The Intramolecular Torsional Potential and Dielectric Properties of 2,3-Butanedione

Dipole moment measurements have been carried out on 2,3-butanedione in solution, pure liquid, and the vapor phase. A dipole moment of 1.03 ± .01 Debye was observed for dilute solutions of 2,3-butanedione in carbon tetrachloride. Pure liquid samples exhibit an anomalous dipole of 1.56 ± .01 Debye. The following results were obtained for vapor phase measurements: 1.04, 1.07, 1.08, 1.11, and 1.17 ± .01 Debye at 310.15, 350.15, 370.15, 431.70 and 472.10 ± .02°K respectively. The acetyl torsional potential was characterized from the observed temperature dependence of dipole moment. This torsional mode was described by a two-parameter potential function: V(Ø) = V1/2 (1-cosØ) + V2/2 (1-cos2Ø) where Ø is the acetyl torsional angle. The temperature dependence of the dipole moment was analyzed using statistical thermodynamic methods to determine the internal rotation potential parameters V1 and V2. A numerical least squares fit of the data yields V1=2890 ± 30 cm-1 (8.26 ± .09 Kcal or 34.6 ± .3 KJ) and 0.0-1. A two parameter potential function has been employed for the first time to characterize the temperature dependence of the dipole moment. The results of this study indicates that in contrast to glyoxal, the cis isomer of 2,3-butanedione is unstable, and accounts for the failure of other experimental methods to observe this isomer

Management control for increased performance : a case study of three farms in central Sweden

Lönsamheten i lantbruksföretag uppfattas som låg och vinstmarginalerna för lantbrukarna är små. De marginaler som finns måste därför utnyttjas. Vid tidigare recessioner i lantbruket har företagens överlevnadsförmåga analyserats utifrån begreppet finansiell stress. I denna studie används finansiell stress för att kunna jämföra den finansiella situationen mellan åren. Syftet med studien är att analysera vilka faktorer som påverkar ett företags ekonomiska resultat. I studien analyseras de faktorer som är väsentliga för att i positiv riktning förändra resultatet i ett företag. Dessutom diskuteras åtgärdspaket om hur resultatet kan förbättras om företagaren påverkar dessa faktorer. Studien är genomförd i form av fallstudier med tillämpning av kvantitativ metodik då utgångspunkten är affärsredovisning från tre olika lantbruksföretag. Vilka faktorer som behöver förändras har valts ut med hjälp av Balanced Scorecard. Därefter har simuleringar genomförts grundade på affärsredovisning för att påvisa hur utfallet av dessa förändringar hade blivit. Utöver Balanced Scorecard har även beslut-, förhandlings- och strategiteorier tillämpats. För att visa hur de olika teorierna länkas till varandra har en modell utvecklats som sedan varit en av utgångspunkterna i analysen. I denna modell ingår Balanced Scorecard som en viktig del. Resultaten av studien visar att de faktorer som har störst betydelse när ett företag vill påverka sitt resultat är de faktorer som erhålls ur Balanced Scorecards process perspektiv. Vilket betyder att företag med hög produktivitet i större utsträckning har bättre lönsamhet och lägre nivå av finansiell stress än företag med lägre produktivitet. Genom att påverka dessa faktorer kan företagets resultat förbättras väsentligt.The profitability in farming business is percieved as low and the margins of profit are small. Because of this, the small margins of profit are important. This study is based on a quantitative approach combined with field studies. The main part of the data consists of business accounting from three different farm businesses. The purpose of this study is to analyze a variety of different factors to see how this will affect the result. Different factors have been choosen from a Balanced Scorecard perspective. To show how changes in the factors can affect the result we constructed a simulation model. Earlier studies have not analyzed the factor levels impact on specific farm businesses and that makes this study interesting. Financial stress is a concept used in earlier studies to describe the viability of the companies. In this study, we use financial stress to compare the farms over several years. We will illustrate which factors are most important for the result. We will also present measures with different factors that increases the result when they improve. The theories in this study consists of Balanced Scorecard, Decision theory, Negotiation theory and theory on financial stress. To show how these theories connect we have made a model. This model is the core in the analysis. The result of this study is that the most important factors are the ones related to the internal business process. If the farmers can improve the factors included in the internal business processes the result will increase

