ABSTRACT Object detection in remote sensing images is important yet challenging due to the small size of objects and interference from complex backgrounds. To address these challenges, we propose a novel detection framework named MFN-Net. First, a Multi-scale Feature Enhanced Adaptive Fusion architecture (MFEAF) is introduced, which effectively captures fine-grained features of objects by incorporating multi-scale downsampling and an adaptive weight fusion mechanism, thereby enhancing the representational capability of small object features. Second, we design a Similarity Distance-based Flexible Label Assignment (SFLA) strategy specifically tailored for small objects. This strategy employs aspect ratio filtering and a dynamic matching mechanism to assign sufficient high-quality positive samples to small objects, thereby improving detection performance. Through experiments on the SODA-A and AI-TOD datasets, the proposed method shows advantages in small object detection. The average precision (AP) is improved by 1.9% and 1.1%, respectively, compared to current state-of-the-art methods. Especially in the detection of very small and small objects, the method achieves a more significant performance improvement, demonstrating its superiority in small object detection tasks.

Continuous H 2 /CO 2 separation via permselective membranes is highly sought after as pure H 2 plays a key role in H 2 economy. Aqueous nematic suspensions obtained by 1D dissolution of affordable sodium fluorohectorite allow for simple membrane fabrication by spray coating. The monolayer nanosheets have a uniform thickness of 1 nm and appreciable aspect ratio, thus self-assemble into defect-free membranes when applied onto porous mixed cellulose ester substrates. The perfectly textured restacking of individual nanosheets yields monodomain Bragg stacks with uniform interlayer space. By cation exchange with guanidinium cations, a uniform interlayer height tailored to 2.9 Å was obtained while micropores are formed between the loosely packed interlayer cations. As the interlayer height matches the kinetic diameter of H 2 and is significantly smaller compared to other relevant gas species, e. g. CO 2 , CH 4 , CO or N 2 , perfectly selective H 2 sieving may be obtained. In a Wicke-Kallenbach cell, a near-perfect separation of H 2 and CO 2 (4:1 ratio) at ambient conditions was obtained. The tortuous path created by the impermeable, large aspect ratio nanosheets reduces the permeance to disappointing 3 GPU (gas permeation units; 1 GPU = 10 −6 cm 3 cm −2 s −1 cmHg −1 ). While the separation mechanism playing on tortuous path has not been fully explored in this preliminary study, the permeance may be improved substantially in future studies by optimizing the roughness of the substrate, the aspect ratio of the nanosheets and the thickness of the membrane. • clay-based permselective membrane for efficient H 2 purification. • tailoring the interlayer height to 2.9 Å for size-sieving based H 2 /CO 2 separation. • membrane fabrication by simple spray-coating process and subsequent cation exchange. • aqueous fabrication based on silicate monolayer nanosheets for perfect ordering. • self-assembly into defect-free 1D crystalline monodomain Bragg stacks.

BoneMesh: An open-source 3D slicer framework for automated mesh generation and material mapping from CT to finite elements.

The existing literature on mutational ground effect (MGE) shows that airfoils and small-aspect-ratio delta wings exhibit different lift variation patterns during landing on an aircraft carrier deck. To understand the flow physics behind the aforementioned differences, the effects of aspect ratio (AR) on the aerodynamic characteristics of a rectangular wing in MGE are investigated using unsteady RANS simulations. In the chord-dominated MGE, the aerodynamic forces of an airfoil exhibit violent oscillation phenomena, which are attributed to the appearance and disappearance of platform obstruction and upwash flow during the process of approaching and entering the platform. In the span-dominated MGE, as the AR decreases, the oscillation magnitude of the aerodynamic forces gradually decreases until it disappears. When the wing approaches the platform, a portion of the induced flow beneath the wing is diverted into spanwise flow, leading to a weakening of the platform obstruction effect and upwash flow. The wingtip vortex transitions from the unbounded flow regime to the static-ground-effect mode: the transition proceeds monotonically and smoothly in the spanwise direction, while it exhibits oscillatory characteristics in the vertical direction due to the oscillating upwash flow around the platform sidewall.

Macroscopic-microscopic performance experiments of ceramic fiber modified cementitious grouting materials and study on the interaction mechanism between slurry particles

