Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of False-Positive Results in a Breast Screening Program on Anxiety, Depression and Health-Related Quality of Life

Background: Decreased anxiety has been reported among women with false-positive results in mammography screening programs. No long-term effects have been fully demonstrated, and the findings for anxiety and depression are contradictory. Few studies have addressed changes in health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Objective: The objective was to study the short- and long-term effects such as changes in anxiety, depression, and HRQOL among women with false-positive results. Methods: With a longitudinal study design, data were collected on anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and HRQOL (Short-Form 36 [SF-36] Health Survey) among women with false-positive results before screening, at recall, and at 3 and 6 months after screening. Controls (negative results in screening) were measured before screening and at 6 months after. Results: Women with false-positive results (n = 128) showed increased anxiety at recall (mean, 4.6 [SD, 3.7]) versus before screening (P = .04), but this decreased until 6 months after screening. Depression was increased until 6 months after screening (not statistically significant). Women with false-positive results scored lower than did control subjects on general health (P = .02) and mental health (P = .03) and higher on depression (P = .045) at 6 months after screening. Conclusions: Efforts should be made to minimize anxiety at recall and depression after screening. Further research is needed on the long-term effects of recall and any effects on HRQOL. Implications for Practice: Information about the prevalence of false-positive results and time until unambiguous diagnostic results should be improved. Information leaflet based on evidence needs to be continually updated.
The Various Words of Mouth

DOI: 10.2501/JAR-52-1-012-014 That word of mouth (WOM) has a powerful influence on consumer behavior is something of a truism in marketing. Even advertising quality is often judged by the amount (and quality) of consumerto-consumer conversation it generates. And, at no time is as much attention paid to online advertising buzz as during the run-up to and the aftermath of the Super Bowl. The presumption is that advertising WOM is a viable indicator of advertising success, much as we consider advertising reach, likability, and message persuasiveness to be reliable indices. Can a conversation about a brand’s advertising, however, convert someone to buy a brand? Does it need to convert to be of any value to the brand? Given we now think more broadly about what constitutes WOM, perhaps it is time to broaden our thoughts on the possible outcomes of WOM. Doing so will help us more accurately assess the link between WOM and sales. WOM happens when consumers give advice and/or opinions and when they share experiences about products, services, or brands with other consumers. Although often touted as a major influencer on consumer behavior, quantifying the impact of WOM remains challenging: its ephemeral nature makes it hard to capture and analyze. Researchers, therefore, often have had to rely on online records to capture WOM and self-reports from consumers about the relative influence of different sources. This self-report approach has two problems:
Knowledge Acquisition, Representation \& Manipulation in Decision Support Systems

In this paper we present a methodology and discuss some implementation issues for a project on statistical/expert approach to data analysis and knowledge acquisition. We discuss some general assumptions underlying the project. Further, the requirements for a user-friendly computer assistant are specified along with the nature of tools aiding the researcher. Next we show some aspects of belief network approach and Dempster-Shafer (DST) methodology introduced in practice to system SEAD. Specifically we present the application of DS methodology to belief revision problem. Further a concept of an interface to probabilistic and DS belief networks enabling a user to understand the communication with a belief network based reasoning system is presented
The Variational Iteration Method and the Variational Homotopy Perturbation Method for Solving the KdV-Burgers Equation and the Sharma-Tasso-Olver Equation

Abstract In this article, two powerful analytical methods called the variational iteration method (VIM) and the variational homotopy perturbation method (VHPM) are introduced to obtain the exact and the numerical solutions of the (2+1)-dimensional Korteweg-de Vries-Burgers (KdVB) equation and the (1+1)-dimensional Sharma-Tasso-Olver equation. The main objective of the present article is to propose alternative methods of solutions, which avoid linearization and physical unrealistic assumptions. The results show that these methods are very efficient, convenient and can be applied to a large class of nonlinear problems.
Objects Mental Rotation under 7 Days Simulated Weightlessness Condition: An ERP Study

During the spaceflight under weightlessness condition, human's brain function may be affected by the changes of physiological effects along with the distribution of blood and body fluids to the head. This variation of brain function will influence the performance of astronauts and therefore create possible harm to flight safety. This study employs 20 male subjects in a 7-day−6° head-down tilted (HDT) bed rest model to simulate physiological effects under weightlessness condition, and use behavioral, electrophysiological techniques to compare the changes of mental rotation ability (MR ability) before and after short-term simulated weightlessness state. Behavioral results suggested that significant linear relationship existed between the rotation angle of stimuli and the reaction time, which means mental rotation process do happen during the MR task in simulated weightlessness state. In the first 3 days, the P300 component induced by object mental rotation followed the “down-up-down” pattern. In the following 4 days it changed randomly. On HDT D2, the mean of the amplitude of the P300 was the lowest, while increased gently on HDT D3. There was no obvious changing pattern of the amplitude of P300 observed after 3 days of HDT. Simulated weightlessness doesn't change the basic process of mental rotation. The effect of simulated weightlessness is neural mechanism of self-adaptation. MR ability didn't bounce back to the original level after HDT test.
The role and function of the chief marketing executive and the marketing department: A study of medium‐sized companies in the UK

