assistance Campus Recreation directors provide for both graduate assistants and student employees. Frequency varied from every other year to every semester/quarter depending on assistance. Campus Recreation directors perceived all the assistance items ranging from somewhat important to essential. Most of the participants’ demographics did not make a difference in frequency or perceived importance of assistance. Overall perceived importance was placed more on graduate assistants than on student employees although there was no difference in frequency between graduate assistants and student employees. Finally, Campus Recreation directors provided assistance for students at the frequency based on their perceived importance most of the
Adaptive single-shot phase measurements: The full quantum theory

The phase of a single-mode field can be measured in a single-shot measurement by interfering the field with an effectively classical local oscillator of known phase. The standard technique is to have the local oscillator detuned from the system (heterodyne detection) so that it is sometimes in phase and sometimes in quadrature with the system over the course of the measurement. This enables both quadratures of the system to be measured, from which the phase can be estimated. One of us [H. M. Wiseman, Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 4587 (1995)] has shown recently that it is possible to make a much better estimate of the phase by using an adaptive technique in which a resonant local oscillator has its phase adjusted by a feedback loop during the single-shot measurement. In a previous work [H. M. Wiseman and R. B. Killip, Phys. Rev. A 56, 944 (1997)] we presented a semiclassical analysis of a particular adaptive scheme, which yielded asymptotic results for the phase variance of strong fields. In this paper we present an exact quantum mechanical treatment. This is necessary for calculating the phase variance for fields with small photon numbers, and also for considering figures of merit other than the phase variance. Our results show that an adaptive scheme is always superior to heterodyne detection as far as the variance is concerned. However, the tails of the probability distribution are surprisingly high for this adaptive measurement, so that it does not always result in a smaller probability of error in phase-based optical communication.
The transition zone between healthy and diseased retina in patients with retinitis pigmentosa.

PURPOSE To describe the structural changes in the transition zone from relatively healthy retinal regions to severely affected regions in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) using frequency domain optical coherence tomography (fdOCT). METHODS FdOCT line scans of the horizontal meridian were obtained from one eye of 13 patients with RP and 30 control subjects. The patients had normal or near normal foveal sensitivities and visual field diameters ≥10°. Using a computer-aided manual segmentation procedure, the locations at which the outer segment (OS) and outer nuclear layer plus outer plexiform layer (ONL+) thicknesses fell below the 95% confidence interval of the controls were measured, as were the locations at which the OS layer disappeared and the locations at which the ONL+ was reduced to an asymptotically small thickness. RESULTS The progression from healthy to severely affected regions followed a common pattern in most patients. Region A, the central region including the foveal center, had normal OS and ONL+ thickness. Region B had abnormal OS but normal ONL+ thickness. Region C had abnormal but measurable OS and ONL+ thicknesses. In Region D, the OS layer disappeared, as did the IS/OS line, and the ONL+ thickness decreased further. In Region E, the ONL+ reached an asymptotic thickness. CONCLUSIONS The structural changes in the transition zone followed an orderly progression from a thinning of the OS layer, to a thinning of the ONL+, to a loss of the OS layer, to an ONL+ reduced to an asymptotically small level.
An Exploration of Frequent Service Failures in the Brazilian Airline Industry

ABSTRACT This study explores how customer evaluations of service failures and failure recurrence impact negative emotions and intent to complain. A survey of 589 Brazilian airline passengers demonstrates the meditational effect of negative emotions such that customers who perceive failures as severe and/or preventable by the airline develop more negative emotions, which subsequently increases intent to complain. We also demonstrate the moderating role of failure recurrence such that failure recurrence reduces the effect of failure severity on negative emotions. Our findings have important implications for managers and airlines in order to mitigate negative outcomes following a service failure.
Safety and tolerability of repeated administration of pyridoxal 2-chlorobenzoyl hydrazone in rabbits