Purpose To develop and validate an end-to-end autonomous platform for the quantification and visualization of brain aneurysm and parent artery morphology at CT angiography (CTA). Materials and Methods: A total of 2980 CTA scans performed between 2004 and 2025 containing 2585 aneurysms from 2980 patients obtained from five international high-volume stroke centers were included. The model was trained using expert hand-annotated vascular segmentations spanning the cervical internal carotid and vertebral arteries through the A4, M3, and P3 segments. Internal prospective and multicenter external testing assessed aneurysm detection performance and compared morphology measurements with expert-derived values obtained with digital subtraction angiography-verified CTA. Statistical analysis used paired t tests or Wilcoxon signed rank tests, with sensitivity, specificity, and 95% CIs reported. A public web-based platform was developed to allow further validation. Results Internal and multicenter external testing yielded a patient-level sensitivity of 87.9% (290 of 330; 95% CI: 83.6, 91.3) and specificity of 86.6% (395 of 456; 95% CI: 83.3, 89.4). Physician-performed morphology extraction required 24.3 minutes ± 6.6 per scan, whereas the model completed the task autonomously in 90 seconds ± 12 (P < .001). At the aggregate level, no statistically significant differences were observed for aneurysm volume, neck diameter, parent artery diameter, flow angle, aspect ratio, size ratio, height-width ratio, undulating index, ellipticity index, or nonsphericity index. Dome height (mean difference, 0.1 ± 1.1; P = .03) and surface area (mean difference, -5.3 mm2 ± 29.5; P = .04) differed but had minimal effect sizes. Conclusion The developed autonomous system for rupture-related morphology metric acquisition substantially reduced physician workload. Keywords: Intracranial Aneurysm, CT Angiography, Artificial Intelligence, Morphology, Rupture Risk Supplemental material is available for this article. © RSNA, 2026 See also commentary by Maiter and Kular in this issue.

A large-diameter, radio frequency (RF) plasma source with an inner diameter of 53.8cm has been developed to evaluate high densification and the feasibility of such sources. This plasma source has a low aspect ratio with the source length shorter than the diameter. To evaluate the feasibility and plasma characteristics of this low-aspect-ratio device, preliminary measurements of plasma parameters, the electron energy probability function, and optical emission spectra were performed. The dependences on the RF input power and external magnetic field conditions suggest that inductively coupled plasma can be generated in the source. The results also indicate that suitable operational conditions for high-density plasma generation exist, which are related to the helicon wave dispersion relation under the available magnetic field strength.

Thermotropic nematic liquid crystals (LC) are orientationally ordered liquids composed of mesogenic molecules that become isotropic liquids at the nematic-isotropic transition temperature (TNI), at which the order disappears. Dissolving a nonmesogenic substance in an LC usually produces a disruption of the molecular order that leads to a decreasing of the TNI. However, some nonmesogenic substances enhance the molecular order, yielding increments of the TNI. Rigid aromatic carboxylic acids like benzoic acid possess this order-enhancing capacity due to the formation of elongated dimers, which align with the uniaxial nematic environment. In the present research, the thermodynamics of the dimerization of 20 substituted benzoic acids dissolved in the nematic LC 4-n-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl (5CB) and the phase behavior of the mixtures were assessed. The substituents include amino, fluoro, chloro, bromo, iodo, and nitro groups linked to the aromatic ring of the benzoic acid at ortho, meta, and para positions. Both the geometry and the electron-withdrawing or donating effect of the substituent have an influence on the ordering capability of the substituted benzoic acid. In general, electron-donating groups at the para position in benzoic acids have a large order-enhancing power. Electron-withdrawing groups promote the ionization of the substituted benzoic acids, limiting the dimerization capability of these dopants. Regarding the substitution position of the groups, the para substitutions lead to the formation of long and slim calamitic dimers with a large aspect ratio length/diameter. These calamitic dimers align with the nematic solvent and act as scaffolds in the uniaxial solvent. The nematic LC mixtures were analyzed by polarized optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and infrared spectroscopy. Theoretical calculations aided to ascertain the most probable dimers in amphoteric dopants like aminobenzoic acids. A thermodynamic model was developed to analyze the nematic-isotropic transitions. Two dopants, 4-aminobenzoic acid and 4-N-methylaminobenzoic acid, exhibit extraordinary order-enhancing power, yielding increments of the nematic-isotropic transition temperature up to 12 K with minor concentration of the dopants.

Hydrodynamic response of a hydrofoil-assisted trimaran in ship length scale regular head waves: Influence of aspect ratio and asymmetric strut angle configurations using orthogonal array sampling

