Ring Area Research Articles

High-Resolution Remotely Sensed Evidence Shows Solar Thermal Power Plant Increases Grassland Growth on the Tibetan Plateau

Solar energy plays a crucial role in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions in the context of global climate change. However, its deployment for green electricity generation can significantly influence regional climate and vegetation dynamics. While prior studies have examined the impacts of solar power plants on vegetation, the accuracy of these assessments has often been constrained by the availability of publicly accessible multispectral, high-resolution remotely sensed imagery. Given the abundant solar energy resources and the ecological significance of the Tibetan Plateau, a thorough evaluation of the vegetation effects associated with solar power installations is warranted. In this study, we utilize sub-meter resolution imagery from the GF-2 satellite to reconstruct the fractional vegetation cover (FVC) at the Gonghe solar thermal power plant through image classification, in situ sampling, and sliding window techniques. We then quantify the plant’s impact on FVC by comparing data from the pre-installation and post-installation periods. Our findings indicate that the Gonghe solar thermal power plant is associated with a 0.02 increase in FVC compared to a surrounding control region (p < 0.05), representing a 12.5% increase relative to the pre-installation period. Notably, the enhancement in FVC is more pronounced in the outer ring areas than near the central tower. The observed enhancement in vegetation growth at the Gonghe plant suggests potential ecological and carbon storage benefits resulting from solar power plant establishment on the Tibetan Plateau. These findings underscore the necessity of evaluating the climate and ecological impacts of renewable energy facilities during the planning and design phases to ensure a harmonious balance between clean energy development and local ecological integrity.

Quantification of Fundus Autofluorescence Features in a Molecularly Characterized Cohort of More Than 3500 Inherited Retinal Disease Patients from the United Kingdom

PurposeTo quantify relevant fundus autofluorescence (FAF) image features cross-sectionally and longitudinally in a large cohort of patients with inherited retinal diseases (IRDs). DesignRetrospective study of imaging data (55-degree blue-light FAF, Heidelberg Spectralis) . ParticipantsPatients with a clinical and molecularly confirmed diagnosis of IRD who have undergone 55-degree FAF imaging at Moorfields Eye Hospital (MEH) and the Royal Liverpool Hospital (RLH) between 2004 and 2019. MethodsFive FAF features of interest were defined: vessels, optic disc, perimacular ring of increased signal (ring), relative hypo-autofluorescence (hypo-AF) and hyper-autofluorescence (hyper-AF). Features were manually annotated by six graders in a subset of patients based on a defined grading protocol to produce segmentation masks to train an AI model, AIRDetect, which was then applied to the entire imaging dataset. Main Outcome MeasuresQuantitative FAF imaging features including area in mm2 and vessel metrics, were analysed cross-sectionally by gene and age, and longitudinally to determine rate of progression. AIRDetect feature segmentation and detection were validated with Dice score and precision/recall, respectively. ResultsA total of 45,749 FAF images from 3,606 IRD patients from MEH covering 170 genes were automatically segmented using AIRDetect. Model-grader Dice scores for disc, hypo-AF, hyper-AF, ring and vessels were respectively 0.86, 0.72, 0.69, 0.68 and 0.65. Across patients within our cohort at presentation, the five genes with the largest hypo-AF areas were CHM, ABCC6, RDH12, ABCA4, and RPE65, with mean per-patient areas of 43.72, 29.57, 20.07, 19.65, and 16.92 mm2. The five genes with the largest hyper-AF areas were BEST1, CDH23, NR2E3, MYO7A, and RDH12, with mean areas of 0.50, 047, 0.44, 0.38, and 0.33 mm2 respectively. The five genes with largest ring areas were NR2E3, CDH23, CRX, EYS and PDE6B, with mean areas of 3.60, 2.90, 2.89, 2.56, and 2.20 mm2. Vessel density was found to be highest in EFEMP1, BEST1, TIMP3, RS1, and PRPH2 (11.0%, 10.4%, 10.1%, 10.1%, 9.2%) and was lower in Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) and Leber Congenital Amaurosis genes. Longitudinal analysis of decreasing ring area in four RP genes (RPGR, USH2A, RHO, EYS) found EYS to be the fastest progressor at -0.18 mm2/year. ConclusionsWe have conducted the first large-scale cross-sectional and longitudinal quantitative analysis of FAF features across a diverse range of IRDs using a novel AI approach.

