Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A method for the calibration of concave 90Sr +90Y ophthalmic applicators

In the United States of America, most ophthalmic applicators a re of the planar type and consist of g0Sr+90Y (maximum energy about 1.8 MeV and average energy about 0.8 MeV on the outside of the encapsulation) (Pruitt er al 1988). There d o exist, however, some which are concave in shape. An example is the Amersham Model SIA.6, which has a radius of cuwature of 10 mm. (The identification of commercial products is solely for technical purposes and does not imply endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA.) Curved applicators are commonly used throughout Europe, though in that case they seem to be mostly 106Ru+106Rh (maximum energy 3.5 MeV, average energy 1.5 MeV) and are used to treat more deep-seated lesions. In recent years there have been papers dealing with the calibration of such concave applicators, using thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLD) (Binder er al 1990), alanine-polymer foils (Hjortenherg el al 1989) and silicon detectors (Lax 1991). There have also been calculational attempts to predict depthdose characteristics from measurements with extrapolation chambers a t distances of several millimetres from the source surface (Davelaar er a/ 1991). At the Amersham Laboratory (Amersham, UK) absorbed-dose rate in tissue at a depth of 7 mg m-? from curved applicators is measured with calihrated scintillator probes (Amersham International 1979, Sinclair and Trott 1956). The probes a re approximately 3 mm in diameter, 0.5 m m thick and are covered with 7 mg of aluminium. They are calibrated using standard sources whose dose rate has been determined using an extrapolation chamber equipped with a 3 mm diameter collecting electrode. Crucial to this technique is the availability of well calibrated sources of nearly the same geometry and dose rate as the source to be calibrated. None of the above methods adequately addresses the question of measurement of surface absorbed-dose rate from a concave applicator. A technique is presented here which yields accurate measurement of the surface ahsorhed-dose rate in a very simple and straightfonvard fashion.
A Review on Optoelectronical Properties of Non-Metal Oxide/Diamond-Based p-n Heterojunction

Diamond holds promise for optoelectronic devices working in high-frequency, high-power and high-temperature environments, for example in some aspect of nuclear energetics industry processing and aerospace due to its wide bandgap (5.5 eV), ultimate thermal conductivity, high-pressure resistance, high radio frequency and high chemical stability. In the last several years, p-type B-doped diamond (BDD) has been fabricated to heterojunctions with all kinds of non-metal oxide (AlN, GaN, Si and carbon-based semiconductors) to form heterojunctions, which may be widely utilized in various optoelectronic device technology. This article discusses the application of diamond-based heterostructures and mainly writes about optoelectronic device fabrication, optoelectronic performance research, LEDs, photodetectors, and high-electron mobility transistor (HEMT) device applications based on diamond non-metal oxide (AlN, GaN, Si and carbon-based semiconductor) heterojunction. The discussion in this paper will provide a new scheme for the improvement of high-temperature diamond-based optoelectronics.
An inverse solution for reconstruction of the area-moment-of-inertia of a beam using deflection data

The main purpose of this study was to develop a mathematical model that could be used to determine the changes in the structural characteristics – such as changes that could occur due to corrosion in the cross-sectional area-moment-of-inertia of a bridge – from the knowledge of its loading and deflection. Reconstruction of the cross-sectional area-moment-of-inertia of a bridge from the knowledge of its loading and deflection is an inverse problem. In this investigation, the cross-sectional area-moment-of-inertias of a scaled model of simply supported steel bridge (with simulated corrosion) are reconstructed using the deflection and load data. The deflection data used in this inverse problem were numerically generated using the finite element method and the ANSYS software. The deflection data for each model were then used in the inverse problem to reconstruct the cross-sectional area-moment-of-inertias for the model. To solve the inverse problem, the solution domain was discretized into finite number of elements and nodes. The nodal deflections and slopes were represented by Hermite shape functions. For each element, the strain energy and the work done by the external forces were formulated. The minimum total potential energy principle was then used to create the stiffness matrices and reconstruct the area-moment-of-inertia for each element. The inverse model creates a set of linear equations that must be solved simultaneously. Moreover, since the formulation led to more equations than unknowns, the least squared method was used to minimize the errors associated with the solutions, and to match the number of equations with unknowns. Comparison of the inverse solutions with the direct solutions confirms that the variations in the area-moment-of-inertia for a bridge cross-section can be reconstructed, with good accuracy, from the knowledge of its loading and deflection.
Characterization and Expression Analysis of Four Cadmium-Tolerance-Associated Genes of Avicennia marina (Forsk.)

