Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Smoking cessation counselling practices among Québec optometrists: evaluating beliefs, practices, barriers and needs

Background: Despite the fact that cigarette smoking is a well known risk factor for many ocular diseases, very little data exist regarding optometrists' interventions in smoking cessation counselling with their patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the practices, perceptions and educational needs of Québec optometrists regarding smoking cessation counselling.
Dose uniformity of ferromagnetic seed implants in tissue with discrete vasculature: a numerical study on the impact of seed characteristics and implantation techniques

The results from simulations with a new three-dimensional treatment planning system for interstitial hyperthermia with ferromagnetic seeds are presented in this study. The thermal model incorporates discrete vessel structures as well as a heat sink and enhanced thermal conductivity. Both the discrete vessels and the ferroseeds are described parametrically in separate calculation spaces. This parametric description has the advantage of an arbitrary orientation of the structures within the tissue grid, easy manipulation of the structures and independence from the resolution of the tissue voxels (tissue calculation space). The power absorption of the self-regulating seeds is according to empirical data. The thermal effects of an unlimited number of thin layers surrounding the seed (coatings, catheters) can be modelled. The initial calculations have been performed for an array of 12 identical ferromagnetic seeds in a tissue volume with a computer generated artificial vessel network spanning four vessel generations in both the arterial and venous tree. The heterogeneously distributed large isolated vessels impair the temperature distribution significantly, indicating the limited accuracy of continuum models. Simulations with different types of ferromagnetic seeds have confirmed that the efforts of previous studies to optimize the self-regulating temperature control and the implantation techniques of the ferroseeds will improve the homogeneity of the temperature distribution in the target volume. Multifilament seeds implanted in brachytherapy needles and tubular seeds appear to be the most favourable configurations. The division of long seeds into shorter segments with the appropriate Curie temperature will further improve the homogeneity of the temperature distribution without increasing the average temperature in the volume of interest. Given the proper thermal tissue data, the model presented in this study will prove to be a useful tool in making choices for the implant geometry, seed spacing and Curie temperature.
European contributions to the beam source design and R&D of the ITER neutral beam injectors

The article reports on the progress made by the ITER European Home Team in strong interaction with the ITER Joint Central Team and the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute regarding several key aspects of the beam source for the ITER injectors: (1) Integration of the SINGAP accelerator into the ITER injector design. This is a substantially simpler concept than the multiaperture, multigap (MAMuG) accelerator of the ITER NBI reference design that has the potential for significant cost savings and that avoids some of the weaknesses of the reference design such as the need for intermediate high voltage potentials from the high voltage power supply and pressurized gas insulation. (2) High energy negative ion acceleration using a SINGAP accelerator. (3) Long pulse (i.e. >1000 s) negative ion source operation in deuterium. (4) RF source development, which could reduce the scheduled maintenance of the ITER injectors (as it uses no filaments), and simplify the transmission line and the auxiliary power supplies for the ion source.
Three-dimensional modelling of heat transfer and fluid flow in laser full-penetration welding

Modelling results are presented concerning the laser full-penetration welding characteristics. The effects of welding speed, Marangoni convection and natural convection on melt flow and heat transfer are all included in the modelling, and thus a three-dimensional (3-D) approach is employed. Comparison of the present 3-D modelling results with corresponding two-dimensional ones shows that besides the welding speed, Marangoni convection also plays critical role in determining the temperature distribution in the workpiece and melt flow in the weld pool and cannot be ignored even for the full-penetration welding of a thin plate. A method is described concerning how to use the present 3-D modelling results to estimate the keyhole radius or predict the energy efficiency in the laser full-penetration welding.
Electrical resistance tomography for process applications

Measurement of electrical resistivity via four probes is widely used in a variety of applications ranging from geophysical prospecting to silicon wafer manufacture. Electrical resistivity tomography is an extension of this approach and is performed via an array of equi-spaced electrodes mounted into the periphery of a process vessel to map non-intrusively the spatial distribution of resistivities within. The digitized boundary data are `inverted' by an image reconstruction algorithm to produce a map of the internal resistivity distribution. This paper focuses on the design and operation of flexible electrical resistivity tomography instrumentation for use on laboratory- and plant-scale process equipment.
Progress in stabilization of the He-Ne/127I2 wavelength standard at 633 nm and results of an international comparison between the PTB and the UME

A detailed description of the He-Ne/127I2 laser wavelength standards developed at the National Metrology Institute of Turkey (UME), using high-frequency modulation and featuring a long-term relative instability of a few parts in 1014, is presented. The frequency dependence of the lasers on the iodine gas pressure, modulation width and saturating field intensity have been studied with a very low uncertainty level, and the common effect of these parameters on the output frequency has been demonstrated. A new method of accurately measuring modulation width has been realized, making an important contribution to the improvement of reproducibility of this type of wavelength standard. An international comparison between the laser standards of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) and the UME has been performed. Several iodine cells studied in a laser with an accurate servo-system, reveal a correlation between the spacing of the molecular resonances, the gas contamination in the iodine cell, and the output frequencies of the laser when locked to different iodine components.
Determining the relationship between the application of fixed appliances and periodontal conditions

