Contour Definition Research Articles

Long-range Ising models: Contours, phase transitions and decaying fields

Inspired by Fröhlich–Spencer and subsequent authors who introduced the notion of contour for long-range systems, we provide a definition of contour and a direct proof for the phase transition for ferromagnetic long-range Ising models on \mathbb{Z}^{d} , d\geq 2 . The argument, which is based on a multiscale analysis, works for the sharp region \alpha>d and improves previous results obtained by Park for \alpha>3d+1 , and by Ginibre, Grossmann and Ruelle for \alpha> d+1 , where \alpha is the power of the coupling constant. The key idea is to avoid a large number of small contours. As an application, we prove the persistence of the phase transition when we add a polynomially decaying magnetic field with power \delta>0 as h^{*}|x|^{-\delta} , where h^{*} >0 . For d<\alpha<d+1 , the phase transition occurs when \delta>\alpha-d , and when h^{*} is small enough over the critical line \delta=\alpha-d . For \alpha \geq d+1 , \delta>1 is enough to prove the phase transition, and for \delta=1 we have to ask h^{*} small. The natural conjecture is that this region is also sharp for the phase transition problem when we have a decaying field.

Hysteretic behavior optimization of hollow laminated viscoelastomer-filled steel tube damper

This study proposes a shape optimization approach for designing hollow laminated viscoelastomer-filled steel tube dampers (HLVSTDs), aiming to reduce stress concentration, enhance energy dissipation capacity, and improve low-cycle fatigue performance. The shape optimization curve is obtained based on the definition of stress contours for HLVSTD bending moments and shear forces, with the assumption that points on the same contour yield simultaneously. Cyclic loading experiments were conducted on four HLVSTDs. Numerical models were established and validated to further investigate the mechanical properties, energy dissipation capacity, and seismic performance of the shape-optimized HLVSTDs. The results demonstrate that the shape-optimized HLVSTDs specimen exhibits excellent energy dissipation capacity and improved low-cycle fatigue performance. The calculated initial stiffness and yield force closely align with experimental values. Compared to non-optimized HLVSTDs, the shape-optimized HLVSTDs exhibit more uniform stress and equivalent plastic strain distributions, effectively reducing the concentration of plastic strains. Additionally, structures equipped with shape-optimized HLVSTDs demonstrate superior seismic performance.

Photoacoustic Image Analysis of Dental Tissue Using Two Wavelengths: A Comparative Study

This work compares photoacoustic images of a tooth by analyzing the signals generated with wavelengths 532 and 355 nm. This comparison addresses the differences in the optical properties of dental tissue for these wavelengths that affect the resulting photoacoustic images. A pulsed Nd:YAG laser was used to illuminate a complete extracted tooth sample, and 2D photoacoustic images (PAIs) were reconstructed using the single-sensor scanning synthetic aperture focusing technique (SSC-SAFT), which is a suitable method for our experimental system with forward detection mode. Signal comparison was conducted using sinogram, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), root mean square (RMS), arrival time, maximum amplitude, and fast Fourier transform (FFT). PAI comparison utilized intensity profile, edge correlation, and image composition tools. The signal analysis revealed that at 532 nm, the signals exhibited longer decay time and a wider distribution of vibration frequencies due to higher laser pulse energy and greater optical penetration depth. Conversely, at 355 nm, the signals had shorter decay times and a lower frequency distribution, which was attributed to lower energy but improved optical absorption, resulting in reconstructed images with better sharpness and contour definition. This study contributes to the advancement of photoacoustic imaging technology in dentistry by providing insights that could optimize signal generation and image reconstruction for dental tissue.