Recently, pyridoxal 2-chlorobenzoyl hydrazone (o-108) has been identified as an effective iron chelator [Link et al., Blood 2003; 101: 4172–79]. Since chronic treatment would be necessary in its potential indications, in the present study, the safety and tolerability of this agent after repeated administration was determined. Three doses of o-108 (25, 50, 100 mg/kg, in 10% Cremophor EL) were administered intraperitoneally, once weekly, for 10 weeks to three groups (n–5 each) of Chinchilla male rabbits. The effects on biochemical, haematological and cardiovascular parameters were examined during the experiment; histopathological examination was performed at the end of the experiment. Results were compared with control (saline 2 mL/kg, n–11) and vehicle groups (10% Cremophor EL, 2 mL/kg, n–12). No premature deaths occurred; the well-being of animals was evidenced by their body weight gain, although lower gain was observed with the highest dose (100 mg/kg). Significant elevations of cardiac troponin T plasma concentrations were observed with the highest dose of o-108, but no abnormalities were found in the cardiovascular function and only minor and inconsistent changes in haematological and biochemical parameters were observed. Histopathological examinations of selected organs revealed only weak and reversible changes through all studied groups. Thus, the data from this study suggest that o-108 remains a promising drug from the standpoint of the possibility of its repeated administration and warrants further investigation.
Hyperphosphatemia induces senescence in human endothelial cells by increasing endothelin‐1 production

Hyperphosphatemia is related to some pathologies, affecting vascular cell behavior. This work analyzes whether high concentration of extracellular phosphate induces endothelial senescence through up‐regulation of endothelin‐1 (ET‐1), exploring the mechanisms involved. The phosphate donor β‐glycerophosphate (BGP) in human endothelial cells increased ET‐1 production, endothelin‐converting enzyme‐1 (ECE‐1) protein, and mRNA expression, which depend on the AP‐1 activation through ROS production. In parallel, BGP also induced endothelial senescence by increasing p16 expression and the senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase (SA‐ß‐GAL) activity. ET‐1 itself was able to induce endothelial senescence, increasing p16 expression and SA‐ß‐GAL activity. In addition, senescence induced by BGP was blocked when different ET‐1 system antagonists were used. BGP increased ROS production at short times, and the presence of antioxidants prevented the effect of BGP on AP1 activation, ECE‐1 expression, and endothelial senescence. These findings were confirmed in vivo with two animal models in which phosphate serum levels were increased: seven/eight nephrectomized rats as chronic kidney disease models fed on a high phosphate diet and aged mice. Both models showed hyperphosphatemia, higher levels of ET‐1, and up‐regulation in aortic ECE‐1, suggesting a direct relationship between hyperphosphatemia and ET‐1. Present results point to a new and relevant role of hyperphosphatemia on the regulation of ET‐1 system and senescence induction at endothelial level, both in endothelial cells and aorta from two animal models. The mechanism involved showed a higher ROS production, which probably activates AP‐1 transcription factor and, as a result, ECE‐1 expression, increasing ET‐1 synthesis, which in consequence induces endothelial senescence.
Asbestos exposure and laryngeal cancer mortality

Occupational exposure to asbestos occurs in many workplaces and is well known to cause asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. However, the link between asbestos exposure and other malignancies was not confirmed. The aim of the current meta‐analysis was to provide a summary measure of risk for laryngeal cancer associated with occupational asbestos exposure.
Endogenous/Exogenous Segmentation in the A-Irb Framework and the Pro-Cyclicality of Capital: An Application to Mortgage Portfolios