Simple Summary The present study initially identified four full-length genes (peroxidase1, AmPRX1; peroxidase2 AmPRX2; pectate lyase, AmPL; phytosulfokine, AmPSK) associated with metal tolerance in Avicennia marina, one of the pioneer mangrove species with adaptive features. These genes showed the characteristic features of the respective protein families, indicating their evolutionarily conserved relationship with other plant proteins (e.g., CrPRX in Catharanthus roseus, MtPRX in Medicago truncatula, and NnPSK in Nelumbo nucifera). Real-time quantitative PCR revealed that AmPRX1, AmPRX2, and AmPL were most abundantly expressed in the leaves, while AmPSK displayed similar transcript levels across leaves, stems, and roots. Additionally, increased expression levels of these genes were detected in A. marina leaves under cadmium stress. The study thus suggests the role of these four genes in the cadmium stress response and provides a basis for detailed functional studies. Abstract Mangroves colonize the intertidal area of estuaries (e.g., Pichavaram, Payardia, and Mai Po) with remarkable cadmium (Cd) pollution. A study on the mechanism of mangrove plant response to Cd pollution can help to understand the adaptive characteristics of plants under Cd stress. This study explored the roles of peroxidase (PRX), pectate lyase (PL), and phytosulfokine (PSK) genes in cadmium tolerance of mangrove Avicennia marina. Full-length sequences of four genes (i.e., AmPRX1, AmPRX2, AmPL, and AmPSK) associated with metal tolerance were identified with suppression subtractive hybridization and rapid amplification of cDNA ends. These genes showed the characteristic features of the respective protein family, indicating functions similar to other plant proteins. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis demonstrated that cadmium exposure resulted in differences in expression patterns among the tissues. Our findings emphasize the complex regulatory mechanism of these four genes in response to trace metal pollution and reveal their functions in metabolic signaling during the stress response.
An Incomplete LU Preconditioner for Problems in Acoustics

We present an incomplete LU preconditioner for solving discretized Helmholtz problems. The preconditioner is based on an analytic factorization of the Helmholtz operator. This allows us to take the physical properties of the acoustics problem modeled by the Helmholtz equation into account in the preconditioner. We show how the parameters in the preconditioner can be chosen in order to make it effective. Numerical experiments show that the new preconditioner leads to convergent iterative methods even for large wave numbers, and it outperforms classical ILU preconditioners by a large margin.
Hands-On Quantum Sensing with NV− Centers in Diamonds

The physical properties of diamond crystals, such as color or electrical conductivity, can be controlled via impurities. In particular, when doped with nitrogen, optically active nitrogen-vacancy centers (NV), can be induced. The center is an outstanding quantum spin system that enables, under ambient conditions, optical initialization, readout, and coherent microwave control with applications in sensing and quantum information. Under optical and radio frequency excitation, the Zeeman splitting of the degenerate states allows the quantitative measurement of external magnetic fields with high sensitivity. This study provides a pedagogical introduction to the properties of the NV centers as well as a step-by-step process to develop and test a simple magnetic quantum sensor based on color centers with significant potential for the development of highly compact multisensor systems.
The effect of distant side-walls on the evolution and stability of finite-amplitude Rayleigh-Bénard convection