Deep learning CT reconstruction improves liver metastases detection

ObjectivesDetection of liver metastases is crucial for guiding oncological management. Computed tomography through iterative reconstructions is widely used in this indication but has certain limitations. Deep learning image reconstructions (DLIR) use deep neural networks to achieve a significant noise reduction compared to iterative reconstructions. While reports have demonstrated improvements in image quality, their impact on liver metastases detection remains unclear. Our main objective was to determine whether DLIR affects the number of detected liver metastasis. Our secondary objective was to compare metastases conspicuity between the two reconstruction methods.MethodsCT images of 121 patients with liver metastases were reconstructed using a 50% adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (50%-ASiR-V), and three levels of DLIR (DLIR-low, DLIR-medium, and DLIR-high). For each reconstruction, two double-blinded radiologists counted up to a maximum of ten metastases. Visibility and contour definitions were also assessed. Comparisons between methods for continuous parameters were performed using mixed models.ResultsA higher number of metastases was detected by one reader with DLIR-high: 7 (2–10) (median (Q₁–Q₃); total 733) versus 5 (2–10), respectively for DLIR-medium, DLIR-low, and ASiR-V (p < 0.001). Ten patents were detected with more metastases with DLIR-high simultaneously by both readers and a third reader for confirmation. Metastases visibility and contour definition were better with DLIR than ASiR-V.ConclusionDLIR-high enhanced the detection and visibility of liver metastases compared to ASiR-V, and also increased the number of liver metastases detected.Critical relevance statementDeep learning-based reconstruction at high strength allowed an increase in liver metastases detection compared to hybrid iterative reconstruction and can be used in clinical oncology imaging to help overcome the limitations of CT.Key PointsDetection of liver metastases is crucial but limited with standard CT reconstructions.More liver metastases were detected with deep-learning CT reconstruction compared to iterative reconstruction.Deep learning reconstructions are suitable for hepatic metastases staging and follow-up.Graphical

Factors in the formation of information culture(socio-philosophical aspect of the problem)

In this article, the author offers a socio-philosophical analysis of the factors contributing to the formation of information culture. This research perspective seems extremely relevant and requires serious scientific under-standing. It is obvious that the main characteristic of modern society is its information content, which creates new horizons in the space of identification, the formation of a new cultural field, and the definition of new contours of communication. In this regard, it seems very important to identify and designate the main factors that determine the nature and value of the new information culture. In this article, the author, relying on exist-ing scientific research in this problem space, offers his own view on this problem and outlines his own system of these determining factors. The author in this article uses extensive historical and philosophical material, indicating the difference in approaches to this problem in different philosophical schools and concepts. The article also proposes to trace the logic of the influence of active digitalization processes on the formation of the information field and, accordingly, on the formation of a new information culture. The author quite clear-ly outlines his opinion regarding the influence of information and digital culture on the formation of a per-son’s identification code in modern conditions, and speaks about the positive and negative aspects of this phenomenon. The article also proposes to comprehend the state of information literacy, the status of an in-formation-literate person. To solve his research problem, the author uses a rather original methodological and methodological complex, which made it possible to fully outline the author’s scientific position on this issue.

THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE OF INCLUSIVE HARMONIZATION OF THE INTERIOR SPACE OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS

This study examines the theoretical and practical experience of inclusive harmonization of the internal space of public buildings. In the process of identifying the features of internal space harmonization, a number of key aspects of the importance of color contrast were determined (definition of contours and shapes, orientation and navigation, identification of objects, security). It has been analyzed and determined that color contrast improves accessibility and perception of the environment for visually impaired people, making information more accessible and enabling more effective interaction with the surrounding world. The authors analyzed the practical experience of designing the interior space of public buildings and identified their features. &#x0D; The research method revealed that taking into account the psychophysiological characteristics of users is a key element in the process of choosing a color palette. Designing inclusive spaces requires careful study and understanding of the needs of people with different physical and mental characteristics. Shades of color can affect our emotional state and physical well-being, so it is important to create spaces that support diversity and take into account the needs of all users.&#x0D; The work highlights issues of ergonomics and safety in the context of color harmonization. It is important not only to create an aesthetically pleasing space, but also to ensure its safety and convenience for everyone. Color solutions can be used to mark traffic paths, highlight dangerous zones, and also to improve readability and recognition of objects in space.&#x0D; On the basis of the work carried out, it was determined that the research and further identification of inclusive methods of color harmonization of the interior space of public buildings with the definition of clear parameters of contrast becomes an actual direction of the development of this work. Understanding the importance of inclusive color harmony is the key to building a modern society that respects and supports all its members.