The aim of this work was to study the relationship between the use of fixed appliances and periodontal conditions during orthodontic treatment. A Historical Cohort study design was used. The treatment group consisted of 30 patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment and 30 patients were used as controls. Both patient groups had no background of trauma resulting from bracket which might affect the gingival status and the control group had no history of previous orthodontic treatment. Periodontal condition of both groups was evaluated and assessed with bleeding index and periodontal hyperplasia. Exact Fisher test was used for statistical analysis. The mean age for the treatment group and the control group was 15.1±1.5 years and 14.7 ± 2.4 years, respectively. Gingival bleeding was 50 and 76.7%, while gingival recession was 3.3 and 0% in control and treatment groups (P<0.3; P<0.9), respectively. 13.3% of gingival hyperplasia was seen in the control group and 46.4% in the treatment group (P<0.005). Fixed appliances for orthodontic treatment increased the potential of gingival bleeding and Hyperplasia. Key words : Fixed orthodontic appliances, periodontal disease, gingival bleeding, gingival recession, gingival hyperplasia.
Analysis of insulation characteristics of c-C4F8 and N2 gas mixtures by the Monte Carlo method

The motion of electrons in c-C4F8 and N2 gas mixtures for a pulsed Townsend discharge is simulated by the Monte Carlo method. The effective ionization coefficient, , over the E/N range from 160 to 480 Td is calculated by employing a set of cross sections available in the literature. From the variation curve of with the C4F8 mixture ratio k, the limiting field of the gas mixture at different gas content is determined. The required gas pressure ratios comparable with the insulation property of SF6 and GWP at this gas pressure were also investigated. It is found that the insulation characteristics of the N2 and c-C4F8 gas mixtures are comparable with the N2 and SF6 mixture, but the GWP of the former is significantly lower than that of the latter. Simulation results show excellent agreement with experimental data available in the literature.
Enhanced Photon Emission in Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy

We have investigated the inverse photoelectric effect stimulated by electron tunnelling in the scanning tunnelling microscope (STM). Light emission spectra are reported for polycrystalline silver films. In accordance with similar observations for other tunnelling devices, the high-energy threshold of the spectral distributions has been found to equal the voltage between tip and sample. Characteristic maxima of the photon emission at ∼1.9 eV and ∼2.4 eV, independent of tunnel voltage, are attributed to resonant excitation and radiative decay of localized surface plasmon polariton modes at the silver surface. This represents the first observation of plasmon excitations with the STM and provides unambiguous evidence of local inelastic processes occurring on silver surfaces. We propose that our novel results may have particular relevance to the interpretation of optical phenomena on the atomic scale.
ASSOCIATION FOR ACADEMIC SURGERY, 2008 A Pilot Study of Proteomic Profiles of Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the United States

*Department of Surgery; †Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology; ‡Department of Pathology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana; §Walther Oncology Center, Indianapolis, Indiana; Indiana University Cancer Center; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana; and **Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, Indiana
Hubble expansion and structure formation in the ``running FLRW model'' of the cosmic evolution

A new class of Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) cosmological models with time-evolving fundamental parameters should emerge naturally from a description of the expansion of the universe based on the first principles of quantum field theory and string theory. Within this general paradigm, one expects that both the gravitational Newton's coupling G and the cosmological term Λ should not be strictly constant but appear rather as smooth functions of the Hubble rate H(t). This scenario (``running FLRW model'') predicts, in a natural way, the existence of dynamical dark energy without invoking the participation of extraneous scalar fields. In this paper, we perform a detailed study of some of these models in the light of the latest cosmological data, which serves to illustrate the phenomenological viability of the new dark energy paradigm as a serious alternative to the traditional scalar field approaches. By performing a joint likelihood analysis of the recent supernovae type Ia data (SNIa), the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) shift parameter, and the Baryonic Acoustic Oscillations (BAOs) traced by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), we put tight constraints on the main cosmological parameters. Furthermore, we derive the theoretically predicted dark-matter halo mass function and the corresponding redshift distribution of cluster-size halos for the ``running'' models studied. Despite the fact that these models closely reproduce the standard ΛCDM Hubble expansion, their normalization of the perturbation's power-spectrum varies, imposing, in many cases, a significantly different cluster-size halo redshift distribution. This fact indicates that it should be relatively easy to distinguish between the ``running'' models and the ΛCDM using realistic future X-ray and Sunyaev-Zeldovich cluster surveys.
A filtration defined by arcs on a variety

