Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mesh-based Monte Carlo method using fast ray-tracing in Plücker coordinates

We describe a fast mesh-based Monte Carlo (MC) photon migration algorithm for static and time-resolved imaging in 3D complex media. Compared with previous works using voxel-based media discretization, a mesh-based approach can be more accurate in modeling targets with curved boundaries or locally refined structures. We implement an efficient ray-tracing technique using Plücker Coordinates. The Barycentric coordinates computed from Plücker-formed ray-tracing enables us to use linear Lagrange basis functions to model both media properties and fluence distribution, leading to further improvement in accuracy. The Plücker-coordinate ray-polygon intersection test can be extended to hexahedral or high-order elements. Excellent agreement is found when comparing mesh-based MC with the analytical diffusion model and 3D voxel-based MC code in both homogeneous and heterogeneous cases. Realistic time-resolved imaging results are observed for a complex human brain anatomy using mesh-based MC. We also include multi-threading support in the software and will port it to a graphics processing unit platform in the near future.
Data Hiding Scheme With Geometric Distortions Correction

This paper presents a new scheme for data hiding with robustness to rescale and rotation distortions. The most common geometrical distortion rescale factor and rotation factor during image manipulation can be easily estimated by comparing feature points location of original and distorted images. However, the decoder still has to have this prior information regarding the feature points of original image which is not practical. In this paper, two color spaces of RGB images can be considered as two independent channels. One is synchronization channel (SC) which transmit the prior information of original image, and another is communication channel (CC) carrying the hiding data. Contend-based image watermarking method is adopted in SC channel. The feature point extractor plays key role in our scheme. Image units are represented by Delaunay tessellations constructed from extracted feature points. The scale factor and rotation angle estimated from feature points are parsed into binary data as synchronization information and embedded to each image unit. The synchronization information can be extracted successfully if at least two image units are robustness against the distortion. Consequently, the rescaling factor and the rotation angle can be estimated and corrected. Several key problems such as the feature point detector improvement, image unit design and SC synchronization information hiding procedure are discussed in details. The experiment results and discussions are given as well
A Unigrid Multi-Model Full Potential and Euler Formulation for Transonic Flows ∗

In this paper we present a unigrid multi–model formulation for transonic flow calculations based on solving, in sequence, the full potential equation and the the Euler equations. The goal is to minimize the overall computation time to simulate steady flows by using a more computational efficient physical model in the early iteration steps. The proposed method is based on two steps. In the first step, the full potential equation is solved to obtain a intermediate solution which is “improved”, in the second step, by solving the Euler equations. The full potential equation and the Euler equations are discretized on the same unstructured mesh to avoid new coarse grid generation and to simplify the transfer, between the two models. The resulting nonlinear systems are solved by a Newton–Krylov algorithm. To demonstrate the feasibility of this multi– model formulation, we present computational results for a three–dimensional transonic flows around a nonlifting wing created from a NACA0012 airfoil.
Biomechanical Rationale for Using Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) Spacers for Lumbar Interbody Fusion–A Finite Element Study