Improvement of low-frequency ultrasonic image quality using a enhanced convolutional neural network

Ultrasound has become an indispensable clinical scanning and diagnostic tool because of its convenience, rapidity, and radiation-free properties. In ultrasound imaging, the resolution and detection depth of ultrasound images are closely related to the frequency of the transmitted ultrasound. Ultrasound with low transmission frequency has a wide detection range, but its images have problems such as low resolution, blurred edge contours and obvious background noise. In contrast, the higher transmission frequency, the smaller the detection range, but the resolution has improved. The rapid development of deep learning provides new approaches and enormous potential for improving resolution of ultrasound images and acquiring high-resolution images with an extensive detection range. In this paper, the attention mechanism is combined into a convolutional neural network based on the encoder-decoder, and the feature maps extracted at different scales are merged by skip connections to preserve more structure and contrast details, thus realizing the improvement of lower-frequency ultrasound image resolution. This work utilizes the capacitive micromechanical ultrasound transducer (CMUT) probe for dataset acquisition. The network's performance is validated by simulated datasets for point targets and experimental datasets for breast body models. The experimental results show that for ultrasound images, the network output map can improve by 0.2 in structural similarity and at least 11 dB in peak signal-to-noise ratio. The proposed network can effectively preserve ultrasound images' structural and textural information, improve edge contour definition, and significantly suppress noise and imaging artifacts, which has significant development potential in ultrasound imaging.

Lava flow daily monitoring: the case of the 19 September–5 October 2022 eruption at Piton de la Fournaise

Taking prompt and effective actions to mitigate risks associated with an effusive eruption greatly depends on the monitoring of lava flow emplacement. Here we report on the monitoring of the lava flow emplaced during the 19 September to 05 October 2022 eruption at Piton de la Fournaise (La Réunion) that involves an unprecedentedly large data set acquired using multiple techniques and sensors. These include aerial photogrammetry to construct digital surface models and define lava flow geometry during and after emplacement. Complementary use of multiple satellite sensors (visible, infrared, and radar) allowed lava flow field contour definition and an estimation of time-averaged discharge rate with daily frequency. Evolution of the eruptive cone morphology was also monitored through aerial photogrammetry and radar multi-viewing angle imagery. This combination of data obtained from several institutes and using various techniques—from ground, air and space—allowed detailed tracking of lava flow advance and serves as an example for future eruptions at Piton de La Fournaise and at other active volcanic sites.

Study on the Clinical Use of a Respiratory Navigator Combined with Breath-Hold for MRI- Guided Liver SBRT

Respiratory movement strongly affects the accuracy of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) of liver malignancies treated without the use of a respiratory gating system. This study investigates the feasibility and advantages of using a respiratory navigator-guided combined with patient breath-hold for liver SBRT in an adaptive magnetic-resonance guided workflow. Clinical datasets of 10 liver cancer patients treated with 1.5T MR-Linac with respiratory navigator-guided SBRT combined with patient breath-hold were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent simulation CT with and without contrast, and 4D-CT and 3D-T2w MRI without contrast. Patients received a prescription dose ranging from 36 to 50 Gy in 5 to 8 fractions and followed the adapt to shape (ATS) workflow including contours adjustment and a subsequent MR-based synthetic CT (sCT) calculation on the online MRI acquired. The reference treatment plan was optimized on the expiratory phase of the 4D-CT, and during the online session the contours and the adapted plans were performed using the 3D-T2w navigator MRI of the patient's end-expiratory signal; 2D-T2w real-time monitoring MRI was also used as support for the contour's definition. The radiation therapist instructed the patients to hold their breath at the end of the breathing cycle for the time of the beam on. A total of 59 fractions were analyzed. For each fraction the dosimetric parameters of the target and normal liver of the adaptive and reference plans were compared; particularly the volume, the conformity index (CI) and gradient index (GI) for the target, and V5, V10 and Dmean for the normal liver. T-student statistical analysis was performed; a p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. In the free breathing state, the 3D-T2w navigator MRI images enable a clear visualization of the tumor and its boundaries. The average target CI of the adaptive and reference plans is not significantly different (p = 0.448), while the GI is significantly higher (p = 0.043). Normal liver V10 and Dmean are lower and V5 is slightly increased, but without statistical differences. The mean values and standard deviation of the dosimetric parameters of the reference and adapted plans are shown in the Table below. The use of a respiratory navigator combined with the breath-hold for MRI- guided liver SBRT allows clear visualization of the tumor, ensures the accuracy of the delivered dose and may be considered an alternative when the respiratory gating system is not available during MRgART sessions.

Averaged Body Contours: Redefining the Breast Surgery Outcomes Presentation.