Let (V, 0) be a germ of a complex analytic variety. The ring OV,0 of germs of functions on it has a filtration by powers of the maximal ideal. We shall define another natural filtration related to the geometry of arcs on (V, 0), and describe some of its properties. An arc φ on (V, 0) is a germ of an analytic map φ : (C, 0) → (V, 0). The order vφ(g) of a function g ∈ OV,0 on the arc φ is defined as the order of the composition g◦φ, that is, as the degree of the first non-trivial term in the power series expansion g ◦ φ(τ) = aτφ + · · · , a 6= 0 (if g ◦ φ ≡ 0, then vφ(g) := +∞). Let b v(g) := min{φ} vφ(g). For a germ g 6= 0 the number b v(g) is always finite.
Crescimento de mudas de tomateiro (Solanum lycopersicum) estimulado pela bactéria Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum FZB42 em cultura orgânica

Este estudo verificou a atuacao da bacteria Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum FZB42, na producao de mudas orgânicas de duas cultivares (Santa Clara I-5300 e Cereja 261) de tomateiro (Solanum lycopersicumL.) mediante a inoculacao nas sementes. Tambem se investigaram as caracteristicas bacterianas relacionadas com a promocao do crescimento vegetal. Para isso, utilizou-se uma solucao de FZB42 na concentracao de 1x1011UFC/mL, com os tratamentos correspondendo a porcentagens em volume (20% de FZB42; 80% de FZB42 e Testemunha com 100% de agua destilada), na proporcao de 320 uL/g de sementes. O percentual de germinacao nao foi influenciado pelos tratamentos e verificou-se estimulo ao crescimento da parte aerea por FZB42 a 20% nas plântulas da cv Cereja. Na producao de mudas, a bacteria FZB42 a 20% promoveu o crescimento enquanto a FZB42 a 80% o reduziu. A inoculacao nas duas doses aumentou os teores clorofila a, b e totais das mudas de tomateiro. A estirpe FZB42 apresentou resultados positivos para producao de compostos indolicos e sideroforos, e na dose de 20%, mostrou-se vantajosa na producao de mudas, ao aumentar a parte aerea em 47,7% na cultivar Santa Clara, e 15,5% na cv Cereja, quando comparados a testemunha.
Interface states in Al2O3/AlGaN/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor structure by frequency dependent conductance technique

Frequency dependent conductance measurements are implemented to investigate the interface states in Al2O3/AlGaN/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structures. Two types of device structures, namely, the recessed gate structure (RGS) and the normal gate structure (NGS), are studied in the experiment. Interface trap parameters including trap density Dit, trap time constant τit, and trap state energy ET in both devices have been determined. Furthermore, the obtained results demonstrate that the gate recess process can induce extra traps with shallower energy levels at the Al2O3/AlGaN interface due to the damage on the surface of the AlGaN barrier layer resulting from reactive ion etching (RIE).
Inhibition of the Transforming Growth Factor β (TGFβ) Pathway by Interleukin-1β Is Mediated through TGFβ-activated Kinase 1 Phosphorylation of SMAD3

Transforming growth factor β is the prototype of a large family of secreted factors that regulate multiple biological processes. In the immune system, TGFβ acts as an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive molecule, whereas the cytokine interleukin (IL)-1β is a crucial mediator of inflammatory responses and induces proinflammatory genes and acute phase proteins. Here, we present evidence for the existence of a direct inhibitory interaction between the IL-1β and TGFβ signaling cascades that is not dependent on IL-1β–induced SMAD7 expression. IL-1β and its downstream mediator TAK1 inhibit SMAD3-mediated TGFβ target gene activation, whereas SMAD3 nuclear translocation and DNA binding in response to TGFβ are not affected. IL-1β transiently induces association between TAK1 and the MAD homology 2 domain of SMAD3, resulting in SMAD3 phosphorylation. Furthermore, IL-1β alleviates the inhibitory effect of TGFβ on in vitro hematopoietic myeloid colony formation. In conclusion, our data provide evidence for the existence of a direct inhibitory effect of the IL-1β-TAK1 pathway on SMAD3-mediated TGFβ signaling, resulting in reduced TGFβ target gene activation and restored proliferation of hematopoietic progenitors.
Limits on the Auroral Generation of H3 + in Brown Dwarf and Extrasolar Giant Planet Atmospheres with the Keck Near Infrared Echelle Spectrograph