This paper investigates the pro-cyclicality of capital in the advanced internal ratings-based (A-IRB) Basel approach for retail portfolios and identifies the fundamental assumptions required for stable A-IRB risk weights over the economic cycle. Specifically, it distinguishes between endogenous and exogenous segmentation risk drivers and, through application to a portfolio of first mortgages, shows that risk weights remain stable over the economic cycle when the segmentation scheme is derived using exogenous risk drivers, while segmentation schemes that include endogenous risk drivers are highly pro cyclical. Also analyzed is the sensitivity of the A-IRB framework to model risk resulting from the selection, at the quantification stage, of a data sample period that does not include a period of significant economic downturn. The analysis illustrates important limitations and sensitivities of the A IRB framework and sheds light on the implicit restrictions embedded in recent regulatory guidance that underscore the importance of rating systems that remain stable over time and throughout business cycles.
Neuronal Nicotinic Receptor a6 Subunit mRNA is Selectively Concentrated in Catecholaminergic Nuclei of the Rat Brain

Although the neuronal nicotinic receptor a6 subunit was cloned several years ago, its functional significance remains to be investigated. Here we describe an in situ hybridization study of the mRNA for this subunit in the adult rat central nervous system using oligonucleotide probes. Specific a6 mRNA labelling was restricted to a few nuclei throughout the brain; it was particularly high in several catecholaminergic nuclei [the locus coeruleus (A6), the ventral tegmental area (A10) and the substantia nigra (A9)] at levels significantly higher than those found for any other known nicotinic receptor subunit mRNA. Labelling for a6 mRNA was also detected at lower levels in the reticular thalamic nucleus, the supramammillary nucleus and the mesencephalic V nucleus. Some cells of the medial habenula (medioventral part) and of the interpeduncular nucleus (central and lateral parts) were also labelled. The distribution of a6 mRNA was compared with the distribution of the other known nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit mRNAs. In several nuclei, the expression of a6 was complementary to those of other a subunits. Moreover, some of the cell groups (such as the substantia nigra, the ventral tegmental area and the locus coeruleus) previously thought to contain mainly a3 mRNA in fact were found to contain high levels of α6 mRNA. Finally, we found extensive colocalization of α6 and p3, indicating the possible existence of nicotinic receptor hetero‐oligomers containing both subunits. The present results show that a6 is the major nicotinic acetylcholine receptor a subunit expressed in dopaminergic cell groups of the mesencephalon and noradrenergic cells of the locus coeruleus. This suggests the involvement of the a6 subunit in some of the major functions of central nicotinic circuits, including the modulation of locomotor behaviour and reward.
Phylogenetic affiliation of ancient and contemporary humans inferred from mitochondrial DNA.

Nucleotide sequence analysis of the major non-coding region of human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from three major races was extended with data from 27 contemporary Mongoloids (20 from southeast Asia, seven from America) and 11 Ancient Japanese bones (five from Jomon Age; 3000-6000 years BP, six from the early modern Ainu; 200-300 years BP). In both cases, the sequence was determined directly from the polymerase chain reaction products. Based on a comparison of the 482 base pair sequences from a total of 128 contemporary humans, the nucleotide diversity is estimated to be 1.46%, which is three times higher than the corresponding value estimated from restriction-enzyme analysis of the whole mtDNA genome. The phylogenetic tree revealed that all lineages are classified into at least five clusters designated as C1-C5. C1 consists exclusively of Africans, and most Asians and Europeans formed C2, C3, C5 and C4, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis also indicated that part of the Asians, including the Japanese, subsequently diverged from the majority of Africans, and that Asians can therefore be separated into two distinct groups. Native Americans, however, appeared only in C3 and C5, suggesting that the size of the founder population was not so large during the peopling of American. Nucleotide sequences derived from ancient bones in a highly polymorphic region were also compared with those of contemporary humans. The nucleotide diversity among the 139 sequences in the region was estimated to be 2.26%. A group of ancient Japanese, including both Jomon peoples and the Ainu, showed a close phylogenetic affiliation with one group of contemporary Japanese and southeast Asians. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Performance evaluation of databases integration in wireless sensor networks