An essential part of aesthetic and reconstructive breast surgery is a meticulous analysis of the outcomes. However, the reliable evaluation of breast attractiveness, the primary determinant of treatment, is challenging.1,2 Over the years, many methods of breast aesthetics evaluation have been proposed. Most of the studies are based on subjective analysis, utilizing either various scales or questionnaires.1–3 The quantitative evaluation mainly includes indirect anthropometric analysis of breast photographs.2,4 Unfortunately, the numeric measurements cannot be clearly translated into clinical conclusions, especially the breast shape and contour definition.1 There are two significant limitations of publications on breast surgery outcomes. First, they contain numeric data tables, which poorly represent the aesthetic value and underrepresent the shape.1,4 Second, publications show photographs of only a few patients at most.1–4 The inability to visually present all evaluated individuals’ outcomes is a common problem in plastic surgery in general. To overcome these limitations, we created a new evaluation technique called Averaged Body Contours, or ABC, which summarizes quantitative morphometric data and shapes of numerous breasts in the form of a single figure (Fig. 1).Fig. 1.: The graphical summarization of 20 female individuals’ breast analysis in the frontal view as an Averaged Body Contours parameter.The whole process is integrated with our Analyze It Doc software (A.I.D.; Pietruski & Majak, Warsaw, Poland) and consists of two steps.5 First, photogrammetric analysis of breast photographs in frontal and lateral views is performed. The semiautomatization of this process makes it easy and time efficient, taking fewer than 4 minutes per individual. The surgeon’s role is to label specific landmarks and contours according to the system’s instructions. The process requires metric calibration by marking the known distance on the photograph. For this purpose, we use an adhesive skin marker, but any measurement, such as intramammary distance, can be used. The second step is fully automated. The software algorithm instantly generates a set of hundreds of linear, angular, and surface area measurements as well as an averaged body contour. The latter is a graphical summarization of averaged values of obtained numeric parameters, which can be subdivided into specific contours if needed (Fig. 2).Fig. 2.: A view of the A.I.D. software generator with exemplary averaged body contours of 20 females’ breasts in lateral projection. Display of various breast contours, landmarks, reference lines, and standard deviations is possible.The conducted validation study confirmed our novel method’s effectiveness and reliability. The Averaged Body Contours technique generates an average shape and morphometry of multiple individuals’ breasts that complies with their quantitative anthropometric analysis results. In other words, the Averaged Body Contours technique translates numeric data into shape, something that, according to our knowledge, was not possible for photogrammetric-based outcomes evaluation, until now. Due to the deep analytic insight it provides, the Averaged Body Contours parameter has vast potential in breast surgery. Its application may redefine the form of aesthetic results presentation. Graphical summarization of entire group contours increases the comprehension of numeric measurements and reduces the tables’ role to supplementary material. Our analytic tool enables clear visualization of the shapes and tracking of their changes with time, enhancing both research and young surgeon development. The Averaged Body Contours technique may also be used to create the breast’s populational normative data for a specific age or ethnicity group, thus providing a visual aesthetic template that could improve preoperative consultations. We encourage all interested researchers and clinicians to test our analytic tool, which is distributed free of charge, and provide the feedback needed for further improvements. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The development of the A.I.D. system is a private, nonprofit initiative of both authors. Their goal is to provide a free analytic tool for plastic surgery researchers and clinicians. The software, when ready, will be distributed free of charge (apply at http://analyzeitdoc.com). DISCLOSURE Neither author has a financial interest in any of the products or devices mentioned in this article. No funding was received for this article. The A.I.D. software discussed in this article, which both authors developed, is distributed free of charge.

Quantitative comparison of environmental contour approaches

Environmental contours are a pragmatic and widespread method to estimate the long-term extreme response of marine structures. Over the years, a range of approaches have been proposed. A benchmarking study was recently conducted to compare the various methods using a common set of data. The current work extends this benchmark study by providing a quantitative assessment of the contours submitted to the exercise. The estimates of long-term responses from the contours were compared against a response-based analysis (RBA) for a wide range of responses. While some contour methods agreed well with estimates from the RBA (relative errors less than 10%), most methods were found to give large errors relative to the RBA. For the 1-year responses most methods showed a large positive bias, whilst both positive and negative biases were found for the 20-year responses. The reasons for the differences between the contours and RBA were explored. It was shown that the fitted statistical models accounted for a large portion of the error in some approaches, with both positive and negative biases of the order of 50% for some contributions, depending on the response type. Whilst for other methods, the statistical model gave accurate predictions for most responses, no models were able to capture all response behaviours for all locations. Secondly, most contour methods do not account for serial correlation in the data. It is shown that this introduces a significant positive bias into long-term response estimates, especially for lower return periods. The level of error introduced by the type of contour method is dependent on the assumption made about the shape of the failure region in the contour definition. For the predominantly unimodal response types considered, contours which approximate the failure region as having a linear boundary (IFORM and direct sampling contours), introduce relatively little error for most responses. However, for some responses, the direct sampling contours were found to introduce errors in the range 20%–40%, depending on the variable space in which they are constructed. The ISORM and highest density contours were found to have a significant over-conservatism bias, which would be expected for the response types considered.

