Yarn diameter and linear mass correlation

This paper focuses on the determination of the statistical correlation between yarn diameter and yarn linear mass. The experimental methods employed are based on optical analysis and on image processing techniques applied to electron microscope image. several different cotton yarns were examined over a wide range of yarn linear masses. the results indicate that diameter predicted by the relationship commonly quatode in literature can be as much as 62% smaller than those experimentally observed

A comparison of mass parameters determination using capacitive and optical sensors

This paper presents a comparison study between the use of 1mmresolution capacitive and optical sensors for the determination of yarn mass parameters. A parallel plate capacitive sensor to determine yarn mass variations and a yarn diameter and hairiness determination solution using optical sensors and integrating optical signal processing based on Fourier analysis are described. As there is a high correlation between yarn diameter and yarn mass, it is possible to determine yarn mass and infer variations in yarn diameter and vice versa. Moreover, by optically detecting the degree of yarn hairiness, one can quantify its influence on the capacitive sensor mass variation measurements. Here we present the results of a signal processing analysis and statistical description of measurements carried out in two 100% cotton yarns with a linear mass of 59 and 295 g/km performed in yarn system quality (YSQ) machine. We conclude that an accurate yarn characterization can be carried out using optical sensors alone, reducing system’s cost and complexity and increasing efficiency.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - BD/19028/200

Fallopian tube origin of supposed ovarian high‐grade serous carcinomas

INTRODUCTION: Serous carcinomas are the most frequent histologic type of ovarian and peritoneal cancers, and can also be detected in the endometrium and fallopian tubes. Serous carcinomas are usually high-grade neoplasms when diagnosed, yet the identification of an associated precursor lesion remains challenging. Pathological examination of specimens obtained from prophylactic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomies that were performed for patients harboring BRCA1/2 mutations suggests that high-grade serous carcinomas may arise in the fallopian tubes rather than in the ovaries. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the presence and extent of fallopian tube involvement in cases of serous pelvic carcinomas. METHODS: Thirty-four cases of serous pelvic carcinoma with clinical presentations suggesting an ovarian origin were analyzed retrospectively. Histologic samples of fallopian tube tissues were available for these cases and were analyzed. Probable primary site, type of tubal involvement, tissues involved in the neoplasia and vascular involvement were evaluated. RESULTS: Fallopian tube involvement was observed in 24/34 (70.6%) cases. In 4 (11.8%) of these cases, an intraepithelial neoplasia was present, and therefore these cases were hypothesized to be primary from fallopian tubes. For an additional 7/34 (20.6%) cases, a fallopian tube origin was considered a possible primary. CONCLUSIONS: Fallopian tubes can be the primary site for a subset of pelvic high-grade serous carcinomas

Yarn irregularity parameterisation using optical sensors

This paper presents an original system to measure yarn diameter using coherent optical signal processing to eliminate the influence of hairiness over the output signal. The system consists of optical hardware to produce an image which characterises the yarn diameter and electronic hardware that converts the optical yarn diameter image into a proportional voltage. LabVIEW customised software was used to acquire and process the output voltage interfaced through a Data Acquisition Board. The system determines traditional commercial yarn irregularity parameters including Ud (Mean Deviation), CVd (Coefficient of Variation), SDd (Standard Deviation), types of irregularities, frequency diagrams and spectral analysis based on FFT (Fast Fourier Transform). Moreover, several other parameters were also obtained, such as DRd (Deviation Rate), IDRd (Integral Deviation Rate), spectral analysis based on FWHT (Fast Walsh Hadamard Transform) and FDFI (Fast Impulse Frequency Determination), and length of irregularities classified for an overall variation range. A parameterisation comparison between two yarns is presented

Yarn parameterization and fabrics prediction using image processing

This paper presents the main characteristics and functionalities of a system based on image processing techniques applied to quality assessment of yarns. In Textile Industry we used image processing to determine yarn mass parameters as well as yarn production characteristics. A low cost solution based on a web-pc camera plus the optics of a low cost analogue microscope and a software tool based on IMAQ Vision from LabVIEW was designed. Several tests were performed and compared with other methodologies of yarn parameterization validating the proposed solution. With the results one can support that this can be an alternative solution to the traditional yarn testers, with several advantages (among others, low cost, weight, volume, easy maintenance and reduced hardware). Moreover, this yarn parameterization can be used to assess the quality of the fabrics resultant

Yarn hairiness characterization using two orthogonal directions

We demonstrate that one can adequately characterize Yarn hairiness by imaging the yarn along a single projection direction using coherent optical processing. A system that simultaneously characterizes the yarn hairiness along two orthogonal projection directions was constructed. Provided that a sufficiently high number of yarn segments are sampled, a strong statistical correlation is obtained between the results in each direction. The resulting images are generated using coherent optical signal processing with a Fourier high-pass spatial filter. This filter blocks the yarn core and produces a signal that highlights the sharp transitions in the transmission of the yarn. Essentially, only the small fibres responsible for the hairiness and the yarn core contours are present. Experimental results are presented for a 62-g/km yarn possessing a high degree of hairiness. Index Terms—Electronic instrumentation, optical sensors, orthogonal directions, signal processing, yarn hairiness.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - BD/19028/2004