Design and analysis of flexible antenna sensor for non-invasive detection of pregnancy in bovine

This research article presents a monopole antenna-based sensor for detecting cow pregnancy through urine analysis. The proposed flexible antenna sensor is printed on denim fabric with a permittivity of 1.7 and a loss tangent of 0.002. The flexible antenna resonates at 2.4 GHz and the gain of the proposed antenna sensor is 2.016 dBi, with a corresponding efficiency of 96.8%. The antenna's dimensions are 30 × 44 × 1 mm3. The substrate region behind the inner area of the radiator ring acts as a sensing area. This substrate can absorb liquids through the sensing area, causing the dielectric properties of the substrate to change according to the dielectric constant of the fluid under test. Urea concentration in pregnant cow urine is 11.06 mg/dL and 1.39 mg/dL in non-pregnant cow urine. The proposed antenna sensor uses microwave signals to detect pregnancy in cows. The deviation in resonance frequency and quality factor are used as key parameters for detecting cow pregnancy.

Analysis and Comprehensive Evaluation of Urban Green Space Information Based on Gaofen 7: Considering Beijing’s Fifth Ring Area as an Example

Urban green spaces constitute a vital component of the ecosystem. This study focused on urban green spaces located within the Fifth Ring Road of Beijing, using Gaofen 7 (GF-7) as the primary data source for analysis. The main objective was to develop a system for extracting and classifying urban green spaces in Beijing by applying deep learning and machine learning algorithms, and further, the results were validated with ground survey samples. This study provides detailed extraction and classification of urban green space coverage by creating a comprehensive evaluation system. The primary findings indicate that the deep learning algorithm enhances the precision of green space information extraction by 10.68% compared to conventional machine learning techniques, effectively suppresses “pretzel noise”, and eventually aids in extracting green space information with complete edges. The thorough assessment of green spaces within the study area indicated favorable outcomes showing the high service capacity of park green spaces. The overall classification accuracy of the final extraction results was 94.31%. Nonetheless, challenges, such as unequal distribution of green zones and a significant fragmentation level throughout the study area, were still encountered. Consequently, the use of GF-7 high-resolution imagery, in conjunction with the collaborative application of deep learning and machine learning techniques, enabled the acquisition of highly accurate information regarding urban green zone coverage. According to the established grading standards of evaluation indices, the landscape pattern of urban green spaces within the study area was comprehensively assessed. This evaluation offers essential data support for monitoring urban green spaces and planning landscape patterns, thereby contributing to the achievement of sustainable development objectives related to urban greening and ecological conservation.

HexagonRingCalculator: A Handy Code for Hexagonal Ring Characterization in Atomistic Simulations.

Hexagonal rings are critical to the properties of many nanomaterials by determining their mechanical strength, thermal stability, and electrical conductivity, therefore this kind of structure has been intensively concerned in computational studies. However, existing molecular dynamics (MD) simulation tools lack specialized functions for identifying and characterizing them. To address this gap, we developed HexagonRingCalculator, a tool for identifying hexagonal rings and calculating their geometric properties, including bond lengths, ring area, and circularity, directly from MD simulation data. The code facilitates the analysis of ring deformation under varying conditions, such as temperature changes. We demonstrate its functionality and accuracy through classic and ab initio MD simulations of graphene and cellulose, highlighting its potential to advance computational studies in nanomaterials.

Factors contributing to transient-induced fading: Examining the impact of luminance contrasts and subjective contours.

Transient-induced fading is a phenomenon where a peripheral target perceptually fades when a surrounding object is flashed. It has been suggested that the transient-induced fading could be affected not only by the lower-level factors such as the luminance contrast change, but also by the higher-level factors such as Gestalt grouping by similarity. In the present study, Experiment 1 investigated whether the perceptual fading of a visual target could be strongly induced when a ring area surrounding the target with high luminance contrast disappeared rather than appeared. Experiment 2 examined the effect of the (dis)appearance of a higher-level object (Kanizsa-type subjective contour) on the fading perception. Experiment 3 further investigated whether the rating of the perceived effortlessness of a subjective contour could be positively correlated with the fading duration of the target. Our results revealed that perceptual fading was mainly induced by the disappearance of fan areas inside black disks producing a subjective contour surrounding the target. Disappearance of a perceptual object at the representation level does not trigger the transient-induced fading even if a higher-level factor (e.g., grouping by similarity) affects the fading objects.