ABSTRACT The urgent need for alternative ways of vessel propulsion over the past few years created a growing interest in rediscovering wind as a source of propulsive force. While many concepts for harnessing the power of the wind have been developed so far, their actual implementation on real ships still remains at a scarse level since it brings with it many challenges. These challenges include the design of the wind assisted propulsion systems to fit the confines and meet the demands of each individual vessel they operate on. The re-discovery of the Flettner Rotor – an idea first brought up by German engineer Anton Flettner – opened up a new realm of possibilities for using that concept on modern cargo and passenger vessels. This research project aimed to deepen the already existing base of knowledge by extending it and providing a methodology within the context of numerical simulations for developing and assessing rotor sails and their placement on the decks of cargo vessels. This includes a detailed analysis of the influence of some of the main design parameters of these rotors. A dual rotor setup was examined to highlight potential interactions between the individual rotors of a multi rotor setup. This dual rotor setup was compared to a target rotor. The latter was designed based on the findings from an analysis of rotor design parameters. Both the target rotor and the dual rotor setup are subjected to three different wind conditions, varying in their direction. The spin ratio was observed to be the primary operational parameter to influence the generation of lift and drag, with higher spin ratios resulting in higher lift and drag coefficients throughout all examined geometric configurations. The analysis also found that both the aspect ratio and disc diameter ratio have an influence on the lift and drag coefficients, with lift coefficients being proportional to rotor aspect ratio, while the drag coefficient was observed to be inversely proportional to aspect ratio. The disc diameter ratio was found to have a major influence on drag, with higher disc ratios yielding lower drag coefficients, especially at higher spin ratios. The dual rotor setup showed a noticeable interaction between the rotors in a beam wind condition due to a change in the angle of inflow on the downstream rotor. Pressure distributions on both sides of the rotor were also analyzed to further highlight the reasons behind the observed effects for both parts of the analysis, showing dominating effects on the suction side.

The thermal control of peristaltic blood flow in a curved duct under a magnetic field is a relatively unexplored phenomenon. This research fills this gap by proposing the use of a blood-based hybrid nanofluid. The blood flow is assumed to be a non-Newtonian fluid, modelled by the Casson fluid model. It is mixed with gold (20 nm) and iron oxide (25 nm) nanoparticles. The equations are expressed in a cylindrical coordinate system in order to account for the curved nature of the duct. Peristaltic waves are considered to propagate along the wall. The governing equations are obtained using the low Reynolds number approximation (Reynolds number Re) and long wavelength approximation. The finite element method (FEM) with Python programming is applied for solving the resulting strongly nonlinear partial differential equations. The obtained results are also utilized to analyze the irreversibility of the system. The main findings indicate that increasing the aspect ratio enhances the blood flow velocity at the central part. It is found that the mono nanofluid has more improvement in central velocity compared to the hybrid nanofluid. Optimal control of the magnetic parameter and duct wall elasticity can enhance the flow efficiency. It also results in a reduction of thermal losses and thermodynamic irreversibilities.

We propose a novel, highly sensitive light-induced thermoelastic spectroscopy (LITES) detection scheme based on a quartz crystal tuning fork (QCTF), which features a dual enhancement mechanism driven by the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect. Leveraging the inherent thermoelastic and piezoelectric effects of the QCTF, a thin layer of tailor-designed gold nanorods (AuNRs) was deposited onto the central region of the tuning fork. The dual synergistic enhancement and coupling effects originating from the LSPR response and superior thermal conductivity of AuNRs substantially improve the light absorption efficiency of the QCTF, which in turn gives rise to the enhanced sensitivity of gas detection. In this study, we first systematically investigated the LSPR mechanism of AuNRs and further synthesized AuNRs with tailored aspect ratios using the seed-mediated growth method. Subsequently, a full LITES detection system based on the AuNRs-modified QCTF was established for carbon dioxide (CO2) sensing. When the integration time is set to 331 s, the system demonstrates a normalized noise equivalent absorption (NNEA) coefficient as low as 1.33 × 10-10 cm-1·W·Hz-1/2. Featuring miniaturization and high sensitivity, the proposed system offers a novel technical route for environmental monitoring and industrial process analysis.

Because of very few sequence-identified viral scaffolds suitable for origami assembly and the unavailability of tile-based, nondeformable, superlarge DNA structures with architecturally defined collective properties, the biomedical application of structural DNA nanotechnology is hampered. In the current contribution, we demonstrate a backbone-inserted, center-rigidified, stringing-based assembly (CRSA) technology for constructing DNA biomimetic nanobamboo (Apt-BNB) of high aspect ratio, rich with membrane receptor-binding branches. The Apt-BNB structure is additionally rigidified by installing a Y-shaped backbone into the transverse partition and is surrounded by highly oriented tumor cell-binding aptamers. While the DNA nanobamboo has a length of up to 1956.2 nm and a height of 95.0 nm, no curvature and or structural collapse occurs, contributing to a 33-fold enhancement in structural rigidity. The assembly efficiency is up to 90%, and the ability to protect the surface-confined aptamers against enzymatic degradation is enhanced by about 30 times. The as-assembled aptamer-functionalized DNA nanobamboo is demonstrated to be amenable to the isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from whole blood samples, with a 68.2-fold enhancement in efficiency, implying its potential as a tool to help prevent tumor relapse and metastasis and offering valuable insights into the construction of nondeformable three-dimensional DNA nanostructures for clinical translation in precision medicine.

