Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of CT-based lean-body SUV.

PURPOSE The authors introduce a novel method for defining standardized uptake values (SUVs) in PET∕CT based on routinely collected CT data. The goal of the study is to reduce, if possible, the variability of SUV in a heterogeneous population. Two well established methods for defining SUV are based on body weight (BW) and lean body mass, calculated as a function of height, weight, and sex with an empirical formula (LBM). The authors investigate two novel models, CT1 and CT2, that estimate the lean mass from CT Hounsfield Unit values. The authors compare the four methods, assessing the variability of hepatic SUV in (18)F-FDG studies. METHODS CT images from 252 cancer patients were segmented into regions representing lean tissues, fat, and bone. The fraction of lean tissue in the scanned region was extrapolated to the entire body with a naive method (CT1) and a method that modeled typical FDG uptake patterns (CT2). For each method, SUV-based measurements of the liver were calculated for all patients and dependence on body weight was assessed. Coefficients of variation (CVs) were evaluated. Several sub-cohorts were analyzed, including those with low and high body mass index (BMI). The extrapolation technique was tested in 19 melanoma patients who received head to toe PET∕CT scans. CT-based weight predictions were compared with actual patient weight in melanoma studies and in PET∕CT scans of pigs. RESULTS Only the SUV based on BW method depended significantly on body weight. CVs for the BW, LBM, CT1, and CT2 methods were, respectively, 18.0%, 15.5%, 15.9%, and 14.9%. In the high-BMI cohort, CVs were 18.2%, 16.2%, 16.2%, and 15.1%. Mean SUV of the 14 most obese patients agreed most closely with mean SUV of 120 lean patients when the CT2 method was used. SUV based on truncated CT agreed with head to toe predictions within 5% for the CT1 method and 1% for the CT2 method. CT-based weight estimate recovered 97.4% of the weight in head to toe studies of humans and 99.7% in pig studies. CONCLUSIONS The novel CT1 and CT2 methods were less variable than the BW method and were comparable to the LBM method. SUV were little affected by missing CT data.
Impact of Seasonal Variation on Bacteriological Quality of Drinking Water

To assess the bacteriological quality 768 drinking water samples were collected from different locations in Khairpur City, Sindh, Pakistan over a period of two years from January 2006 to December 2007. The study reveals that out of 768 drinking water samples 567 (73.83%) samples were found to be contaminated with total coliform among them 85 (11.06%) found in the January-March period, 182 (23.70%) in April-June period, 188 (24.47%) in July-September, 112 (14.58%) in October-December period. Faecal coliform was found in 351 (45.70%) water sample, in which 49 (15.80%) occurred during January-March, 137 (17.83%) during April-June, 136 (17.71%) during July-September and 69 (8.98%) during September-December. It can be concluded from the results of the present study that bacteriological quality of two-third drinking water in Khairpur City is not safe as the water is the potential source of diarrhoeal disease agents. Keywords: Drinking water; Khairpur City; Faecal pollution; Diarrhoea DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/bjm.v25i1. 4862 Bangladesh J Microbiol, Volume 25, Number 1, June 2008, pp 69-72
Applicability of RSQS at Convenience Stores Perspective in Ongkharak, Thailand

Understanding customer satisfaction in the dimensions of service quality has become a major study in the field of marketing research. The main aim of this study was to analyze the applicability of RSQS at convenience stores in the Ongkharak district of Thailand. Three hundred and fifty structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 3 convenience stores in OngKharak of which two hundred and ninety four valid questionnaires were used for analysis. The significant difference among consumers opinion towards RSQS dimensions for measuring retail service quality has been identified. The one-way ANOVA results prove that there is no significant difference among gender towards all the attributes related to RSQS dimensions except “Courteousness of employees” and “Acceptability of Debit and Credit Cards”. It is explored from regression analysis that all the independent variables related to RSQS dimensions has positive impact on dependent variable “Overall Satisfaction of Retail Service Quality” except for two factors personal interaction and policy the hypothesis is rejected, because some attributes “acceptability of debit/credit cards”, “The store has its own value card”, “safety in transaction”, have negative impact on overall satisfaction of retail service quality. Though measuring customer satisfaction under service quality dimensions have been researched, the authors recommend that further research in the same field including customer loyalty should be done to understand the consumer behavior better.
Cigarette smoking and alcohol use as predictors of HIV testing in the United States: results from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey

We examined the association between HIV risk perception and HIV testing among cigarette smokers, alcohol users, dual consumers of cigarette and alcohol, and abstainers. Data were analyzed from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey of the full sample of 22,946 and separately for 1547 African Americans. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that alcohol users and dual consumers were significantly more likely to perceive themselves to be at risk of acquiring HIV. Cigarette smokers and alcohol users who considered themselves to be at risk for HIV and dual consumers who reported no perceived HIV risk were more likely to have been tested for HIV than abstainers who perceived no risk of acquiring HIV. Among African Americans, dual consumers and cigarette smokers only who perceived themselves at risk for HIV were more likely to have been tested for HIV than abstainers who perceived no risk of HIV infection. This study demonstrated that among the full sample and African Americans, cigarette smoking and alcohol use were significantly associated with HIV testing regardless of HIV risk perceptions.
Export Status and Productivity Performance: Evidence from Matched Italian Firms

This paper explores the two competing hypotheses of self-selection and learning by exporting across different Italian manufacturing firms.Using matched sampling techniques that control for selection bias,we estimate whether new export-oriented firms aremore efficient compared to domestic firms on the basis of three representative Surveys of Italian manufacturing firms covering consecutive triennial periods (from 1995 to 2003). By matching new exporting firms and non-exporters, our findings indicate that export entrants improve their productivity in the first period after entry although this effect vanishes in the subsequent period.This occurs for both total factor productivity (TFP) and labour productivity growth rates. Our evidence also suggests a positive causal effect of exporting on profitability since new exporters earn higher profits than their domestic counterparts do in every period after entry.
A note on the lymphatics of the middle and lower rectum and anus

While the lymphatic vessels draining the anus and rectum have been studied and described from time to time, mostly by French and German anatomists, there are a few controversial points remaining. From the point o f view of the clinician some of these points have become increasingly important in recent years. This is partly because of the role of the lymphatics in the dissemination of carcinoma of the rectimi, aiid partly because of the present trends in surgery toward more frequent preservation of the sphincter mechanism. For these reasons it mas felt that additional work leading either toward a confirmation of the existing descriptions o r toward some additional information would be desirable.
HR Managers’ Roles & Contributions in Merger Processes

As companies have engaged in domestic and international mergers over the last few years in order to match the macroeconomic trends operating on a worldwide and more recently to cope with the current global financial crisis, human resource managers have been encouraged to play a more strategic role in their organizations, especially in the case of extensive and radical organizational change such as merging process. This study addresses and works on the existing research gap by investigating the roles of HR managers among the different roles which were defined at the fist by Dave Ulrich. This paper demonstrates that HR managers are an essential part of merger and that HR practices should be given an extensive emphasizing throughout such organizational change “the merger process”.
A study on the relations between criminal behaviors in purse-snatching and urban spaces

Many purse-snatching cases occur near or around stations or entertainment areas where many people gather. We examined 16 purse-snatching cases closely and verified how purse-snatching offenders utilized urban spaces and how they behaved. Our results showed that purse-snatching offenders headed for hunting grounds looking for their targets based on the distance between their bases and their hunting grounds. It also depended on the transportation means they used. Urban elements also affected the behaviors of the purse-snatching offenders and the offenders often utilized urban structures such as parks as their escape routes or hiding places.
Longitudinal Study of the Emerging Functional Connectivity Asymmetry of Primary Language Regions during Infancy

Asymmetry in the form of left-hemisphere lateralization is a striking characteristic of the cerebral regions involved in the adult language network. In this study, we leverage a large sample of typically developing human infants with longitudinal resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans to delineate the trajectory of interhemispheric functional asymmetry in language-related regions during the first 2 years of life. We derived the trajectory of interhemispheric functional symmetry of the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and superior temporal gyrus (STG), the sensory and visual cortices, and two higher-order regions within the intraparietal sulcus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Longitudinal models revealed a best fit with quadratic age terms and showed significant estimated coefficients of determination for both the IFG (r2 = 0.261, p < 0.001) and the STG (r2 = 0.142, p < 0.001) regions while all other regions were best modeled by log-linear increases. These inverse-U-shaped functions of the language regions peaked at ∼11.5 months of age, indicating that a transition toward asymmetry began in the second year. This shift was accompanied by an increase in the functional connectivity of these regions within the left hemisphere. Finally, we detected an association between the trajectory of the IFG and language outcomes at 4 years of age (χ2 = 10.986, p = 0.011). Our results capture the developmental timeline of the transition toward interhemispheric functional asymmetry during the first 2 years of life. More generally, our findings suggest that increasing interhemispheric functional symmetry in the first year might be a general principle of the developing brain, governing different functional systems, including those that will eventually become lateralized in adulthood. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Cross-sectional studies of the language system in early infancy suggest that the basic neural mechanisms are in place even before birth. This study represents the first of its kind, using a large longitudinal sample of infants, to delineate the early language-related transition toward interhemispheric functional asymmetry in the brain using resting-state functional MRI. More generally, our findings suggest that increasing interhemispheric functional symmetry in the first year might be a general principle of the developing brain governing multiple functional systems, including those that will eventually become lateralized in adulthood. Although resting-state functional MRI cannot provide direct insights into the developmental mechanisms of language lateralization, this study reveals language-related functional connectivity changes during infancy, marking critical points in the development of the brain's functional architecture.
Corporate social responsibility in the SME sector: an exploratory investigation