Study Design. To determine the effect of cage/spacer stiffness on the stresses in the bone graft and cage subsidence. Objective. To investigate the effect of cage stiffness on the biomechanics of the fused segment in the lumbar region using finite element analysis. Summary of Background Data. There are a wide variety of cage/spacer designs available for lumbar interbody fusion surgery. These range from circular, tapered, rectangular with and without curvature, and were initially manufactured using titanium alloy. Recent advances in the medical implant industry have resulted in using medical grade polyetheretherketone (PEEK). The biomechanical advantages of using different cage material in terms of stability, subsidence, and stresses in bone graft are not fully understood. Methods. A previously validated 3-dimensional, nonlinear finite element model of an intact L3–L5 segment was modified to simulate posterior interbody fusion spacers made of PEEK (“E” = 3.6 GPa) and titanium (“E” = 110 GPa) at the L4/5 disc with posterior instrumentation. Bone graft (“E” = 12 GPa) packed between the spacers in the intervertebral space was also simulated. The posterior lumbar interbody fusion spacer with instrumentation and graft represent a simulation of the condition present immediately after surgery. Results. The peak centroidal Von Mises stresses in the graft bone increased by at least 9-fold with PEEK spacers as compared to titanium spacer. The peak centroidal Von Mises stresses in the endplates increased by at least 2.4-fold with titanium spacers over the PEEK spacers. These stresses were concentrated at places where the spacer interfaced with the endplate. The stiffness of the spacer did not affect the relative motion (stability) across the instrumented (L4/5) segment. Conclusions. Spacers less stiff than the graft will: (1) provide stability similar to titanium cages in the presence of posterior instrumentation, (2) reduce the stresses in endplates adjacent to the spacers, and (3) increase the load transfer through the graft, as evident from the increase in stresses in graft.
Trends in Rates of Primary Angle Closure Glaucoma and Cataract Surgery in England From 1968 to 2004

AimEyes that are predisposed to primary angle closure usually have a shallow anterior chamber secondary to a relatively forward position of the lens and progressive lens thickening with ageing. The aim of this study was to examine trends over time in rates of primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) in England, and to compare these rates with rates of cataract surgery. MethodsHospital episode statistics and the hospital inpatient inquiry were analyzed for PACG as the main diagnosis between the years 1968 and 2004, and for cataract surgery over the same period. Age-specific and sex-specific rates of PACG and cataract surgery were calculated over 3 representative time periods. ResultsAnnual rates of patients with PACG did not change significantly from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s and then increased until the early 1990s before reaching a plateau; from 1999 to 2004, rates of patients with PACG declined significantly. From the 1980s to 2004, annual rates of patients undergoing cataract surgery increased significantly and substantially. In the recent period of decline in PACG, the decline was greatest in older age groups, whereas rates of cataract surgery increased significantly in all age groups for both men and women throughout the whole time period. ConclusionsRates of patients with PACG have started to decline in recent years, after a long period of increases in rates of patients undergoing cataract surgery. Although other explanations are possible, this lends support to the hypothesis that cataract surgery may reduce the likelihood of acute angle closure.
Target Design for the ISODAR Neutrino Experiment

This paper focuses on the design of a high-intensity antineutrino source from the production and subsequent decay of 8Li. The Geant4 code is used to calculate the anti-neutrino flux that can be obtained along with the production of undesirable contaminants. We present in this paper the optimised design for the target, moderators, reflector and shielding. Engineering issues associated with this design are also discussed in this paper.
Public Opinion toward Immigration and the EU: How are Turkish Immigrants Different than Others?

Public preferences on immigration and attitudes toward the European Union (EU) have been shown to be closely related. In this article, it is argued that, to better understand this relationship, people's opposition to immigration should be differentiated based on the ethnicity of the prospective immigrant group. Specifically, in the case of Germany, Turkish immigrants constitute a special case. The results of the original survey experiment conducted in Germany suggest that, controlling for other explanations, categorizing immigration attitudes by ethnic group reveals that fear of EU enlargement and future Turkish immigration is actually a more important reason for Euroskepticism than has been shown so far. That is, people's opposition to immigrants from Turkey explains their overall Euroskepticism much better than their attitudes toward immigrants from within EU member states, suggesting that their attitudes are informed by opposition to further enlargement rather than a general dislike of multiculturalism.
Effects of Anoxia and Aglycemia on Cytosolic Calcium Regulation in Rat Sensory Neurons