A Wireless Sensor Network is defined as a group of nodes, where each one is composed of memory, micro-controllers, sensors and radio. But instead of a regular LAN (Local Area Network), each node of a WSN has limited resources. These characteristics permit the monitoring of physical and environmental variables such as temperature, humidity, luminosity, etc. that are required for a specific application, such as greenhouses, irrigation, breeding and so on. Because of these measures are important for their application and they are taken by those devices with limited resources, it is essential having a specific database to the WSN, but this can bring some challenges to face, such as query processing. Besides, it is required to capture, to process, and to aggregate data in a reliable, scalable, and punctual way that does not interfere with network performance. The aim of this paper is to evaluate two main SensorDB, which is the name of a WSN database. TinyDB and SwissQM are both SensorDB tools for data management, each one has strengths and weaknesses that were joined for proposing a configuration assistant, in order to give flexibility and support to a database administrator.
Photovoltaic model for circuit simulation

This paper looks at the performance of model of photovoltaic modules. This paper presents the photovoltaic panel model obtained by the identification method on the basis of measured data. The obtained model is applied in an analog-digital simulator that provides an simulations as a functional circuit model with numerical algorithms. The constructed model results from the nonlinear form of Norton model and is further used for the model performance optimization. This approach can be has its advantages, which are discussed in paper. The final model regards the solar radiation and is valid for a particular panel and temperature changes. The final constructed model is experimentally tested both on the level of simulation and the real measurements. The article also contains the analysis of implemented PV panel model errors. These results can be useful in designing of photovoltaic systems with maximum power point tracking.
Production of a quasi-traveling wave in a silicon rectangular plate using single phase drive

A method is proposed in order to produce a quasi-traveling wave on a rectangular plate with a single phase drive. The method is tested using chemically etched silicon plates. Ultrasonic motors often use traveling waves. For a traveling wave propagating in an elastic object, the particles on the surface move elliptically. Therefore, if a movable object is pressed against the surface of an object subject to a traveling wave then the frictional forces between them can induce a movement. Usually the traveling wave is obtained in a circular plate (or ring) using the combination of two standing waves. These standing waves correspond to a degenerate vibration mode excited by two series of piezoelectric elements. Each series is driven by an electrical power source phase shifted to each other. We present a model that shows the possibility to obtain a quasi-traveling wave in a rectangular plate using the superposition of two plate modes (for example modes 2.1 and 1.3). The quasi-traveling wave is obtained along a curve for which the amplitude of the wave is almost constant and the phase is almost proportional to the curvilinear coordinate of this curve. If the geometry is chosen in order to get the same frequency for both resonances (f/sub 21/=f/sub 31/), the quasi-traveling wave can be obtained by the excitation of two phases. If the geometry is such that the frequencies f/sub 21/and f/sub 31/ are slightly different, it is possible to excite both modes with a frequency f, selected between f/sub 21/ and f/sub 13/. In some cases, the phase shift between the excitation and the mode motion is such that the quasi-travelling wave is produced. Therefore we obtain a quasi-traveling wave using a single phase drive. Obviously in this case the amplitude is reduced by a factor of approximately /spl radic/2. The experiment is performed on a chemically etched rectangular silicon plate. Therefore we checked the possibility of producing a linear motion with a stator manufactured on silicon using microelectronics technology. We conclude that it is experimentally possible to obtain a quasi-traveling wave on a silicon plate using only a single phase drive and the experimental behavior is close to that of the model. <<ETX>>
The development of photoreceptors in the zebrafish, Brachydanio rerio. II. Function

The functional development of rod and cone photoreceptors in the zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio) was studied by electroretinographically measuring flicker fusion frequencies. Two to 3 days after fertilization, fish gave little or no response to high intensity stimuli. Increases in sensitivity and flicker resolution were observed after this time. Biphasic response curves typical of adults could be elicited from fish as young as 2 weeks postfertilization, thus indicating a functional divergence of rods and cones. The results are consistent with behavioral and anatomical analyses of zebrafish photoreceptor development.