A recent study by Cross et al. (1980) has described a class of finite-amplitude phase-winding solutions of the problem of two-dimensional Rayleigh-Bénard convection in a shallow fluid layer of aspect ratio 2L(≫ 1) confined laterally by rigid side-walls. These solutions arise at Rayleigh numbers R = R0 + O(L-1) where R0 is the critical Rayleigh number for the corresponding infinite layer. Nonlinear solutions of constant phase exist for Rayleigh numbers R = R0 + O(L-2) but of these only the two that bifurcate at the lowest value of R are stable to two-dimensional linearized disturbances in this range (Daniels 1978). In the present paper one set of the class of phase-winding solutions is found to be stable to two-dimensional disturbances. For certain values of the Prandtl number of the fluid and for stress-free horizontal boundaries the results predict that to preserve stability there must be a continual readjustment of the roll pattern as the Rayleigh number is raised, with a corresponding increase in wavelength proportional to R - R0. These solutions also exhibit hysteresis as the Rayleigh number is raised and lowered. For other values of the Prandtl number the number of rolls remains unchanged as the Rayleigh number is raised, and the wavelength remains close to its critical value. It is proposed that the complete evolution of the flow pattern from a static state must take place on a number of different time scales of which t = O((R - R 0)-1) and t = O((R - R 0)-2) are the most significant. When t = O((R - R0)-1) the amplitude of convection rises from zero to its steady-state value, but the final lateral positioning of the rolls is only completed on the much longer time scale t = O((R - R0)-2).
Estimation of bifurcation point in multi-bus system using generator reactive power limit approach

This paper proposes an approach for estimating bifurcation point in multi-bus systems. The approach assumes that the generators would violate their Q-limits before the bifurcation point is reached. The result of this assumption clearly raises the voltages along the PV curve which consequently yield an infinitesimal error. Therefore the final estimated point can be obtained after a number of load flow solutions depending on the complexity of the system and the loading pattern among others. Finally, computer simulations of two system networks are carried out to calculate the bifurcation point at the selected minimum voltage which estimates the bus that violates its Q-limit at a certain load.
Root and Shoot Growth of a Modern and an Old Tall Durum Wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) Variety under Dual-Purpose Management

In dual-purpose cereal systems, the co-production of fodder and grain can increase farm profitability and reduce farming risks. Our work evaluated shoot and root growth in durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) under dual-purpose management in a medium-high rainfall area of southern Italy. We compared a modern variety (Core) with a tall ancient variety (Saragolle lucana) under traditional (NDP) and dual-purpose (DP) management and tested the hypothesis that clipping plants during the vegetative stage would reduce root growth and dewatering before anthesis, which is advantageous in drought-prone environments. Experiments were conducted in Bella (PZ), Basilicata region, southern Italy (40°42′ N, 15°32′ E) on a clay loam soil in 2021 in a split-plot design on 2 × 2 main plots and 1 × 2 split-plots with 6 replicates. The DP treatment consisted of simulated grazing by clipping plants at 5 cm from the ground 3 months after sowing (at first hollow stem). Forage Biomass was not different at p = 0.05 between varieties, with an average of 0.58 t ha−1 DM. Grain yield was not penalized by clipping (p = 0.05) and did not differ significantly between varieties. SPAD was always lower in the Saragolle variety and lowered by clipping. Defoliation delayed phenology in both cultivars but did not reduce the final number of spikes per square meter. Stomatal conductance was correlated to temperature, did not differ between cultivars, and was not influenced by clipping. Soil water depletion was monitored in modern wheat from the booting stage to the beginning of grain filling. Clipping did not result in a reduction in pre-anthesis water depletion, possibly due to evaporative losses. Root density was markedly reduced by clipping in core variety between 0.20 and 0.60 m and much less in Saragolle. Unclipped Saragolle produced thicker roots and higher root masses compared to clipped plants. Defoliated Saragolle shifted to finer roots, reducing root mass more than length. This may have reduced the metabolic cost of soil exploration, thereby increasing root foraging efficiency.
Hypolipidemic Effects of Beetroot Juice in SHR-CRP and HHTg Rat Models of Metabolic Syndrome: Analysis of Hepatic Proteome

