3-D deformable image registration: a topology preservation scheme based on hierarchical deformation models and interval analysis optimization.

This paper deals with topology preservation in three-dimensional (3-D) deformable image registration. This work is a nontrivial extension of, which addresses the case of two-dimensional (2-D) topology preserving mappings. In both cases, the deformation map is modeled as a hierarchical displacement field, decomposed on a multiresolution B-spline basis. Topology preservation is enforced by controlling the Jacobian of the transformation. Finding the optimal displacement parameters amounts to solving a constrained optimization problem: The residual energy between the target image and the deformed source image is minimized under constraints on the Jacobian. Unlike the 2-D case, in which simple linear constraints are derived, the 3-D B-spline-based deformable mapping yields a difficult (until now, unsolved) optimization problem. In this paper, we tackle the problem by resorting to interval analysis optimization techniques. Care is taken to keep the computational burden as low as possible. Results on multipatient 3-D MRI registration illustrate the ability of the method to preserve topology on the continuous image domain.     

Integration of diamond in fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator technology as buried insulator: A theoretical analysis

We examine here by electro-thermal simulation tools (SILVACO's Atlas) a configuration of Silicon-On-Insulator substrate for Fully-Depleted MOSFET architectures, incorporating diamond as buried insulator, and compare it with traditional silicon dioxide BOX for the future technological nodes of the ITRS (90 nm and below). Our aim is to give major trends to be followed in order to optimize diamond integration from electrical and thermal points of view, constraints that must be kept in mind in parallel with the technological work on thin diamond films. In this theoretical study, we perform a benchmarking between SiO₂ and diamond BOX. We first point out that the BOX thickness should not be more than few hundred nanometers to maintain electrical performances. From thermal point of view, we demonstrate that the replacement of 100 nm thick buried oxide by a 100 nm thick diamond layer can lead to about 50% reduction of the temperature when only 33% decrease can be obtained with Ultra Thin SiO₂ BOX (20 nm). Furthermore, thick diamond BOX avoids the parasitic capacitances issue that reduces Ultra Thin BOX devices working frequency.     

Modelling of cooking-cooling processes for meat and poultry products

Traditional cooking‐cooling of processed meat and poultry products is industrially carried out in smokehouses or autoclaves. A mathematical model was developed to simulate these operations. Equations, describing heat transfer and thermal destruction of micro‐organisms and quality characteristics, were solved numerically. The model was validated experimentally for heat transfer and energy consumption and was used to perform a sensitivity analysis. Input variables were: process time (PT), smokehouse temperature (T_SH), bologna size (diameter, D and height, H), surface heat transfer coefficients (h_heat and h_cool), product thermal diffusivity (α_heat and α_cool). Output variables were: product core temperature (T_c), core and volume‐average lethality (P_cm and P_vm) and cook (C_c and C_v) values as well as surface (Q_s) and volume‐average (Q_v) quality retention, total specific energy consumption (En) and energy efficiency (Ce). Multiple linear regression models were developed to predict C_c and C_v from five inputs and used to obtain acceptable deviation ranges.     

Convection naturelle dans une boîte rectangulaire légèrement inclinée contenant un milieu poreuxNatural convection in a slightly slanted rectangular box filled with a porous medium

Steady natural convection in a rectangular slightly inclined box filled with a porous medium is studied. If the lower plate is heated and the aspect ratio large, the structure of the flow is simple as long as the Rayleigh number remains sub-critical. If the upper plate is heated, a boundary layer regime appears provided that the Rayleigh number is high. The Nusselt number is calculated by the Galerkin method and shown to approximate in this particular case to the following expression: Nu= 1 + 0,16k^3/2Ra*^1/42     

Smoking too few cigarettes to be at risk? Smokers' perceptions of risk and risk denial,a French survey

Background

Past studies on smokers'' risk perception have produced mixed results. We endorsed a new approach to assess smokers'' perceptions of risk by asking them to estimate threshold values for the cancer risk associated with daily consumption of tobacco and number of smoking years. We expected that many smokers would endorse a “risk denial” attitude, with threshold estimates higher than their own smoking consumption and duration.