Human Motion Posture Detection Algorithm Using Deep Reinforcement Learning

To address problems of serious loss of details and low detection definition in the traditional human motion posture detection algorithm, a human motion posture detection algorithm using deep reinforcement learning is proposed. Firstly, the perception ability of deep learning is used to match human motion feature points to obtain human motion posture features. Secondly, normalize the human motion image, take the color histogram distribution of human motion posture as the antigen, search the region close to the motion posture in the image, and take its candidate region as the antibody. By calculating the affinity between the antigen and the antibody, the feature extraction of human motion posture is realized. Finally, using the training characteristics of deep learning network and reinforcement learning network, the change information of human motion posture is obtained, and the design of human motion posture detection algorithm is realized. The results show that when the image resolution is 384 × 256 px, the motion pose contour detection accuracy of this algorithm is 87%. When the image size is 30 MB, the recognition time of this method is only 0.8 s. When the number of iterations is 500, the capture rate of human motion posture details can reach 98.5%. This shows that the proposed algorithm can improve the definition of human motion posture contour, improve the posture detailed capture rate, reduce the loss of detail, and have better effect and performance.

Spontaneous remission of internal root resorption during orthodontic treatment: A clinical follow-up report

Internal root resorption (IRR) is a pathologic process that occurs because of external stimuli that affect the pulp and result in the loss of dentinal tissue. The occurrence of IRR is considered relatively rare, and the etiology is not fully understood, although trauma is believed to be the main etiologic agent. The current study presented a case report of spontaneous remission of an IRR lesion diagnosed during orthodontic treatment. The lesion was characterized by a circular and delimited radiolucent image, located in the apical third of the root canal of the maxillary right lateral incisor diagnosed during orthodontic treatment. After the diagnosis, clinical and radiographic follow-up was performed without any intervention. The follow-up radiographic images showed loss of contour definition and reduction in the size of the lesion. At the end of orthodontic treatment, 27months after diagnosis, the space of the lesion had been filled by tissue with similar radiopacity to the adjacent dentin, and the tooth did not change its color and response to mechanical and thermal stimuli. Eight years after the end of the treatment, the maxillary right lateral incisor still presented normal responses to vitality tests and color stability; therefore, it was impossible to notice the root canal space. The reported patient presents a possible behavior of the IRR characterized by spontaneous remission of the lesion. However, nonendodontic treatment after diagnosis should not be the routine therapy adopted for IRR because of the potential risk to the tooth.

Analysis of Virtual Versus In-Person Prospective Peer Review Workflow in a Multisite Academic Radiation Oncology Department

PurposeIn radiation oncology, peer review is a process where subjective treatment planning decisions are assessed by those independent of the prescribing physician. Before March 2020, all peer review sessions occurred in person; however due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the peer-review workflow was transitioned from in-person to virtual. We sought to assess any differences between virtual versus in-person prospective peer review. Methods and MaterialsPatients scheduled to receive nonemergent nonprocedural radiation therapy (RT) were presented daily at prospective peer-review before the start of RT administration. Planning software was used, with critical evaluation of several variables including treatment intent, contour definition, treatment target coverage, and risk to critical structures. A deviation was defined as any suggested plan revision. ResultsIn the study, 274 treatment plans evaluated in-person in 2017 to 2018 were compared with 195 plans evaluated virtually in 2021. There were significant differences in palliative intent (36% vs 22%; P = .002), but not in total time between simulation and the start of treatment (9.2 vs 10.0 days; P = .10). Overall deviations (8.0% in-person vs 2.6% virtual; P = .015) were significantly reduced in virtual peer review. ConclusionsProspective daily peer review of radiation oncology treatment plans can be performed virtually with similar timeliness of patient care compared with in-person peer review. A decrease in deviation rate in the virtual peer review setting will need to be further investigated to determine whether virtual workflow can be considered a standard of care.