The molecular ion H3 + is a potentially powerful tracer of the ionospheres and thermal structures of Jovian planets but has never been detected in a planetary mass object outside of the solar system. Models predict that H3 + emission driven by EUV flux and solar wind on hot Jupiters, or by powerful aurorae on brown dwarfs, will be between 102 and 105 × more intense than that of Jupiter. If optimal conditions for the production of emission do exist, the emission may be detectable by current ground-based instruments or in the near future. We present the first search for H3 + line emission in brown dwarfs with Keck Near Infrared Echelle Spectrograph L′ high-resolution spectroscopy. Additionally, we survey stars hosting giant planets at semimajor axes near 0.1–0.2 au, which models suggest may be the best planetary targets. No candidate H3 + emission is found. The limits we place on the emission of H3 + from brown dwarfs indicate that auroral generation of H3 + in these environments likely does not linearly scale from the processes found on Jupiter, plausibly due to deeper atmospheric penetration by precipitating auroral electrons. Detection of H3 + emission in brown dwarfs may be possible with the James Webb Space Telescope, or future 33 m class telescopes.
Nucleation and random movement of filaments in the propagation of high-power laser radiation in a turbulent atmosphere

The nucleation and random movement of a nonlinear moving focus in a turbulent atmosphere during the propagation of a high-power subpicosecond laser pulse was investigated for a medium with fluctuations of the refractive index. It was shown by statistical sampling methods that under turbulent conditions the length corresponding to the establishment of a nonlinear focus in which the intensity reaches the ionisation threshold is on average reduced compared with the similar length in a regular medium. The focus, moving along a random path, outlines in air a 'curved' filament, the random displacement of which may reach several millimetres in the cross-sectional plane.
Monte Carlo modelling of external radiotherapy photon beams

An essential requirement for successful radiation therapy is that the discrepancies between dose distributions calculated at the treatment planning stage and those delivered to the patient are minimized. An important component in the treatment planning process is the accurate calculation of dose distributions. The most accurate way to do this is by Monte Carlo calculation of particle transport, first in the geometry of the external or internal source followed by tracking the transport and energy deposition in the tissues of interest. Additionally, Monte Carlo simulations allow one to investigate the influence of source components on beams of a particular type and their contaminant particles. Since the mid 1990s, there has been an enormous increase in Monte Carlo studies dealing specifically with the subject of the present review, i.e., external photon beam Monte Carlo calculations, aided by the advent of new codes and fast computers. The foundations for this work were laid from the late 1970s until the early 1990s. In this paper we will review the progress made in this field over the last 25 years. The review will be focused mainly on Monte Carlo modelling of linear accelerator treatment heads but sections will also be devoted to kilovoltage x-ray units and 60Co teletherapy sources.
Selection and determination of beam weights based on genetic algorithms for conformal radiotherapy treatment planning

A genetic algorithm has been used to optimize the selection of beam weights for external beam three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy treatment planning. A fitness function is defined, which includes a difference function to achieve a least-square fit to doses at preselected points in a planning target volume, and a penalty item to constrain the maximum allowable doses delivered to critical organs. Adjustment between the dose uniformity within the target volume and the dose constraint to the critical structures can be achieved by varying the beam weight variables in the fitness function. A floating-point encoding schema and several operators, like uniform crossover, arithmetical crossover, geometrical crossover, Gaussian mutation and uniform mutation, have been used to evolve the population. Three different cases were used to verify the correctness of the algorithm and quality assessment based on dose-volume histograms and three-dimensional dose distributions were given. The results indicate that the genetic algorithm presented here has considerable potential.
Model-based normalization for iterative 3D PET image reconstruction

We describe a method for normalization in 3D PET for use with maximum a posteriori (MAP) or other iterative model-based image reconstruction methods. This approach is an extension of previous factored normalization methods in which we include separate factors for detector sensitivity, geometric response, block effects and deadtime. Since our MAP reconstruction approach already models some of the geometric factors in the forward projection, the normalization factors must be modified to account only for effects not already included in the model. We describe a maximum likelihood approach to joint estimation of the count-rate independent normalization factors, which we apply to data from a uniform cylindrical source. We then compute block-wise and block-profile deadtime correction factors using singles and coincidence data, respectively, from a multiframe cylindrical source. We have applied this method for reconstruction of data from the Concorde microPET P4 scanner. Quantitative evaluation of this method using well-counter measurements of activity in a multicompartment phantom compares favourably with normalization based directly on cylindrical source measurements.
Versatile enzyme expression and characterization system for Aspergillus: characterization of the polyketide synthase from the mycophenolic acid gene cluster from Penicillium brevicompactum as a case study

Citation for published version (APA): Hansen, B. G. , Salomonsen, B. , Hansen, B. , Nielsen, M. T. , Nielsen, J. B. , Regueira, T. B. , Nielsen, K. F. , Patil, K. R. , & Mortensen, U. H. (2011). Versatile enzyme expression and characterization system for Aspergillus: characterization of the polyketide synthase from the mycophenolic acid gene cluster from Penicillium brevicompactum as a case study. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 3044. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.01768-10
Acrodermatitis Enteropathica‐like Syndrome Secondary to Branched‐chain Amino Acid Deficiency in Inborn Errors of Metabolism

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