Nociceptive neurons play an important role in ischemia by sensing and transmitting information to the CNS and by secreting peptides and nitric oxide, which can have local effects. While these responses are probably primarily mediated by acid sensing channels, other events occurring in ischemia may also influence neuron function. In this study, we have investigated the effects of anoxia and anoxic aglycemia on Ca2+ regulation in sensory neurons from rat dorsal root ganglia. Anoxia increased [Ca2+]i by evoking Ca2+ release from two distinct internal stores one sensitive to carbonyl cyanide p-(trifluoromethoxy) phenylhydrazone (FCCP) and one sensitive to caffeine, cyclopiazonic acid (CPA), and ryanodine [assumed to be the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)]. Anoxia also promoted progressive decline in ER Ca2+ content. Despite partially depolarizing mitochondria, anoxia had relatively little effect on mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake when neurons were depolarized but substantially delayed mitochondrial Ca2+ release and subsequent Ca2+ clearance from the cytosol on repolarization. Anoxia also reduced both sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) activity and Ca2+ extrusion [probably via plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase (PMCA)]. Thus anoxia has multiple effects on [Ca2+]i homeostasis in sensory neurons involving internal stores, mitochondrial buffering, and Ca2+ pumps. Under conditions of anoxic aglycemia, there was a biphasic and more profound elevation of [Ca2+]i, which was associated with complete ER Ca2+ store emptying and progressive, and eventually complete, inhibition of Ca2+ clearance by PMCA and SERCA. These data clearly show that loss of oxygen, and exhaustion of glycolytic substrates, can profoundly affect many aspects of cell Ca2+ regulation, and this may play an important role in modulating neuronal responses to ischemia.
Subgingival microbiota of Brazilian subjects with untreated chronic periodontitis.

BACKGROUND Different periodontopathogenic microbiota have been associated with periodontal diseases in several populations. The present investigation determined the subgingival microbiota of untreated chronic periodontitis Brazilians using the checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization technique. METHODS Twenty-five periodontitis patients (mean age, 41 +/- 2; mean probing depth [PD], 3.3 +/- 0.2; mean attachment level [AL], 3.6 +/- 0.2) with no history of previous periodontal therapy and a control group of 14 healthy subjects (mean age, 34 +/- 0.6; mean PD, 1.8 +/- 0.2; mean AL, 1.7 +/- 0.1) were selected. Measurements of PD, AL, bleeding on probing, plaque accumulation, and suppuration were recorded at 6 sites/tooth. Subgingival plaque samples were obtained from 4 sites in each tooth/subject in both groups. The presence and levels of 41 subgingival species were determined in 4,032 plaque samples using whole genomic DNA probes and the checkerboard method. RESULTS Periodontal pathogens, as well as some unusual species (E. faecalis, E. coli and Bartonella sp.), were detected significantly more often and/or in higher levels in the periodontitis group (P < 0.05). Most species were more frequently detected in interproximal sites. B. forsythus, P. gingivalis, E. nodatum, and F. nucleatum ss vincentii showed a significant positive correlation with mean PD and AL (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The subgingival microbiota of Brazilians with untreated chronic periodontitis were complex, including high proportions of periodontopathogens commonly found in other populations, as well as some unusual species.
An Optimized Modified Booth Recoder for Efficient Design of the Add-Multiply Operator

Complex arithmetic operations are widely used in Digital Signal Processing (DSP) applications. In this work, we focus on optimizing the design of the fused Add-Multiply (FAM) operator for increasing performance. We investigate techniques to implement the direct recoding of the sum of two numbers in its Modified Booth (MB) form. We introduce a structured and efficient recoding technique and explore three different schemes by incorporating them in FAM designs. Comparing them with the FAM designs which use existing recoding schemes, the proposed technique yields considerable reductions in terms of critical delay, hardware complexity and power consumption of the FAM unit.
Rapid identification of Candida species by DNA fingerprinting with PCR

