Noninvasive functional optical spectroscopy of human breast tissue

Near infrared diffuse optical spectroscopy and diffuse optical imaging are promising methods that eventually may enhance or replace existing technologies for breast cancer screening and diagnosis. These techniques are based on highly sensitive, quantitative measurements of optical and functional contrast between healthy and diseased tissue. In this study, we examine whether changes in breast physiology caused by exogenous hormones, aging, and fluctuations during the menstrual cycle result in significant alterations in breast tissue optical contrast. A noninvasive quantitative diffuse optical spectroscopy technique, frequency-domain photon migration, was used. Measurements were performed on 14 volunteer subjects by using a hand-held probe. Intrinsic tissue absorption and reduced scattering parameters were calculated from frequency-domain photon migration data. Wavelength-dependent absorption (at 674, 803, 849, and 956 nm) was used to determine tissue concentration of oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, total hemoglobin, tissue hemoglobin oxygen saturation, and bulk water content. Results show significant and dramatic differences in optical properties between menopausal states. Average premenopausal intrinsic tissue absorption and reduced scattering values at each wavelength are 2.5- to 3-fold higher and 16–28% greater, respectively, than absorption and scattering for postmenopausal subjects. Absorption and scattering properties for women using hormone replacement therapy are intermediate between premenopausal and postmenopausal populations. Physiological properties show differences in mean total hemoglobin (7.0 μM, 11.8 μM, and 19.2 μM) and water concentration relative to pure water (10.9%, 15.3%, and 27.3%) for postmenopausal, hormone replacement therapy, and premenopausal subjects, respectively. Because of their unique, quantitative information content, diffuse optical methods may play an important role in breast diagnostics and improving our understanding of breast disease.

Identification of a minimal sequence of the mouse pro-alpha 1(I) collagen promoter that confers high-level osteoblast expression in transgenic mice and that binds a protein selectively present in osteoblasts.

Based on our previous transgenic mice results, which strongly suggested that separate cell-specific cis-acting elements of the mouse pro-alpha 1(I) collagen promoter control the activity of the gene in different type I collagen-producing cells, we attempted to delineate a short segment in this promoter that could direct high-level expression selectively in osteoblasts. By generating transgenic mice harboring various fragments of the promoter, we identified a 117-bp segment (-1656 to -1540) that is a minimal sequence able to confer high-level expression of a lacZ reporter gene selectively in osteoblasts when cloned upstream of the proximal 220-bp pro-alpha 1(I) promoter. This 220-bp promoter by itself was inactive in transgenic mice and unable to direct osteoblast-specific expression. The 117-bp enhancer segment contained two sequences that appeared to have different functions. The A sequence (-1656 to -1628) was required to obtain expression of the lacZ gene in osteoblasts, whereas the C sequence (-1575 to -1540) was essential to obtain consistent and high-level expression of the lacZ gene in osteoblasts. Gel shift assays showed that the A sequence bound a nuclear protein present only in osteoblastic cells. A mutation in the A segment that abolished the binding of this osteoblast-specific protein also abolished lacZ expression in osteoblasts of transgenic mice.

3D Maps Representation Using GNG

Current RGB-D sensors provide a big amount of valuable information for mobile robotics tasks like 3D map reconstruction, but the storage and processing of the incremental data provided by the different sensors through time quickly become unmanageable. In this work, we focus on 3D maps representation and propose the use of the Growing Neural Gas (GNG) network as a model to represent 3D input data. GNG method is able to represent the input data with a desired amount of neurons or resolution while preserving the topology of the input space. Experiments show how GNG method yields a better input space adaptation than other state-of-the-art 3D map representation methods.

Coverage and invariability in fuzzy systems

This paper presents a new complex system systemic. Here, we are working in a fuzzy environment, so we have to adapt all the previous concepts and results that were obtained in a non-fuzzy environment, for this fuzzy case. The direct and indirect influences between variables will provide the basis for obtaining fuzzy and/or non-fuzzy relationships, so that the concepts of coverage and invariability between sets of variables will appear naturally. These two concepts and their interconnections will be analyzed from the viewpoint of algebraic properties of inclusion, union and intersection (fuzzy and non-fuzzy), and also for the loop concept, which, as we shall see, will be of special importance.