Recently, red beetroot has attracted attention as a health-promoting functional food. Studies have shown that beetroot administration can reduce blood pressure and ameliorate parameters of glucose and lipid metabolism; however, mechanisms underlying these beneficial effects of beetroot are not yet fully understood. In the current study, we analysed the effects of beetroot on parameters of glucose and lipid metabolism in two models of metabolic syndrome: (i) transgenic spontaneously hypertensive rats expressing human C-reactive protein (SHR-CRP rats), and (ii) hereditary hypertriglyceridemic (HHTg) rats. Treatment with beetroot juice for 4 weeks was, in both models, associated with amelioration of oxidative stress, reduced circulating lipids, smaller visceral fat depots, and lower ectopic fat accumulation in the liver compared to the respective untreated controls. On the other hand, beetroot treatment had no significant effects on the sensitivity of the muscle and adipose tissue to insulin action in either model. Analyses of hepatic proteome revealed significantly deregulated proteins involved in glycerophospholipid metabolism, mTOR signalling, inflammation, and cytoskeleton rearrangement.
Fractional BVPs with strong time singularities and the limit properties of their solutions

AbstractIn the first part, we investigate the singular BVP $$\tfrac{d} {{dt}}^c D^\alpha u + (a/t)^c D^\alpha u = \mathcal{H}u$$, u(0) = A, u(1) = B, cDαu(t)|t=0 = 0, where $$\mathcal{H}$$ is a continuous operator, α ∈ (0, 1) and a < 0. Here, cD denotes the Caputo fractional derivative. The existence result is proved by the Leray-Schauder nonlinear alternative. The second part establishes the relations between solutions of the sequence of problems $$\tfrac{d} {{dt}}^c D^{\alpha _n } u + (a/t)^c D^{\alpha _n } u = f(t,u,^c D^{\beta _n } u)$$, u(0) = A, u(1) = B, $$\left. {^c D^{\alpha _n } u(t)} \right|_{t = 0} = 0$$ where a < 0, 0 < βn ≤ αn < 1, limn→∞βn = 1, and solutions of u″+(a/t)u′ = f(t, u, u′) satisfying the boundary conditions u(0) = A, u(1) = B, u′(0) = 0.
Automatic vessel extraction from angiogram images

Vessel extraction from angiogram images is useful for blood vessel measurement and computer visualization of the coronary artery tree. A digitized angiogram can be treated as a height map and ridges in this map correspond to the centerlines of the blood vessels. The authors propose a ridge extraction algorithm based on the calculation of the local maximum ascent direction to extract blood vessel axes automatically from all angiogram image. The output of the ridge detection algorithm is a set of ridge pixels assembled in a natural hierarchy order, aligned with the centerlines of the blood vessel, plus a set of ridge pixels induced by image noise, which require a post processing stage to remove. To extract vessel axes from the angiogram images. First, the digitized angiogram is balanced by a median filter it is then smoothed by a projective non-linear diffusion method. Next, an ROI, which is crossed by the shadow of a vessel, is detected automatically by adaptive thresholding, both to cut the cost of the ridge extraction process and to reduce the number of the spurious ridges induced by image noise. The authors then apply the ridge detection algorithm to the ROI to find candidate vessel centerlines. Finally the detected ridges are piped into a curve relaxation process and the candidate vessel centerlines are assembled together; spurious lines induced by noise are removed.
Balanced homodyne detection of second-harmonic generation from isolated subwavelength emitters

The authors demonstrate the association of two-photon nonlinear microscopy with balanced homodyne detection for investigating second-harmonic radiation properties at nanoscale dimensions. Variation of the relative phase between second-harmonic and fundamental beams is retrieved, as a function of the absolute orientation of the nonlinear emitters. Sensitivity down to a few photons per second in the spatiotemporal mode of the local oscillator is obtained. This value is high enough to efficiently detect the coherent second-harmonic emission from a single KTiOPO4 crystal of subwavelength size.
Development of a high-precision slit for x-ray beamline at SPring-8

A high-precision slit for monochromatic x-rays has been developed as one of the standardized components in the undulator beamline at SPring-8. Advanced experiments such as x-ray micro-beam diffraction and x-ray scanning microscope using nano-beam require small, variable and accurate apertures. The newly developed slit has an aperture size ranging from 1 μm × 1 μm to 20 mm × 20 mm with a resolution of 0.5 μm in full step. Each blade is independently driven through bellows mounted on both sides of the vacuum chamber. A set of bellows prevents displacement of the blade by evacuation. Using this slit, we could improve the displacement from 20 μm to 1 μm. The positioning accuracy of the slit is 0.5 μm. The slits have been installed in the three beamlines at SPring-8.
Application of a Machine Learning Method for Prediction of Urban Neighborhood-Scale Air Pollution