Protein-biomembrane interactions as therapeutic targets

Biological membranes are dynamic structures essential for several cellular phenomena. The scope of the work of the Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM) Biomembranes Unit is the study of biochemical and biophysical processes occurring at the membrane level on human cells and on their viral and bacterial pathogens. On the viral context, we are primarily interested on HIV and dengue virus, and particularly on the two steps of their life cycle involving their interaction with host cell membranes: the viral entry into target cells and the assembly of new viral particles. A special focus will be given to the study of the role of biological membranes on the mechanism of action of the HIV entry (membrane fusion) inhibitors enfuvirtide and T-1249. We are also involved in assessing the molecular basis of the activity of microbicides, such as rBPI21, that bind to specific components of bacterial membranes. Additionally, our line of work on the binding of fibrinogen to erythrocytes, and its relevance as a cardiovascular risk factor will be presented. An approach to the latter problem by single-molecule force spectroscopy, using an atomic force microscope (AFM), allowed the molecular recognition, characterization and partial identification of the human erythrocyte receptor for fibrinogen.These lines of work were supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia – Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (FCT-MCTES, Portugal; projects PTDC/SAU-OSM/73449/2006 and PTDC/ QUI-BIQ/104787/2008), by the FP7-PEOPLE IRSES (International Research Staff Exchange Scheme) project MEMPEPACROSS (EU), and by Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian (Portugal). MMD and PMM also thank FCT-MCTES for the PhD fellowships SFRH/BD/41750/2007 and SFRH/BD/42205/2007, respectively

Triple‐negative breast carcinomas are a heterogeneous entity that differs between young and old patients

OBJECTIVE: To compare the frequency and immunohistochemical profiles of triple-negative breast carcinomas in younger and older women. METHODS AND RESULTS: We selected patients diagnosed with triple-negative breast carcinomas. The groups examined were women who were 35 years old or younger between 1997 and 2007 (n = 74) and, for comparison, women who were 60 years old or older (n = 19, consecutive cases). All formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tumor samples were reviewed and immunohistochemically stained for ER, PR, HER2, Ki-67 antigen, epidermal growth factor receptor, cytokeratin 5/6, p53, vimentin, CD117, and p63 using tissue microarrays blocks. Triple-negative breast carcinomas corresponded to 34.6% (74/213) of the carcinomas from the younger patients and 16.2% (19/117) of the carcinomas from the older patients (p = 0.002). No significant differences in the frequency of the basal phenotype were observed in the two patient groups based on CK5/6 and/or epidermal growth factor receptor expression (74.3% vs. 68.4%). However, triple-negative breast carcinomas in the older patients presented a higher frequency of CK5/6 expression compared to those of younger patients (42.1% vs. 9.6%; p = 0.005), whereas triplenegative breast carcinomas of younger patients had a higher expression level of epidermal growth factor receptor (71.6% vs. 47.3%). CONCLUSIONS: These results show that there were significant molecular differences between the triple-negative basal-like breast carcinomas that were diagnosed in younger women and those that were diagnosed in older women. These findings may provide a basis for describing the more aggressive phenotype of the triple-negative breast carcinomas observed in younger women

The role of intratumoral lymphovascular density in distinguishing primary from secondary mucinous ovarian tumors

OBJECTIVE: Ovarian mucinous metastases commonly present as the first sign of the disease and are capable of simulating primary tumors. Our aim was to investigate the role of intratumoral lymphatic vascular density together with other surgical-pathological features in distinguishing primary from secondary mucinous ovarian tumors. METHODS: A total of 124 cases of mucinous tumors in the ovary (63 primary and 61 metastatic) were compared according to their clinicopathological features and immunohistochemical profiles. The intratumoral lymphatic vascular density was quantified by counting the number of vessels stained by the D2-40 antibody. RESULTS: Metastases occurred in older patients and were associated with a higher proportion of tumors smaller than 10.0 cm; bilaterality; extensive necrosis; extraovarian extension; increased expression of cytokeratin 20, CDX2, CA19.9 and MUC2; and decreased expression of cytokeratin 7, CA125 and MUC5AC. The lymphatic vascular density was increased among primary tumors. However, after multivariate analysis, the best predictors of a secondary tumor were a size of 10.0 cm or less, bilaterality and cytokeratin 7 negativity. Lack of MUC2 expression was an important factor excluding metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: The higher intratumoral lymphatic vascular density in primary tumors when compared with secondary lesions suggests differences in the microenvironment. However, considering the differential diagnosis, the best discriminator of a secondary tumor is the combination of tumor size, laterality and the pattern of expression of cytokeratin 7 and MUC2

An integrated project of entrepreneurship and innovation in engineering education

This paper presents a new line of project based learning in the School of Engineering of University of Minho: the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Integrated Project (IEIP). Four groups, each one composed of students from different engineering integrated master courses – Mechanical, Industrial Electronics and Computers, Polymer, Industrial Management – compete against each other in developing or improving commercial products manufactured by actual industries. There have been so far five editions of the IEIP, with five different companies and five diverse products, however, all these products included components that required knowledge from all the engineering courses involved. Only with the cooperation between the students of the various courses that compose each multidisciplinary team, the success is attainable. As each student has to deal with various engineering scopes, students’ technical skills are greatly enlarged and they acquire a multidisciplinary knowledge that was not possible in another way. Their soft skills like project management, teamwork, communication ability and personal development, which are valuable requisites for their future employers, are also improved. The participating industries also take advantage of the project: the groups competing against each other act as a multiskilled work force, actually making proposals capable of improving their products, their efficiency, and reducing costs