The unification of “marketing” functions under the control of a chief marketing executive has long been regarded as central to implementing the marketing concept. While not accepting the logic that suggests that marketing orientation implies any particular set of organisational arrangements, this article examines new empirical data concerned with the role and status of the chief marketing executive and the marketing department, in a sample of manufacturing firms, to suggest that they function very differently in different companies. Such distinctions have important implications for our understanding of how marketing operates in organisations, and the different ways in which it may be developed, both in manufacturing and in other sectors.
Augmented reality for 3D TV using depth camera input

This paper presents a capture system based on a depth camera that is used for an augmented reality application. Most of depth cameras are unable to capture the color information corresponding to the same viewpoint. A color is then added besides the depth camera and we applied a transformation algorithm to match the depth map with the color camera's viewpoint. Then, using a depth image based rendering (DIBR) approaches, it becomes possible to synthesize new virtual views from the 2D-plus-depth data. We also address some research issues in the generation of the virtual view is to deal with the newly exposed areas, appearing as holes and denoted as occlusions, which may be revealed in each warped image. The color image and its corresponding enhanced depth image are then combined to produce a mesh representing the real scene. It is used to easily integrate virtual objects in the real scene. Finally, the result can be rendered to create the input image required by a auto-stereoscopic screen.
The slacker's guide to project tracking or spending time on more important things

As a project manager, your time is far too important to be wasted on mundane tasks like detailed tracking of the day-to-day activities of each of your developers. Wouldn't it be nice if you spent your time negotiating project scope and identifying and removing team impediments? Our experience has shown that consistency in card sizes and estimates allows you to perform full project planning with little effort. Additionally, it results in diagrams that accurately reflect your project's status. With this, release planning sessions take hours not days, freeing up valuable time for both you and your developers.
Stable triple-wavelength fiber ring laser with ultranarrow wavelength spacing using a triple-transmission-band fiber Bragg grating filter

A stable 50-pm-spaced triple-wavelength fiber ring laser with nearly equal output power at each lasing line is achieved experimentally by incorporating a triple-transmission-band fiber Bragg grating filter in the fiber ring cavity. Such a laser will be very useful in applications requiring closely spaced multiwavelength components
Market Orientation in the Public Health Sector of Mutare, Zimbabwe

This study undertook an assessment of market orientation in the Public Health Sector of Mutare, Zimbabwe. This study focused on five health centers in Mutare which are Mutare General Hospital, Sakubva Hospital, Dangamvura Clinic, Chikanga clinic and Mutare Infectious Disease Hospital. A total of 50 questionnaires were sent out and 35 questionnaires were returned. This represented a total return of 70%. The principal finding of the research is that the Public Health Sector in Mutare, Zimbabwe exhibits a degree of market orientation. The research also found out barriers inhibiting development of market orientation which are to do with people and organizational structures. The study found out that marketing as a concept in the Public Health Sector in Mutare is not well understood. Management tends not to understand the importance of marketing in a not for profit organizational setting. Lack of this understanding impact negatively in the development of market orientation in the Public Health Sector in Mutare. It is therefore the contention of this study that both staff and management ought to be trained on the importance of market orientation. There is also a need for management to be trained in the area of entrepreneurship as this would engender a culture that fosters market orientation.
A Comparison of CT-based Navigation Techniques for Minimally Invasive Lumbar Pedicle Screw Placement

Study Design A comparison of 2 surgical techniques. Objective To determine the relative accuracy of minimally invasive lumbar pedicle screw placement using 2 different CT-based image-guided techniques. Summary of Background Three-dimensional intraoperative fluoroscopy systems have recently become available that provide the ability to use CT-quality images for navigation during image-guided minimally invasive spinal surgery. However, the cost of this equipment may negate any potential benefit in navigational accuracy. We therefore assess the accuracy of pedicle screw placement using an intraoperative 3-dimensional fluoroscope for guidance compared with a technique using preoperative CT images merged to intraoperative 2-dimensional fluoroscopy. Methods Sixty-seven patients undergoing minimally invasive placement of lumbar pedicle screws (296 screws) using a navigated, image-guided technique were studied and the accuracy of pedicle screw placement assessed. Electromyography (EMG) monitoring of lumbar nerve roots was used in all. Group 1: 24 patients in whom a preoperative CT scan was merged with intraoperative 2-dimensional fluoroscopy images on the image-guidance system. Group 2: 43 patients using intraoperative 3-dimensional fluoroscopy images as the source for the image guidance system. The frequencies of pedicle breach and EMG warnings (indicating potentially unsafe screw placement) in each group were recorded. Results The rate of pedicle screw misplacement was 6.4% in group 1vs 1.6% in group 2 (P=0.03). There were no cases of neurologic injury from suboptimal placement of screws. Additionally, the incidence of EMG warnings was significantly lower in group 2 (3.7% vs. 10% (P=0.03). Conclusions The use of an intraoperative 3-dimensional fluoroscopy system with an image-guidance system results in greater accuracy of pedicle screw placement than the use of preoperative CT scans, although potentially dangerous placement of pedicle screws can be prevented by the use of EMG monitoring of lumbar nerve roots.
Unsupervised Taxonomy of Sound Effects