DNA polymorphisms in different species and strains of the genus Candida were assessed by amplifying genomic DNA with single nonspecific primers. This PCR method employed an arbitrary primer (the 10-mer AP3), a primer derived from the intergenic spacer regions (T3B), and the microsatellite primers (GTG)5 and (AC)10. Distinctive and reproducible sets of amplification products were observed for 26 different Candida and 8 other fungal species. The numbers and sizes of the amplification products were characteristic for each species. All yeast species tested could be clearly distinguished by their amplification patterns. With all primers, PCR fingerprints also displayed intraspecies variability. However, PCR profiles obtained from different strains of the same species were far more similar than those derived from different Candida species. By comparing species-specific PCR fingerprints of clinical isolates with those of reference strains, clinical isolates could be identified to the species level even if they could not be identified by routine biochemical methods.
Prehispanolone, a novel platelet activating factor receptor antagonist from Leonurus heterophyllus

1 Using an in vitro radioligand binding assay for the platelet activating factor (PAF) receptor, we have identified a novel, specific PAF antagonist, prehispanolone, from a Chinese medicinal herb Leonurus heterophyllus. 2 The presence of sodium ions inhibited specific [3H]‐PAF binding to rabbit platelet membrane with an IC50 of 5.2 mm, decreased the inhibitory potency of PAF but increased the inhibitory potency of prehispanolone. 3 Prehispanolone and several of its derivatives inhibited the binding of [3H]‐PAF to rabbit platelets with potencies closely resembling that of inhibition of PAF‐induced aggregation. 4 The integrity of the tetrahydrofuran ring of prehispanolone is critical for its interaction with the PAF receptor. 5 By hydrogenating the dihydrofuran ring and replacing the keto group of prehispanolone with a hydroxyl group, we obtained a compound, LC5507, that is more stable and more active than prehispanolone as a PAF receptor antagonist.
Performance Evaluation of L1, L2 and SL0 on Compressive Sensing based on stochastic estimation technique

In this paper, we proposed 2 algorithms based on L1 and L2 norm estimator to recover the signal by using just few components. Moreover we comprehensively present the recovery algorithm based on L1, L2 and SL0 for digital signal or image under some several noise models from their incomplete observation. The proposed algorithm is used with a matrix that the number of row is much fewer than the column. The algorithm states that if signal or image is sufficient sparse, we can recover it from small number of linear measurement by solving convex program of observation vector. Base on the very important properties of the image which most of the signal information tends to be concentrated in few low frequency components of the DCT. Finally experiments results are presented on both synthesis and real image under various kind of noise (AWGN, Salt & Pepper Noise and Speckle Noise) with different noise power. The effects of different noise models will be compared in order to show the improvement of L1 norm over SL0 and L2 norm under heavy noise or some noise that doesn't have Gaussian form.
How do women manage the spoiled identity of a ‘pregnant smoker’? An analysis of discursive silencing in women's accounts

Drawing on public and private accounts of smoking during pregnancy (interviews, survey responses, and a public media article), we examine how women discursively manage the ‘spoiled’ identity associated with inhabiting the body of a ‘pregnant smoker’. We focus on two salient identities ‘the silenced smoker’ and ‘the bad mother’ and explore the discursive and material consequences of these identities. We found that references to smoker and maternal identities were largely absent in women's accounts, and discuss how these absences enabled women to evade stigma and the rhetorical harm of these identities. Further, we discuss the material consequences of stigma including women's need to conceal their ‘pregnant smoker’ body in the face of heightened surveillance. We propose ‘discursive silencing’ to explain how dominant motherhood and anti-smoking discourses serve to render women's experiences as ‘untellable’ and therefore reduce women's capacity to seek help or support to quit smoking.
Behaviours Disturbing Secondary School Students on the Internet