Quantification of Fundus Autofluorescence Features in a Molecularly Characterized Cohort of More Than 3500 Inherited Retinal Disease Patients from the United Kingdom.

To quantify relevant fundus autofluorescence (FAF) image features cross-sectionally and longitudinally in a large cohort of inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) patients. Retrospective study of imaging data (55-degree blue-FAF on Heidelberg Spectralis) from patients. Patients with a clinical and molecularly confirmed diagnosis of IRD who have undergone FAF 55-degree imaging at Moorfields Eye Hospital (MEH) and the Royal Liverpool Hospital (RLH) between 2004 and 2019. Five FAF features of interest were defined: vessels, optic disc, perimacular ring of increased signal (ring), relative hypo-autofluorescence (hypo-AF) and hyper-autofluorescence (hyper-AF). Features were manually annotated by six graders in a subset of patients based on a defined grading protocol to produce segmentation masks to train an AI model, AIRDetect, which was then applied to the entire MEH imaging dataset. Quantitative FAF imaging features including area in mm 2 and vessel metrics, were analysed cross-sectionally by gene and age, and longitudinally to determine rate of progression. AIRDetect feature segmentation and detection were validated with Dice score and precision/recall, respectively. A total of 45,749 FAF images from 3,606 IRD patients from MEH covering 170 genes were automatically segmented using AIRDetect. Model-grader Dice scores for disc, hypo-AF, hyper-AF, ring and vessels were respectively 0.86, 0.72, 0.69, 0.68 and 0.65. The five genes with the largest hypo-AF areas were CHM , ABCC6 , ABCA4 , RDH12 , and RPE65 , with mean per-patient areas of 41.5, 30.0, 21.9, 21.4, and 15.1 mm 2 . The five genes with the largest hyper-AF areas were BEST1 , CDH23 , RDH12 , MYO7A , and NR2E3 , with mean areas of 0.49, 0.45, 0.44, 0.39, and 0.34 mm 2 respectively. The five genes with largest ring areas were CDH23 , NR2E3 , CRX , EYS and MYO7A, with mean areas of 3.63, 3.32, 2.84, 2.39, and 2.16 mm 2 . Vessel density was found to be highest in EFEMP1 , BEST1 , TIMP3 , RS1 , and PRPH2 (10.6%, 10.3%, 9.8%, 9.7%, 8.9%) and was lower in Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) and Leber Congenital Amaurosis genes. Longitudinal analysis of decreasing ring area in four RP genes ( RPGR, USH2A, RHO, EYS ) found EYS to be the fastest progressor at -0.18 mm 2 /year. We have conducted the first large-scale cross-sectional and longitudinal quantitative analysis of FAF features across a diverse range of IRDs using a novel AI approach.

Some results on the total zero-divisor graph of a commutative ring

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to characterize a commutative ring R with identity which is not an integral domain such that ZT(R), the total zero-divisor graph of R is connected and to determine the diameter and radius of ZT(R) whenever ZT(R) is connected. Also, the purpose is to generalize some of the known results proved by Duric et al. on the total zero-divisor graph of R.Design/methodology/approachWe use the methods from commutative ring theory on primary decomposition and strong primary decomposition of ideals in commutative rings. The structure of ideals, the primary ideals, the prime ideals, the set of zero-divisors of the finite direct product of commutative rings is used in this paper. The notion of maximal Nagata prime of the zero-ideal of a commutative ring is also used in our discussion.FindingsFor a commutative ring R with identity, ZT(R) is the intersection of the zero-divisor graph of R and the total graph of R induced by the set of all non-zero zero-divisors of R. The zero-divisor graph of R and the total graph of R induced by the set of all non-zero zero-divisors of R are well studied. Hence, we determine necessary and sufficient condition so that ZT(R) agrees with the zero-divisor graph of R (respectively, agrees with the total graph induced by the set of non-zero zero-divisors of R). If Z(R) is an ideal of R, then it is noted that ZT(R) agrees with the zero-divisor graph of R. Hence, we focus on rings R such that Z(R) is not an ideal of R. We are able to characterize R such that ZT(R) is connected under the assumptions that the zero ideal of R admits a strong primary decomposition and Z(R) is not an ideal of R. With the above assumptions, we are able to determine the domination number of ZT(R).Research limitations/implicationsDuric et al. characterized Artinian rings R such that ZT(R) is connected. In this paper, we extend their result to rings R such that the zero ideal of R admits a strong primary decomposition and Z(R) is not an ideal of R. As an Artinian ring is isomorphic to the direct product of a finite number of Artinian local rings, we try to characterize R such that ZT(R) is connected under the assumption that R is ta finite direct product of rings R1, R2, … Rn with Z(Ri) is an ideal of Ri for each i between 1 to n. Their result on domination number of ZT(R) is also generalized in this paper. We provide several examples to illustrate our results proved.Practical implicationsThe implication of this paper is that the existing result of Duric et al. is applicable to large class of commutative rings thereby yielding more examples. Moreover, the results proved in this paper make us to understand the structure of commutative rings better. It also helps us to learn the interplay between the ring-theoretic properties and the graph-theoretic properties of the graph associated with it.Originality/valueThe results proved in this paper are original and they provide more insight into the structure of total zero-divisor graph of a commutative ring. This paper provides several examples. Not much work done in the area of total zero-divisor graph of a commutative ring. This paper is a contribution to the area of graphs and rings and may inspire other researchers to study the total zero-divisor graph in further detail.