This paper examines how small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) understand and implement corporate social responsibility (CSR). Eight depth interviews with practitioners from SMEs were conducted. The findings suggest practitioners primarily understand CSR in terms of stakeholder engagement. The most salient stakeholder groups for SMEs in this regard are employees, customers and community members. The findings also suggest that SMEs use different tools to communicate CSR-related messages to different stakeholder groups. Whilst one-to-one communication and an ‘open door’ policy seem to be effective with employees, direct corporate involvement in community initiatives relevant to the firm’s core business is an appropriate strategy for societal stakeholders. The findings have implications for the development of corporate branding strategies in the SME sector.
Interrelationships of somatic cell count, mastitis, and milk yield in a low somatic cell count herd.

In a high yielding low SCC herd, changes in milk yield associated with SCC and occurrence of clinical mastitis and differences in SCC with parity, clinical mastitis, and DIM were investigated. Milk yield data were obtained at every milking, and SCC was measured once every 48 h in 117 cows during the first 119 d postpartum. Effects of SCC and clinical mastitis on cumulative milk yield in the first 119 d postpartum were evaluated with least squares linear regression. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to detect changes in SCC. The SCC was highest at lactation onset, and cows with clinical mastitis had significantly higher SCC. During the 10 d prior to onset of clinical mastitis, SCC was higher in affected cows than in matched unaffected controls and surged just prior to diagnosis. During the 10-d period following a mastitis treatment, SCC differences between treated and control cows remained significant but became smaller with time and returned to the premastitis differences. Occurrence of clinical mastitis was associated with 5% milk yield loss. Cows with mean SCC > 245,000 cells/ml over the 119 d showed 6.2% yield loss compared with cows with SCC < or = 90,000 cells/ml. Cows with clinical mastitis had higher SCC prior to and following the end of treatment for mastitis than did controls. Clinical mastitis and SCC were associated with significant yield loss. Milk yield loss attributed to clinical mastitis was greater than that associated with elevated SCC (> 245,000 cells/ml) because a greater percentage of cows (26%) had clinical mastitis than elevated SCC (12.5%).
Insights of a catalyst from innovation programs

Systematic innovation in an organizational context is over a century old [1]. Even in India the simplest form of idea management system called Employee Suggestion Scheme was implemented by Telco (now Tata Motors) way back in 1959 [2]. However, innovation programs – initiatives that improve innovation management in the organizations, have gained currency in India in the last 4-5 years [3]. I have been involved in several innovation programs for the past seven years. For the first three of the seven years I lead a team involved in developing a new technology platform through its R&D and market launch phase. For the past four years, as a founder of Catalign Innovation Consulting, I have been an execution partner in at least half a dozen innovation programs. I have seen both successes and failures. In this article I present some of the insights I gathered during this journey as a catalyst of innovation.
Fashion value brands: the relationship between identity and image

Purpose – This study seeks to develop previous research into value branding by investigating potential misalignments between brand identity as intended by the brand owner, and the way in which the brand image is perceived by young consumers.Design/methodology/approach – Kapferer's model was used to create a detailed brand identity for a value fashion brand. A survey of 150 business students provided a map to identify any gaps between the intended and perceived brand image. Theoretical concepts underpinning the paper include value branding and the relationship between brand identity and brand image.Findings – A marked difference was observed in the way in which value brands are intended and how they are perceived; these misalignments may have significant implications. In particular, young consumers' perceptions of value brands' fashion content could create barriers during decision making. However, the relationship facet indicates potential for developing lifelong loyalty from the sample.Research limitation.
Water, Sanitation and Children's Health: Evidence from 172 DHS Surveys

This paper combines 172 Demography and Health Survey data sets from 70 countries to estimate the effect of water and sanitation on child mortality and morbidity. The results show a robust association between access to water and sanitation technologies and both child morbidity and child mortality. The point estimates imply, depending on the technology level and the sub-region chosen, that water and sanitation infrastructure lowers the odds of children to suffering from diarrhea by 7-17 percent, and reduces the mortality risk for children under the age of five by about 5-20 percent. The effects seem largest for modern sanitation technologies and least significant for basic water supply. The authors also find evidence for the Mills-Reincke Multiplier for both water and sanitation access as well as positive health externalities for sanitation investments. The overall magnitude of the estimated effects appears smaller than coefficients reported in meta-studies based on randomized field trials, suggesting limits to the scalability and sustainability of the health benefits associated with water and sanitation interventions.
Challenging the epidemiologic evidence on passive smoking: tactics of tobacco industry expert witnesses