Sound effect libraries are commonly used by sound designers in a range of industries. Taxonomies exist for the classification of sounds into groups based on subjective similarity, sound source or common environmental context. However, these taxonomies are not standardised, and no taxonomy based purely on the sonic properties of audio exists. We present a method using feature selection, unsupervised learning and hierarchical clustering to develop an unsupervised taxonomy of sound effects based entirely on the sonic properties of the audio within a sound effect library. The unsupervised taxonomy is then related back to the perceived meaning of the relevant audio features.
The Research-Practice gap in Australian graduate selection: a bridge too far?

The selection process is at the sharp end of human resources which determines those who are going to work together to achieve the organisation's objectives. There is competition for and shortages of talented employees which is important to graduate selection. Additionally, there has been research into the gap between academic research and the human resources practices adopted by organisations: the largest gap being in recruitment and selection. Despite this, there is limited Australian research in selection techniques with a quantitative research focus. This paper provides results of preliminary qualitative research into the current Australian graduate selection practices, the reasons for the choice of practices and comments about which practices are more indicative of graduate employee performance.
Preliminary Study on Enforcement Process and Effects of China's Policy about Sports Service Industry

Implementation of Sports service industry policy or the effect is very important to guide and promote the sports service industry.In this paper,for the study to China's sports service industry policy,by the main methods of literature analysis,policy analysis,interviews,site visits and case study,combined with the basic policy theory of implementation and evaluation,we outlines the system of policy implementation of sport services industry.On this basis,we analyze the process of China's sports service industry policy implementation and try to study the effect of the Implementation of China's sports service industry policy,and find a number of factors to affect the process and the effect.Finally,we try to put forward some suggestions to improve the process and effect implementation of China's sports service industry policy,for the better effect implementation of China's industrial policy implementation and sports services.
"Innovation of Unique, Complex Products"

This paper explores the innovation of unique, complex products. Unlike standard product development, which has received a lot of attention from researchers, unique, complex products lack many of the organizational features that researchers have deemed critical to product development and innovation success. Unique, complex products are often developed by fragmented networks of highly specialized firms that work in temporary and fluid project teams, sometimes without strong centralized leadership. A typical solution to coordinate unique, complex product development is to rely on industry standards and institutionalized knowledge. We argue that this solution facilitates product development when the components that make up the product are standardized or include localized, autonomous innovations. However, it impedes the inclusion of components that induce systemic shifts in the product, in spite of the potential benefits that may accrue to the product overall. Our key finding is that firm integration mitigate.
The Customer Relationship Management Process: Its Measurement and Impact on Performance

An understanding of how to manage relationships with customers effectively has become an important topic for both academicians and practitioners in recent years. However, the existing academic literature and the practical applications of customer relationship management (CRM) strategies do not provide a clear indication of what specifically constitutes CRM processes. In this study, the authors (1) conceptualize a construct of the CRM process and its dimensions, (2) operationalize and validate the construct, and (3) empirically investigate the organizational performance consequences of implementing CRM processes. Their research questions are addressed in two cross-sectional studies across four different industries and three countries. The first key outcome is a theoretically sound CRM process measure that outlines three key stages: initiation, maintenance, and termination. The second key result is that the implementation of CRM processes has a moderately positive association with both perceptual and objective company performance.
Modification of halogen specificity of a vanadium‐dependent bromoperoxidase

The halide specificity of vanadium‐dependent bromoperoxidase (BPO) from the marine algae, Corallina pilulifera, has been changed by a single amino acid substitution. The residue R397 has been substituted by the other 19 amino acids. The mutant enzymes R397W and R397F showed significant chloroperoxidase (CPO) activity as well as BPO activity. These mutant enzymes were purified and their properties were investigated. The maximal velocities of CPO activities of the R397W and R397F enzymes were 31.2 and 39.2 units/mg, and the Km values for Cl− were 780 mM and 670 mM, respectively. Unlike the native enzyme, both mutant enzymes were inhibited by NaN3. In the case of the R397W enzyme, the incorporation rate of vanadate into the active site was low, compared with the R397F and the wild‐type enzyme. These results supported the existence of a specific halogen binding site within the catalytic cleft of vanadium haloperoxidases.
The Costs of Biosecurity at the Farm Level: the Case of Finnish Broiler