PDE6A-Associated Retinitis Pigmentosa, Clinical Characteristics, Genetics, and Natural History

To analyze the genetics, clinical characteristics, and natural history of PDE6A-associated retinitis pigmentosa. Retrospective, longitudinal, observational cohort study. Patients with molecularly confirmed PDE6A-associated retinal dystrophy in a single tertiary referral center. Review of medical records and retinal imaging, including fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging and spectral-domain OCT. Genetic results were reviewed, and the detected variants were assessed. Molecular genetic testing, clinical findings including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), qualitative and quantitative retinal imaging analysis. Sixteen patients (32 eyes) were identified and evaluated longitudinally. Genetic analysis identified 14 variants in the PDE6A gene, including 8 novel variants. The mean age (± standard deviation, range) was 34.8 years (± 17.4, 12-76) at baseline, with a mean follow-up time of 4.8 years. Best-corrected visual acuity was 0.45 ± 0.45 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) (range 0.0-1.6) at baseline and 0.65 ± 0.7 logMAR (range 0.0-2.3) at the last visit. Best-corrected visual acuity was similar among eyes in 88% of patients. A hyperautofluorescent ring was observed on FAF in 50% and 43.8% of the eyes at baseline and follow-up visit, respectively, with a mean area of 9.7 ± 4.5 mm2 at baseline and mean of 8.6 ± 4.8 mm2 at the follow-up visit. Mean horizontal ellipsoid zone width (EZW) at baseline was 1765 ± 1093 μm, which decreased to 1580 ± 1077 μm at follow-up. Eighteen eyes exhibited cystoid macular edema at baseline (56%), and 17 eyes (53%) at follow-up. There were statistically significant changes during the follow-up period in terms of BCVA, hyperautofluorescent ring area, and the EZW. This study highlights the natural history of PDE6A-retinopathy. Most patients in this cohort had mild BCVA loss, and slowly progressive disease, based on FAF and OCT measurements. Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

ஜ ஜ Near Semi Rings

Objectives: In the widened area of near semi rings, this article speaks about the interventions of a specific sub structure. Methods: Heading towards a more unique functionality, the chosen sub structure is intervened with regularity, homomorphism and also checked for weak commutative idempotency. Findings: The desired sub-structure is descried to have been preserved under homomorphism and is also found to be isomorphic to sub direct products of sub-directly irreducible sub structures. Novelty: Few descriptions and differences on weak commutative regularity and regular idempotency has been expounded. Keen and expanded utterance of Pierce Decomposition near semi ring functionalities have made the desired near semi ring to be closer to nil but not exactly a deeper nil near semi ring. Keywords: Regularity, Homomorphism, Weak commutativity, Idempotency, Sub­directly irreducible, Pierce decomposition

Machine learning predicts conventional imaging metastasis-free survival (MFS) for oligometastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (omCSPC) using prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET radiomics