Invariability, orbits and fuzzy attractors

In this paper, we present a generalization of a new systemic approach to abstract fuzzy systems. Using a fuzzy relations structure will retain the information provided by degrees of membership. In addition, to better suit the situation to be modelled, it is advisable to use T-norm or T-conorm distinct from the minimum and maximum, respectively. This gain in generality is due to the completeness of the work on a higher level of abstraction. You cannot always reproduce the results obtained previously, and also sometimes different definitions with different views are obtained. In any case this approach proves to be much more effective when modelling reality.

La Legenda aurea com a font del teatre hagiogràfic català de tècnica medieval: un tast comparatiu

En aquest treball ens proposem estudiar la influència de la Legenda aurea de Jacobus de Voragine en el teatre hagiogràfic català de tècnica medieval, en concret en tres de les consuetes del ms. 1139 de la BNC: la de sant Jordi, dedicada a l’episodi de la donzella i el drac; la de la conversió de sant Cristòfol i la de sant Mateu. Comptem amb algunes aproximacions anteriors, com és el cas de les consideracions que féu Josep Romeu en la seua edició de les peces hagiogràfiques d’aquest manuscrit (1957). En aquest sentit, aprofitem les seues indicacions com a punt de partida per a oferir una anàlisi més detallada de la manera en què els drames hagiogràfics adapten algunes de les vides contingudes en l’obra de Voragine. Per no allargar-nos excessivament, ens centrem en aquestes tres consuetes, ja que poden ser prou representatives dels diferents tipus d’adaptació teatral de la Legenda aurea.

Schachzabelbuch : manuscript, [ca. 1390]-1408

Schachzabelbuch (ff. 1-87r; incomplete at the beginning) -- Heil- und Segenssprüche (87r-88v) -- Tageszeiten (89r-144v) -- Kalender (145r-159v) -- Heil- und Segenssprüche (160r-v).

Essays : manuscript, [17--]

Essays on the dispersion of mankind, the Council of Trent, the invention of writing, and other topics.

Hülasat ül-ecvibe

[Çeşmizade Mehmet Halis].

Carte de la coste d'Arabie, Mer Rouge et Golfe de Perse: tirée de la Carte de l'Océan Oriental publiée en 1740 par Ordre de Mgr le Comte de Maurepas augmentée sur des remarques particulières et dressée sur des observations astronomiques = Kaart van de Kust van Arabië, de Roode-Zee en de Gulf van Persië Gemaakt na de Fransse-Kaart van den Ooster-Ocean uitgegeven A. 1740 op Bevel van den Hre Grave de Maurepas Vermeederd op byzondere Aanmerkingen, en geschikt volgens Sterrekundige-Waarnemingen

J. V. Schley.

Zeylü's-Siyer : manuscript, 1698

Continuation of Veysî's Dürretü't-tâc fi sîreti sâhibi'l-mi'râc: first biography of the Prophet Muḥammad divided into sections on Mecca and Medina.

Kitāb Shurūṭ al-imāmah / lil-Shaykh al-Imām Abū al-ʻAbbās Aḥmad ibn Ḥamzah al-Ramlī al-Anṣārī al-Shāfiʻī : manuscript, undated

Written in several hands, in one column, 23-24 lines per page, in black rubricated in red.

Kitāb Ghāyat al-maʼmūl fī sharḥ Waraqāt al-uṣūl / taʼlīf al-Shaykh al-Imām al-ʻĀlim al-ʻAllāmah al-Ḥibr al-Baḥr al-Fahhāmah Shaykh Mashāyikh al-Islām Abī al-ʻAbbās Aḥmad ibn Aḥmad al-Anṣārī al-Ramlī al-Shāfiʻī : manuscript, 1613

Written in one column, 21 lines per page, in black rubricated in red. First three leaves and last leaf framed within a double red line.

Majmūʻah : manuscript, 1694-1716

A collection of more than 80 short treatises by various authors on various topics as well as numerous excerpts from different sources.