Methodology

A French national telephone survey (n = 3820; 979 current smokers) included several questions about smoking behaviours and related beliefs.

Results

Among current smokers, 44% considered that smoking can cause cancer only for a daily consumption higher than their own consumption, and an additional 20% considered that the cancer risk becomes high only for a smoking duration higher than their own. Most smokers also agreed with other “risk denial” statements (“smoking is not more dangerous than air pollution,” “some people smoke their whole life but never get sick”). Those who considered they smoked too few cigarettes to be at risk were less likely to report personal fear of smoking related cancer.

Conclusion

Risk denial is quite widespread among smokers and does not simply reflect a lack of information about health risks related to tobacco. Fully informing smokers about their risks may necessitate changing the way they process information to produce beliefs and limiting their capacity to generate self exempting beliefs.     

Immunochemical quantification of heat denaturation of camel ( Camelus dromedarius ) whey proteins

The major whey proteins IgG, serum albumin and alpha-lactalbumin were purified from camel milk using gel permeation and ion-exchange chromatography. Specific antisera against each of them were raised and used to quantify their heat denaturation in early or mature milk over a range of 60-90 degrees C for 10-60 min using the single radial immunodiffusion technique. The heat denaturation midpoints for the mature milk heated 30 min were 67.2, 73.0 and 77.5 degrees C for IgG, albumin and alpha-lactalbumin respectively. The early milk was more sensitive to heat treatment with coagulation at low temperature and heat denaturation midpoints of 64.8, 71.6 and 72.6 degrees C respectively. This difference was related to the high IgG content of the early milk (12.6 mg/ml v. 0.5 mg/ml for the mature milk) and stresses the importance of monitoring the IgG level of milk to assess the absence of colostrum.     

Bifidobacterium carbohydrases-their role in breakdown and synthesis of (potential) prebiotics

There is an increasing interest to positively influence the human intestinal microbiota through the diet by the use of prebiotics and/or probiotics. It is anticipated that this will balance the microbial composition in the gastrointestinal tract in favor of health promoting genera such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Carbohydrates like non-digestible oligosaccharides are potential prebiotics. To understand how these bacteria can grow on these carbon sources, knowledge of the carbohydrate-modifying enzymes is needed. Little is known about the carbohydrate-modifying enzymes of bifidobacteria. The genome sequence of Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Bifidobacterium longum biotype longum has been completed and it was observed that for B. longum biotype longum more than 8% of the annotated genes were involved in carbohydrate metabolism. In addition more sequence data of individual carbohydrases from other Bifidobacterium spp. became available. Besides the degradation of (potential) prebiotics by bifidobacterial glycoside hydrolases, we will focus in this review on the possibilities to produce new classes of non-digestible oligosaccharides by showing the presence and (transglycosylation) activity of the most important carbohydrate modifying enzymes in bifidobacteria. Approaches to use and improve carbohydrate-modifying enzymes in prebiotic design will be discussed.     

Organic solvent pretreatment to enhance enzymic saccharification of straw

Enzymic saccharification of wheat straw in the absence of any pretreatment was only about 20 %. Acid hydrolysis did not improve the overall cellulose enzymic breakdown, nor did pretreatment by flash autohydrolysis under pressure or sodium chlorite delignification. When wheat straw was treated with N-methyl-morpholine-N-oxide (MMNO) at J20°C for 20–30 min, this treatment and subsequent enzymic hydrolysis produced carbohydrate conversion of 73%. Similar results could be obtained by treating straw with 0·1 M sodium hydroxide. When MMNO treatment was combined with any other pretreatment, the saccharification yield was greatly enhanced. Nearly quantitative conversion was obtained by swelling straw in 0·1 M sodium hydroxide followed by MMNO treatment. The results show that lignin content of plant material does not represent the limiting factor to enzymic saccharification.