PurposeThis study investigated imaging biomarkers derived from PSMA-PET acquired pre- and post-metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) to predict 2-year metastasis-free survival (MFS), which provides valuable early response assessment to improve patient outcomes. Materials/MethodsAn international cohort of 117 oligometastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (omCSPC) patients, comprising 34 from John Hopkins Hospital (JHH) and 83 from Baskent University (BU), were treated with stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR) MDT with both pre- and post-MDT PSMA-PET/CT scans acquired. PET radiomic features were analyzed from a CT-PET fusion defined gross tumor volume ((GTV) or zone 1), and a 5 mm expansion ring area outside the GTV (zone 2). A total of 1748 PET radiomic features were extracted from these zones. The six most significant features selected using the Chi2 method, along with five clinical parameters (age, Gleason score, number of total lesions, untreated lesions, and pre-MDT prostate-specific antigen (PSA)) were extracted as inputs to the models. Various machine learning models, including Random Forest, Decision Tree, Support Vector Machine, and Naïve Bayesian, were employed for 2-year MFS prediction and tested using leave-one-out and cross-institution validation. ResultsSix radiomic features, including Total Energy, Entropy, and Standard Deviation from pre-PSMA-PET zone 1, Total Energy and Contrast from post-PSMA-PET zone 1, and Entropy from pre-PSMA-PET zone 2, along with five clinical parameters were selected for predicting 2-year MFS. In a leave-one-out test with all the patients, random forest achieved an accuracy of 80 % and an AUC of 0.82 in predicting 2-year MFS. In cross-institution validation, the model correctly predicted 2-year MFS events with an accuracy of 75 % and an AUC of 0.77 for patients from JHH, and an accuracy of 78 % and an AUC of 0.80 for BU patients, respectively. ConclusionOur study demonstrated the promise of using pre- and post-MDT PSMA-PET-based imaging biomarkers for MFS prediction for omCSPC patients.

CDH23-Associated Usher Syndrome: Clinical Features, Retinal Imaging, and Natural History.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical spectrum and natural history of CDH23-associated Usher syndrome type ID (USH1D). Molecularly-confirmed individuals had data extracted from medical records. Retinal imaging was extracted from an in-house database. The main outcome measurements were retinal imaging and electroretinography (ERG) and clinical findings, including age of onset, symptoms, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness, ellipsoid zone width (EZW), and hyperautofluorescent ring area. Thirty-one patients were identified, harboring 40 variants in CDH23 (10 being novel). The mean (range, ±SD) age of symptom onset was 10.1years (range = 1-18, SD = ±4.1). The most common visual symptoms at presentation were nyctalopia (93.5%) and peripheral vision difficulties (61.3%). The mean BCVA at baseline was 0.25 ± 0.22 in the right eyes and 0.35 ± 0.58 LogMAR in the left eyes. The mean annual loss rate in BCVA was 0.018 LogMAR/year over a mean follow-up of 9.5years. Individuals harboring the c.5237G>A p.(Arg1746Gln) allele had retinitis pigmentosa (RP) sparing the superior retina. Seventy-seven percent of patients had hyperautofluorescent rings in fundus autofluorescence. Full-field and pattern ERGs indicated moderate-severe rod-cone or photoreceptor dysfunction with relative sparing of macular function in most patients tested. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) revealed intraretinal cysts in the transfoveal B-scan of 13 individuals (43.3%). The rate of EZW and ONL thickness loss was mild and suggestive of a wide window of macular preservation. Despite the early onset of symptoms, USH1D has a slowly progressive phenotype. There is high interocular symmetry across all parameters, making it an attractive target for novel therapies.

Pediatric-Specific Lesions in Unstable Pelvic Ring Fractures of Skeletally Immature Children: Impact on Diagnosis and Management Decisions.

Surgical fixation of pediatric pelvic ring injuries is gaining popularity to avoid the poor long-term outcomes of pelvic asymmetry. The surgical techniques and fixation choices depend on the individual injuries affecting the anterior and posterior pelvic ring areas. The immature bony pelvis of young children has anatomic differences including soft bones, elastic ligaments, and the presence of growth centers. Understanding the unique pediatric lesions with unstable pelvic fractures is essential for treatment decisions. Anterior lesions include pubic symphysis disruption through the pubic apophysis, single ramus fractures, pubic rami fractures through the triradiate cartilage, and/or the ischiopubic synchondrosis; ischiopubic ramus infolding injury; or the unstable superior and inferior quadrant lesions. Posterior pelvic lesions include iliac wing infolding and sacroiliac joint dislocation or transiliac (crescent) fracture/dislocations through the iliac apophysis growth plate. Pubic symphysis and sacroiliac disruptions are physeal injuries in children, and they have excellent healing potential. External fixation is an ideal choice for anterior ring fixation including bony and pubic symphysis injuries. Posterior lesions are mostly sacroiliac joint disruptions with iliac apophysis separation that can serve as a landmark for vertical displacement correction. Posterior lesions can be treated by percutaneous iliosacral screw fixation or open reduction techniques.