In the European Union, the animal health and food safety strategy includes managing biosecurity along the entire production chain. Farm-level biosecurity provides the foundation for this. However, the farm-level costs of preventive biosecurity have rarely been assessed. Yet many risk management practices are in place constantly regardless of whether there is a disease outbreak or not. We contribute towards filling this information gap by studying the costs incurred in preventive biosecurity by the Finnish poultry farms. In a preliminary analysis, we find that the cost of biosecurity is some 3.55 cents per bird for broiler producers and 75.7 cents per bird for hatching egg producers. The results indicate that work-time devoted to biosecurity represents some 8% of total work time on broiler farms and about 5% on breeder farms.
Phenylbutyrate decreases type I collagen production in human lung fibroblasts

Fibrotic lung diseases are characterized by excess extracellular matrix production, in particular type I collagen. Phenylbutyrate (PB) is a non‐toxic pharmacological compound that functions as a weak histone deacetylase inhibitor. In hepatic stellate cells, the synthesis of type I collagen expression is decreased by inhibiting histone acetylation. Our studies examined the regulation of type I collagen by PB in human lung fibroblasts. We found that PB decreases basal and transforming growth factor‐β‐stimulated α1(I) collagen mRNA and protein levels. Northern blot analyses demonstrated that PB decreases steady‐state α1(I) collagen mRNA levels by 78% without significantly changing the stability of the mRNA transcript. PB stimulates cAMP production and increases the acetylation of histone H4, but does not affect the activity of two transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β)‐responsive luciferase reporter constructs. These data suggest that PB regulates type I collagen expression in human lung fibroblasts by mechanisms that include cAMP production and histone acetylation. PB may have therapeutic use in fibrotic lung diseases. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ingratiatory Behaviours of Managerial Personnel in Two Organizational Settings

This study attempts to understand the nature and extent of various ingratiatory behaviours of managerial personnel employed in two major heavy engineering companies, one in the public sector and the other in the private sector (n = 78). The ingratiatory behaviours of the respondents were measured, using the Measure of Ingratiatory Behaviours in Organizational Settings (MIBOS) scale. The results indicate that ingratiatory behaviours are prevalent in both public and private sector companies. As predicted, public and private sector managers differ in respect of their relative use of various ingratiation tactics. Moreover, managers in the public sector company, when compared with their counterparts in the private sector company, are found to be higher in the use of all the four tactics of ingratiation: Other Enhancement, Opinion Conformity, Self Presentation and Favour Rendering. The implications of these findings are briefly discussed.
SIN‐1 Reduces Platelet Adhesion and Platelet Thrombus Formation in a Porcine Model of Balloon Angioplast

BackgroundNitric oxide inhibits platelet adhesion and platelet aggregation in vivo. In this study, we investigated the effects of the nitric oxide donor SIN-1 on platelet adhesion and platelet-thrombus formation following experimental angioplasty. Methods and ResultsBilateral carotid angioplasty was performed in 20 anesthetized pigs. Animals received either SIN-1 (3-morpholino-sydnonimine; 10 μg/kg/min; n=8) or placebo (n=8) before and during angioplasty. An additional control group of pigs received trimetaphan (n=4), which induced hemodynamic changes similar to those that followed treatment with SIN-1. Platelet deposition was quantified by the injection of autologous “In-labeled platelets. SIN-1 reduced platelet deposition after deep arterial injury compared with placebo (mean±SEM, 10.870±2.415 versus 40.326±9.889 plateletsxi06/ cm2, p<O.0S). SIN-1 reduced platelet adhesion after superficial injury compared with both placebo and trimetaphan (2.231±0.333 versus 5.278±0.606 versus 5.022±1.136 plateletsx106/cm2, respectively; p<0.005). Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that platelets were deposited in the form of an adherent monolayer following superficial endothelial denudation and were reduced in number following treatment with SIN-1. The effects of SIN-1 on platelet function were associated with a significant increase in platelet cyclic GMP concentration from baseline (3.15+±0.88 versus 1.58±0.73 pmol/10' platelets, p<0.005). ConclusionSIN-1 reduces platelet adhesion and platelet-thrombus formation following experimental angioplasty. The antiadhesive effects of SIN-1 are independent of changes in systemic hemodynamics. These results imply that the administration of a nitric oxide donor may prove effective in modifying the pathophysiological response to angioplasty injury.