Objective: To analyse the statements given by tobacco industry defence witnesses during trial testimonies and depositions in second-hand smoke cases and in parallel, to review criticisms of epidemiology in industry-funded publications in order to identify strategies for discrediting epidemiologic evidence on passive smoking health effects. Methods: A collection of depositions and trial testimony transcripts from tobacco industry-related lawsuits filed in the United States during the 1990s, was compiled and indexed by the Tobacco Deposition and Trial Testimony Archive (DATTA). Statements in DATTA made by expert witnesses representing the tobacco industry relating to the health effects of passive smoking were identified and reviewed. Industry-supported publications within the peer-reviewed literature were also examined for statements on exposure misclassification, meta-analysis, and confounding. Results: The witnesses challenged causation of adverse health effects of passive smoking by citing limitations of epidemiologic research, raising methodological and statistical issues, and disputing biological plausibility. Though not often cited directly by the witnesses, the defence tactics mirrored the strategies used in industry-funded reports in the peer-reviewed literature. Conclusion: The tobacco industry attempted to redirect the focus and dialogue related to the epidemiologic evidence on passive smoking. This approach, used by industry experts in trial testimony and depositions, placed bias as a certain alternative to causation of diseases related to passive smoking and proposed an unachievable standard for establishing the mechanism of disease.
Dynamic Capabilities During the Global Crisis: Evidence from Italian New Technology Based Firms

The recent financial crisis and the subsequent economic downturn are undoubtedly the most important global events affecting modern economic systems since the Great Depression of 1930s. Up to now ideas from strategic management theories on why and how some firms have handled the global crisis better than others have almost been absent from conversations. The global crisis represents a dramatic change in the environmental circumstances that can make a firm aware of the inadequacy of its current resources and capabilities configuration. The dynamic capabilities (DCs) notion deals fundamentally with firms’ abilities to renew, modify, and adapt their current bundle of resources and competencies to face new external contingencies so as to achieve congruence with changing business environment and may be a valuable conceptual tool for understanding how firms cope with the current global crisis. The present paper heeds the call for framing the inquiring on the current global crisis within the strategic management discourse and advances knowledge on the handling of the global crisis by ventures in high tech sectors (i.e. New Technology Based Firms, NTBFs from hereafter). We synthesize our arguments in a set of hypotheses that are tested on a sample of 115 Italian NTBFs extracted from the RITA database developed by the Politecnico di Milano. Results show that DCs have a positive impact on firms’ growth performances, and that the extent of the DCs is positively related with the founders human capital of the firm, the internationalization, the presence of technological alliances and the resource slack. In so doing, we contribute to the debate on why and how some firms have coped with the crisis better than other firms.
The Effectiveness of Blue Ribbon Committee Recommendations in Mitigating Financial Misstatements: An Empirical Study

This study addresses the impact of certain audit committee characteristics identified by the Blue Ribbon Committee on Improving the Effectiveness of Corporate Audit Committees (BRC) on the likelihood of financial misstatement. We examine 83 firms which misstated financial reports in the period 1991-1999, together with a matched pairs control group of similar size. We find that independence of the committee is significantly negatively related to misstatement, but that the size of the committee and the financial expertise of the audit committee members are not significant. We use a preliminary proxy (number of meetings) to represent the extent of audit committee compliance with BRC recommendations related to committee activities. This proxy is significantly, negatively related to misstatement. We also find, in contrast to Beasley (1996), that the characteristics of the overall committee (independence, director tenure and outside directorships, shareholdings and board size) are not related to financial misstatement.
What's in store? Retail marketing and corporate social responsibility

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present exploratory examination of the ways in which large retailers in the UK are using corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a means of communicating with customers while they are in the store.Design/methodology/approach – After a literature‐based review of CSR, its relationship to marketing and the rationale for growing retail interest in the topic, an analysis is conducted of CSR reports and information posted on the world wide web by the UK's top ten food retailers, followed by participant observation in their largest branch stores in one medium‐sized English town.Findings – While there were considerable variations in the extent to which the top ten retailers used CSR themes to communicate with customers at the point of sale, the scope was found to be generally limited. The main messages used concerned support for British food producers, Fairtrade, fitness, healthy living, healthy eating, organic produce, sustainability, employment policies, charitable giv.