Investigation into Morphology of Cavitation Erosion-Corrosion Pits on the Surface of Carbon Steel

Nano-sized films associated with the ring areasformed around micropits in cavitation erosion experimentswere investigated. The corrosion behavior and vibratory cavitation erosion tests of mild carbon steel in 3% NaCldistilled water were carried out. The results showed that thenano-sized films associated with the ring areas formedaround micropits in cavitation and free cavitation tests havea similar shape. The study proved that the nano-structure and the ring areas formed around micropits are the result ofcorrosion effects and not as a result of thermal effectsrelated to the collapse of the bubbles.

Detection of milk adulteration using coffee ring effect and convolutional neural network

A low-cost and effective method is reported to identify water and synthetic milk adulteration of cow’s milk using coffee ring patterns. The cow’s milk samples were diluted with tap water (TW), distilled water (DW) and mineral water (MW) and drop cast onto glass slides to observe coffee ring patterns. The area of the ring, total particle area and average particle diameter were extracted from these patterns. For each ring, the ratio of total particle area versus total ring area was calculated. The area ratio, regardless of water adulterants, follows an exponential model with respect to average particle diameter. Unlike TW, the ratio for DW and MW adulterated milk are clustered and classified together with respect to the particle diameter. These results were independent of dilution level and are used for adulterant classification. The ring of milk adulterated using synthetic milk gave multiple concentric rings, flower-like structures, and oil globules throughout the dilution level. An Alexnet model was used to classify water and synthetic milk adulterants in authentic milk. The trained model could achieve 96.7% and 95.8% accuracy for binary and tertiary classification respectively. These results enable us to distinguish synthetic milk from pure milk and segregate DW and MW with respect to TW adulterated milk.

Patterns of Progression of Nonproliferative Diabetic Retinopathy Using Non-Invasive Imaging.

To identify progression of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) in patients with type 2 diabetes by combining optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) metrics and color fundus photography (CFP) images. This study was a post hoc analysis of a prospective longitudinal cohort study (CORDIS, NCT03696810) with 2-year duration. This study enrolled 122 eyes. Ophthalmological examinations included OCTA and CFP. OCTA metrics included skeletonized vessel density (SVD) and perfusion density (PD) at the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP). Microaneurysm turnover analysis and Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) grading for diabetic retinopathy (DR) severity assessment were performed on 7-field CFP. Eyes graded as ETDRS level 20 showed significant capillary nonperfusion predominantly in the inner ring area in the SCP (P < 0.001), whereas eyes graded as ETDRS level 35 and ETDRS levels 43 and 47 showed significant capillary nonperfusion in both the SCP and DCP in both inner and outer rings (P < 0.001). When evaluating rates of progression in capillary nonperfusion for the 2-year period of follow-up, changes were found predominantly in the DCP for SVD and PD and were better identified in the outer ring area. Microaneurysm turnover contributes to the characterization of NPDR progression by discriminating ETDRS level 35 from ETDRS levels 43 and 47 (P < 0.001), which could not be achieved using only OCTA metrics. Patterns of progression of NPDR can be identified combining OCTA examinations of the superficial and deep retinal capillary plexi of central retina and determination of microaneurysm turnover from fundus photographs. Our study reports results from a registered clinical trial that advances understanding of disease progression in NPDR.