Bu calismanin amaci, ortaokul ogrencilerinin internet kullanirken rahatsizlik duyduklari davranislari belirlemektir Arastirma kapsaminda Konya ili merkez Karatay ilcesinde 51’i erkek ve 42’si kiz olmak uzere toplam 93 ortaokul ogrencisinden yazili olarak gorusleri alinmistir. Gorusleri alinan ogrenciler, 6, 7 ve 8. siniflarda ogrenim gormekte ve en az bir yildir internet kullanmaktadirlar. Arastirmanin sonucunda elde edilen verilerin cozumlenmesinde, betimsel analiz teknigi kullanilmistir. Arastirmanin sonucunda ogrenciler en cok “Istemsiz Bildirim ve Sayfalar” temasi altinda gorus bildirmislerdir. Bu tema altinda da ogrenciler en cok “Kotu Icerikli Mail Alma”, “Istemsiz Acilir Pencere-Reklam” ve “Istemsiz Talep ve Davetler” ile ilgili gorus belirtmislerdir. Ayrica ogrenciler “Zararli Icerik ve Reklam” temasi ile ilgili cok sayida gorus belirtmislerdir. Arastirma sonucunda elde edilen bulgular, ilgili alan yazin ile karsilastirilmis ve tartisilmistir. Anahtar Sozcukler: Internet, ortaokul ogrencileri, internet etigi, internette rahatsiz eden davranislar Abstract The purpose of this study is to determine the behaviors that secondary school students feel uncomfortable while using the internet. A total of 93 students including 51 boys and 42 girls studying at a secondary school in the Karatay district of Konya province were surveyed by taking their opinions in a written form. Students who were asked for their opinion were studying in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades and had been using the internet at least for a year. At the end of the research, the descriptive analysis technique was used in the analysis of the data obtained. As a result, most of the students reported opinions under the “Unintentional Notification and Pages" theme. Under this theme, students expressed opinion the most about "Bad Content Mail Receiving", "Unintentional Pop-up -Ad “and "Unintentional Request and Offers". In addition, students stated opinions a lot about the "Harmful Content and Advertising" theme. Obtained findings at the end the research were discussed and compared with the related literature. Keywords: Internet, secondary school students, internet ethic, disturbing behaviour on the internet
An Introduction to Applying Social Work Theories and Methods

List of boxes List of figures List of tables Introduction to theories and methods Social systems theory and the ecological perspective The strengths perspective Empowerment and use of language Social constructivism Feminist theory and practice Person-centred approach Motivational interviewing Cognitive behavioural therapy Solution-focused practice Task-centred social work Crisis intervention Community work Groupwork Index
Reducing Hypothermia in Preterm Infants Following Delivery

BACKGROUND: Moderate hypothermia (temperature <36°C) at birth is common in premature infants and is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. METHODS: A multidisciplinary practice plan was implemented to determine in premature infants <35 weeks old whether a multifaceted approach would reduce the number of inborn infants with an admitting axillary temperature <36°C by 20% without increasing exposure to a temperature >37.5°C. The plan included use of occlusive wrap a transwarmer mattress and cap for all infants and maintaining an operating room temperature between 21°C and 23°C. Data were obtained at baseline (n = 66), during phasing in (n = 102), and at full implementation (n = 193). RESULTS: Infant axillary temperature in the delivery room (DR) increased from 36.1°C ± 0.6°C to 36.2°C ± 0.6°C to 36.6°C ± 0.6°C (P < .001), and admitting temperature increased from 36.0°C ± 0.8°C to 36.3°C ± 0.6°C to 36.7°C ± 0.5°C at baseline, phasing in, and full implementation, respectively (P < .001). The number of infants with temperature <36°C decreased from 55% to 6.2% at baseline versus full implementation (P < .001), and intubation at 24 hours decreased from 39% to 17.6% (P = .005). There was no increase in the number of infants with a temperature >37.5°C over time. The use of occlusive wrap, mattress, and cap increased from 33% to 88% at baseline versus full implementation. Control charts showed significant improvement in DR ambient temperature at baseline versus full implementation. CONCLUSIONS: The practice plan was associated with a significant increase in DR and admitting axillary infant temperatures and a corresponding decrease in the number of infants with moderate hypothermia. There was an associated reduction in intubation at 24 hours. These positive findings reflect increased compliance with the practice plan.