Urban air pollution has aroused growing attention due to its associated adverse health effects. A model which could promptly predict urban air quality with considerable accuracy is, therefore, important and will benefit the development of smart cities. However, only a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model could better resolve the dispersion behavior within an urban canyon layer. A machine learning (ML) model using the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) approach was formulated in the current study to investigate vehicle-derived airborne particulate (PM10) dispersion within a compact high-rise-built environment. Various measured meteorological parameters and PM10 concentrations were adopted as the model inputs to train the ANN model. A building-resolved CFD model under the same environmental settings was also set up to compare its model performance with the ANN model. Our results showed that the ANN model exhibited promising performance (r = 0.82, fractional bias = 0.002) when comparing the > 1000 h PM10 measurements. When comparing the diurnal hourly measured PM10 variations in a clear-sky day, both the ANN and CFD models performed well (r > 0.8). The good performance of the CFD model relied on the knowledge of the in situ diurnal traffic profile, the adoption of suitable mobile source emission factor(s) (e.g., from MOBILE 6 and COPERT4), and the use of urban thermal and dynamical variables to capture PM10 variations in both neutral and unstable atmospheric conditions. These requirements/constraints make it impractical for daily operation. On the contrary, the ML (ANN) model adopted here is free from these constraints and is fast (less than 0.1% computational time relative to the CFD model). These results demonstrate that the ANN model is a superior option for a smart city application.
The development and implementation of a community engagement strategy to improve maternal health in southern Mozambique

Delays to seek medical help can contribute to maternal deaths particularly in community settings at home or on the road to a health facility. Community engagement (CE) can improve care-seeking behaviours and complements community-based interventions strengthening maternal health. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process undertaken to develop and implement a large-scale community engagement strategy in rural southern Mozambique. The CE strategy was developed within the context of the “Community-Level Interventions for Pre-eclampsia” (NCT01911494) conducted between 2015–2017 in southern Mozambique. Key CE messages included pregnancy complications and their warning signs, including pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, as well as emergency readiness, birth preparedness, decision-making mechanisms, transport options and information about the trial. CE meeting logs were used to record quantitative and qualitative information on demographic data and feedback. Quantitative data was analyzed using RStudio (RStudio Inc, Boston, United States) and community feedback was qualitatively analyzed on NVivo12 (QSR International, Melbourne, Australia). CE activities reached 19,169 participants during 4,239 meetings. CE activities were reported to be well received by community members though there was a relatively lower participation of men (3565 /18.6%). The use of recognized local leaders and personnel, such as community leaders, nurses and community health workers, allowed for greater acceptance of CE activities and maximized coverage of health messages in the community setting. Our CE strategy was effective in integrating maternal health promoting activities in routine care of community health workers and nurses in the area. Understanding district differences, engaging husbands, partners, mothers-in-law and community-level decision-makers to build local support for maternal health and flexibility to tailor messages to local needs were important in developing sustainable forms of CE. Better strategies are needed to effectively engage men in maternal health promotion who were less available due to working outside of the home or neighbourhoods
Magnetohydrodynamic spin waves in degenerate electron-positron-ion plasmas

Low frequency magnetosonic waves are studied in magnetized degenerate electron-positron-ion plasmas with spin effects. Using the fluid equations of magnetoplasma with quantum corrections due to the Bohm potential, temperature degeneracy, and spin magnetization energy, a generalized dispersion relation for oblique magnetosonic waves is derived. Spin effects are incorporated via spin force and macroscopic spin magnetization current. For three different values of angle θ, the generalized dispersion relation is reduced to three different relations under the low frequency magnetohydrodynamic assumptions. It is found that the effect of quantum corrections in the presence of positron concentration significantly modifies the dispersive properties of these modes. The importance of the work relevant to compact astrophysical bodies is pointed out.