Enhancing Urban Living Convenience through Plot Patterns: A Quantitative Morphological Study

Enhancing Urban Living Convenience through Plot Patterns: A Quantitative Morphological Study

ИНТРААБДОМИНАЛЬНАЯ АНЕВРИЗМА ПУПОЧНОЙ ВЕНЫ ПЛОДА. (РЕДКИЙ КЛИНИЧЕСКИЙ СЛУЧАЙ)

The umbilical cord is an extension of the fetal cardiovascular system. According to all available scientific data, umbilical cord abnormalities play an important and often decisive role in the development of complications during pregnancy and childbirth, including perinatal mortality. Thus, umbilical cord abnormalities include skinny umbilical cord, umbilical cord presentation, absolutely short umbilical cord, sheath attachment of the umbilical cord, presentation of umbilical cord vessels, hypoisvite and hyperisvite umbilical cord, single umbilical artery, persistence of the right umbilical vein, vein aneurysm and umbilical cord hematoma. There are several variants of localization of this vascular anomaly: in the area of attachment to the placenta, in the free part, in the area of the umbilical ring and in the intraabdominal (intrahepatic) part. There are no clinical recommendations for the management of pregnancy with an umbilical vein aneurysm. When detecting umbilical cord abnormalities, it is necessary to monitor the dynamics of changes in the size of the aneurysm with an assessment of the fetal condition. The article describes a clinical case of intraabdominal fetal umbilical vein aneurysm, which is extremely rare and accounts for less than 1% of all umbilical cord abnormalities. The patient's reproductive and genetic history is not burdened. The somatic history was aggravated by neurodegenerative diseases of the spine. The pregnancy proceeded against the background of repeated threats of termination of pregnancy and anemia.

Friction Characteristics and Lubrication Properties of Spherical Hinge Structure of Swivel Bridge

A spherical hinge structure is a key swivel bridge element that must be considered when evaluating friction characteristics and lubrication properties to meet the rotation requirement. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-based spherical hinge sliders and lubrication coating have been employed for over 20 years, but with the growing tonnage of swivel bridge construction, their capacity to accommodate the required lubrication properties can be exceeded. In this manuscript, the optimal friction coefficient of the spherical hinge is obtained through the finite element analysis method. Four lubrication coatings and four spherical hinge sliders are prepared and tested through a self-developed rotation friction coefficient test, four-ball machine test, dynamic shear rheological test, and compression and shear performance test to evaluate the lubrication and friction properties of the spherical hinge structure. The results of the finite element analysis show that the optimum rotation friction coefficient of the spherical hinge structure is 0.031–1.131. The test results illustrate that the friction coefficient, wear scar diameter, maximum non-seize load, phase transition point, and thixotropic ring area of graphene lubrication coating are 0.065, 0.79 mm, 426 N, 14.6%, and 64,878 Pa/s. The graphene lubrication coating has different degrees of improvement compared with conventional polytetrafluoroethylene lubrication coating, showing more excellent lubrication properties, bearing capacity, thixotropy, and structural strength. Compressive and shear tests demonstrate that polyether ether ketone (PEEK) has good compressive and shear mechanical properties. The maximum compressive stress of PEEK is 87.7% higher than conventional PTFE, and the shear strength of PEEK is 6.07 times higher than that of PTFE. The research results can provide significantly greater wear resistance and a lower friction coefficient of the spherical hinge structure, leading to lower traction energy consumption and ensuring smooth and precise bridge rotation.

EUS in children with eosinophilic oesophagitis – a new method of measuring oesophageal total wall thickness area. An artificial intelligence application feasibility study. A pilot study

Aim: In the study, we aimed to introduce a formula for measuring the oesophageal total wall thickness area, which could be used for developing an artificial intelligence-based algorithm for the detection of patients whose total wall thickness area exceeds the norms. Material and methods: Mathematical formulas for measuring the square area of the oesophageal total wall thickness area were introduced and applied. Children were grouped according to their weight in clusters. For each cluster, the range (minimal and maximal value) were established. The measurements were done by using the formula for the area of the circular ring according to the formula A = π (B2–b2); the product of π and subtraction square b (smaller radius) and square B (bigger radius). The basic data for our calculations were derived from papers published by Dalby et al., 2010 and Loff et al., 2022. Results: The square area (in mm2) of the oesophageal wall was calculated and proposed to be introduced for further analysis. This value set could be used for creating an algorithm for computer-aided analysis of patients diagnosed with sonographic examination and isolating patients for surveillance. Our newly introduced approach could be implemented in sonographic, computer tomography, and magnetic resonance examinations in eosinophilic oesophagitis and other oesophageal diseases. Conclusions: Total wall thickness area could be used for monitoring children with eosinophilic oesophagitis and other oesophageal diseases. The method could also be applied for adults. Therefore, it can be a foundation for further progress with applying artificial intelligence algorithms.