Purpose This study aims to improve the mechanical behaviour and aesthetic realism of costal cartilages (CCs) in clinical simulators. Current mannequin components use thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with reduced infill, which inadequately replicates the anisotropic mechanical properties and anatomical appearance of actual CCs. An alternative approach was therefore developed to address these limitations. Design/methodology/approach Following a comprehensive literature review, human CCs were characterised geometrically and mechanically. A parametric model for three-dimensional printing was developed, comprising a helical load-bearing structure with an elliptical core encased in a silicone matrix. Variables including aspect ratio, wire diameter and pitch were parametrised. Eighteen configurations were analysed through finite element analysis under tensile and flexural loading. The optimal configuration was validated experimentally on acrylonitrile butadiene styrene-printed specimens. Findings The optimised configuration demonstrated good agreement with human CC reference values. Complete silicone-encased specimens exhibited displacements of 4.8–5.1 mm axially, 3.8–4.1 mm cranio-caudally and 7.2–7.8 mm dorso-ventrally under standard loading. The anisotropic flexural behaviour characteristic of actual cartilage was successfully replicated, with dorso-ventral compliance approximately double that of the cranio-caudal direction. Originality/value This work presents the first parametric, dual-component model specifically designed for CC simulation in surgical training. Unlike existing approaches using uniform TPU or expensive polyetheretherketone prosthetics, the helical structure with an elliptical core achieves anisotropic mechanical behaviour cost-effectively. Systematic characterisation of parameter–property relationships provides design rules enabling customisation. The combination of load-bearing structure and aesthetic matrix addresses both functional and visual realism. This paper presents a proof-of-concept mechanical characterisation and forms the first step of a broader translational programme aimed at integrating the component into high-fidelity thoracic surgical simulators. The combination of load-bearing structure and aesthetic matrix established a methodology applicable to biomimetic modelling of other composite soft tissues.

Implications of Line Tying and Current-sheet Aspect Ratio for Magnetic Reconnection

The preparation of α-hemihydrate (α-HH) from phosphogypsum (PG) is inevitably hindered by the addition of crystal modifiers, which usually inhibit the conversion of PG and drastically prolong the reaction duration. To overcome this drawback, microwave heating, a volumetric heating technique, was employed to enhance the hydrothermal conversion of PG into α-HH in the presence of Al2(SO4)3, citraconic acid (CTA), and their composite modifier. Meanwhile, the conventional contact heating was also conducted for comparison of the conversion rate. The results indicate that increasing the concentrations of Al2(SO4)3 and CTA enables effective regulation of the crystal morphology and reduces the aspect ratio of α-HH, but this is accompanied by an evident prolongation of reaction time. In the modifier-free system, microwave heating achieved a 50% reduction in reaction period compared with contact heating. For systems containing Al2(SO4)3, CTA, or their composite modifier, the reaction time was reduced by 43-78% relative to contact heating, and PG could be completely transformed into α-HH even at high modifier concentrations. These results verify that microwave heating exhibits outstanding superiority in mitigating the inhibition of crystal modifiers on PG conversion and drastically shortening the reaction time. This work provides a feasible and efficient strategy to address the inhibition issue induced by crystal modifiers during the preparation of short-column α-HH.

Valorization of baghouse dust from lime industry through carbonation processes.

Inhalation and deposition characteristics of respiratory ultrafine and elongated mineral particles in the all-in-one human respiratory system: A CFD-based Study.

Extended reality with an immersive visual experience needs to achieve vergence-accommodation-conflict-free (VAC-free) and human-level field of view (FOV) simultaneously. Holography is a dreamlike solution but seriously suffers from both an ultra-narrow diffraction angle and uneliminated coherent laser speckle. Incoherent-based light-field display is an alternative solution, but it still has an inherent issue with off-axis aberration when using a homogeneous microlens array for lightweight applications. Here, we propose a heterogeneous metalens array (MeLA) that integrates VAC-free operation and aberration correction into a slim monolithic component with expanded FOV. Such a large etendue is due to a unique phase profile in the heterogeneous MeLA, each lenslet of which has an identical hyperbolic term cascading a varying linear-tiling term. Nanoimprint lithography is employed to achieve a centimeter-scale MeLA with a feature aspect ratio of 7:1. In this way, we developed a light-field 3D display prototype with monocular focus cues and a FOV of 50°, approximately four times that of the microlens-array case, and fully exploiting the commercial micro-displays. The proposed MeLA system can even be scaled to human stereoscopic vision, with a maximum value of 80°, without compromising other performance metrics such as depth of field, resolution, and compactness. The characteristics of FOV expansion with monocular 3D display capability are demonstrated through experimental videos generated using a real-time elemental image array algorithm dedicated to the proposed MeLA system. This work opens new opportunities for extended reality through VAC-free 3D display and a wide FOV, poised to transform consumer electronics, precision nanofabrication, and healthcare.

Chirality-controlled seeded supramolecular polymerization: From glutamide amphiphiles to ultralong helical nanotubes.