Segmentação automática de estruturas pélvicas de imagens de tomografia computadorizada para planejamento da radioterapia de câncer de próstata

Orientador : Prof. Dr. Volmir Eugênio WilhelmTese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Tecnologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Métodos Numéricos em Engenharia. Defesa: Curitiba, 05/04/2017Inclui referências : f. 100-111Resumo: Nos últimos anos, o aumento da incidência de casos de câncer de próstata vem se tornando um desafio para a ciência médica. Uma das modalidades de tratamento é a radioterapia de intensidade modulada, IMRT, que permite conformar o feixe de dose de radiação em imagens de duas ou três dimensões. Uma das fases do planejamento consiste na segmentação das imagens das estruturas de interesse, tais como tumores e órgãos nobres e saudáveis, que é realizada manualmente, tarefa que demanda tempo do especialista, limitando o número de planejamentos efetuados. Dessa forma, é proposto um algoritmo de segmentação automática para as estruturas de interesse da região pélvica masculina de imagens de tomografia computadorizada (TC) para o planejamento da radioterapia de câncer de próstata. Neste trabalho foram utilizadas 300 imagens de TC no padrão DICOM, que correspondem a 10 exames de pacientes. Na segmentação das estruturas de interesse, realizou-se um pré-processamento das imagens (filtragem), em seguida, aplicou-se o método de segmentação Region Growing. Para a segmentação automática da região pélvica masculina utilizando o método Region Growing é necessário a escolha dos pixels sementes, que na maioria dos casos, é realizada observando a imagem e selecionando manualmente um ponto na região de interesse que se quer segmentar. O objetivo é que esses pontos sejam escolhidos de forma automática, sem a interferência do observador. Para isso, é proposto um algoritmo de busca de pixels sementes (ABS) para a segmentação automática da região pélvica masculina, isto é, as regiões de cabeça de fêmur direita e esquerda, bexiga e reto, considerados tecidos nobres para a etapa de planejamento da radioterapia. A tese contou com o envolvimento de profissionais do Hospital Erasto Gaertner, que forneceram as imagens segmentadas manualmente dos pacientes em tratamento para que fosse realizada a comparação com a segmentação automática. Verificou-se que o algoritmo de Region Growing com lançamento automático de sementes teve um índice de similaridade médio, considerando todos os exames estudados de 81;46% para a bexiga e de 60;10% para o reto, e tempo computacional médio de 21,16 segundos. Obteve-se bons resultados confirmados pela equipe de física-médica do hospital Erasto Gaertner. Por conseguinte, a utilização de sistemas assistidos por computador torna-se necessário para superar a demora nesta etapa do planejamento da radioterapia, com uma redução significativa do tempo necessário para a segmentação. Palavras-chave: planejamento da radioterapia, segmentação de imagens, region growing, algoritmo ABS.Abstract: In past years, prostate cancer incidence is growing, and become a challenge for medical science. Intensity modulated radiotherapy, IMRT, is one of the treatment modalities that allow a radiation dose to be conformed into two or three dimensions images. One of the planning stages consists in interest structures segmentation, such as tumors, and healthy and noble organs, which is manually performed, a task that requires specialist time, and limits the number of accomplished plannings. This way, an algorithm for automatic segmentation is proposed to identify interest structures in the male pelvic region, by using computed tomography (CT) images for prostate cancer radiotherapy planning. For this job we used 300 CT images in DICOM standard, that correspond to 10 patients exams. In interest structures segmentation, it was performed an image pre-processing (filtering), and then, it was applied a segmentation method known as Region Growing. To use Region Growing method for male pelvic region automatic segmentation, it's required to choose seed pixels, which in most cases, it's performed by observing the image, and manually selecting one point in the interest region segmentation. The goal is for these points to be chosen automatically, without the observer's interference. For this purpose, a pixels selecting algorithm (ABS) is proposed for an automatic segmentation of the male pelvic region, which covers right and left femur head regions, urinary bladder, and rectum organ, all of them considered as noble tissues for this stage of radiotherapy planning. The thesis had involvement with Hospital Erasto Gaertner staff, that provided manual segmented images from patients under treatment, in order to perform comparison against automatic segmentation. It was possible to verify that the algorithm for growing regions with automatic seed lauching had a mean index similarity, considering all studied exams of 81;46% for the bladder, and 60;10% for rectum organ, and the average computational time of 21,16 seconds. Good results were obtained, confirmed by the Medical physics team of Erasto Gaertner Hospital. Therefore, the use computer-aided systems become necessary in order to overcome the delay in this stage of planning for the radiotherapy, with a significant time reduction needed for the segmentation. Keywords: radiotherapy planning, images segmentation, region growing, ABS algorithm

Modelos de Regressão Logística, Redes Neurais e Support Vector Machine (SVM´s) na Análise de Crédito a Pessoas Jurídicas

Na área de crédito bancário, ao tomar um empréstimo ou realizar qualquer negócio, o passo seguinte ao preenchimento do cadastro na unidade concedente é a análise de crédito. O uso e a posse de instrumentos que auxiliem na tarefa de classificar possíveis solventes ou insolventes podem tornar-se uma vantagem competitiva. O presente trabalho foi desenvolvido para predizer empresas adimplentes e inadimplentes. Para isso, são analisados o registro de 199 clientes (pessoas jurídicas) de uma agência bancária, utilizando três técnicas: Regressão Logística, Redes Neurais de Múltiplas Camadas e Support Vector Machine. O objetivo é a comparação do desempenho das três técnicas escolhidas. Os resultados encontrados demonstram uma superioridade de Support Vector Machine em relação às outras duas técnicas. Alguns dos motivos para esse sucesso estão relacionados ao fato de essa técnica exibir bom desempenho de generalização em muitas bases de dados reais, ter boa fundamentação teórica, a eliminação da possibilidade de mínimos locais pelo processo de treinamento e a existência de poucos parâmetros livres para ajuste

Resource management : a multiple case study of resource management in Swedish equine boarding businesses

The resource management in companies defines the competitive advantage and the profile of the products or services. With a better understanding of resource management, the companies may increase their success. A sector that is expanding is the equine sector in Sweden. The equine businesses have received increased attention both from the society and from researchers. However, literature regarding how these equine boarding businesses are managed is rare. The aim of this study is to create a deeper understanding of how equine boarding businesses in the Swedish equine sector manage their resources. To fulfill the aim, questions concerning the key resources in the equine boarding businesses and what the main role of these resources are, are answered. The theoretical framework consists of Resource-based view and the Business platform by Klofsten. A qualitative multiple case study has been conducted through semi-structured interviews with eleven horse boarding business managers. The gathered data has been analyzed through the theoretical framework. The results of this study indicate that there are several key resources in Swedish equine boarding businesses. Some of the key resources are motivation, education, and experience of the manager, his/her network, the location, the chosen price level, written agreements and leadership at the yard. The motivation, education and previous experience of the manager tend to affect the way the resource base of the business is composed. The motivation affects the orientation of the business which will determine how the resources are used. The conclusion is that companies in the equine boarding business, in similarity to companies in other sectors, manage their resources to achieve competitive advantage and success for their companies

CASE MANAGEMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH STROKE: QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Objective: to compare the effect of intervention by nurse-case manager on risk factorsand blood pressure in post-stroke people.Method: quasi-experimental study conducted over six months with 14 post-stroke patients in southern Brazil. The intervention with case management consisted of nursing consultations, individualized educational actions and referrals to other professionals, operationalized in three home visits and six telephone contacts. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and Fisher’s test were used, with a significance level of p≤0.05.Results: Reduction of smoking (p=0.0414), alcohol intake (p=0), sodium consumption (p=0.0024), fat (p=0.0027), carbohydrate (p=0.0203) and sugar (p=0.0111), increased physical activity (p=0.0382) and non-significant reduction of blood pressure levels were observed.Conclusion: Nurse-led case management is a valid strategy to follow people recovering from stroke

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma: a diagnostic challenge

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is a provisional entity with morphological and immunophenotypic characteristics indistinguishable from ALK-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). Unlike ALCL, BIA-ALCL arises mainly in association with breast implantation. Diagnostic confirmation of BIA-ALCL can be difficult and associating morphological and pathological hallmarks with flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry can assist in the diagnosis. The objective of this report is to describe a case of BIA-ALCL in which cytological and immunophenotypological analysis using flow cytometry suggested the presence of large CD30-positive cells in the effusion fluid