Hyaluronic Acid Fillers Enriched with Glycine and Proline in Eyebrow Augmentation Procedure

BackgroundThe eyebrow area is a clinically critical district due to the anatomical complexity and the propensity to aging-related atrophy. Hyaluronic acid fillers have been proposed to recover the dermal volume of the facial and lips regions.AimThe aim of the present investigation was to evaluate hyaluronic acid fillers enriched with glycine and proline for the treatment of eyebrow augmentation.MethodsA total of 15 healthy patients were treated with eyebrow augmentation procedure. The distance between mid-bipupil to lateral eyebrow and mid-eyebrow to the medial eyebrow was measured before, immediately after treatment and at follow-up of 6 months.ResultsThe healing period was uneventful, and no evidence of inflammation or swelling associated with the treatment was reported. No macroscopical alteration was reported in the surrounding tissues with no evidences of visible wheals or lumps in the treated sites at the follow-up. Before treatment, the angle was equal to 9.32 ± 0.2°, while after treatment it was 11.21 ± 0.4° (p < 0.01); after three and 6 weeks, it was, respectively, 10.66 ± 0.2° (p<0.05) and 10.02 ± 0.3°(p > 0.05).ConclusionsThe study results suggest that the hyaluronic acid fillers enriched with glycine and proline treatment resulted as being a useful procedure for augmentation, contour and volume definition and elevation of the eyebrow region with a high-level aesthetic result.Level of Evidence IVThis journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

Development and testing of a novel mathematical-physical model for the design of ring armor for the vertical shaft impact crushers

This article presents a novel mathematical-physical model for designing and testing a ring armor for vertical shaft impact crusher (VSI) to reduce energy consumption, improve grinding fineness, and enhance product quality. VSI's are crushers for coarse and fine crushing of hard and brittle materials and it is used to improve the particle shape quality of the crushed material. Typical fields of application are in the recycling industry, highway, high-speed railway, high-rise building, hydropower dam construction, concrete mixing station to produce sand and gravel aggregate, and the equipment in artificial sand making and stone shaping.The design of the VSI components has a significant effect on the device's productivity. A suitable contour of the ring armor impact segments has a considerable influence on comminution efficiency. In conventional VSI, the definition of this ring armor contour exclusively empirically, so that the impact angle between the particles of feed material and the ring armor segment is mostly not defined. On the empirical design, the impact angle can be far outside of the optimum impact angle of 90°. In this work, the invention is based on providing ring armor impact segment structure with a high crushing effect. Therefore, a calculation method for designing the ring armor geometry impact segments of VSI is developed and tested. Test results are shown based on a crushing process, a maximum size reduction effect, and the potential of an energy saving of about 8%.

Radiologia de tecnologia digital aplicada à pintura: avaliação da qualidade de imagens obtidas em sistemas clínicos de radiologia

Introduction: The area’s studies have a great relevance in artwork. Laboratories committed to this purpose are scarce and employ professionals without specific knowledge in handling of ionizing radiation. It is not known to what extent, in Portugal, clinical radiological centers could provide added value to technology of digital radiography applied to painting, in order to expand their business areas and the performance of radiographers, thus enhancing synergies between these two areas. Goals: It was intended to analyse a possible applicability, to painting, of the Digital Radiology systems (CR and DR), used in the clinic settings, through the evaluation of the variable “radiographic image quality”, since the systems Clinical radiological tests, with indirect or direct conversion detectors of different energies and photodetectors of the electrical signal, show significant improvements in imaging patterns. Material and Methods: 21 radiographs were obtained from exposures made over three paintings in three different radiological systems with an emphasis on exposure parameters (potential difference (kV) and current intensity (mAs)). The sample was directed to works that presented different techniques, materials and compositions and selected by a museologist. The quality of the radiographs, operationalized by the analysis’s dimensions used in the evaluation of artworks: preservation of the support; distinction of details; contrast; contour definition; creative and technical process and components / materials. Four observers (2 specialists in medical image and 2 in art), under conditions of independence, evaluated the radiographs acquired according to a 4-point Likert scale. The analysis dimensions were organized into 11 criteria and the conditions for structured observation of the radiographs were standardized for display on a 15.6 ”GeChic 1503H monitor. Results: The most graded images were obtained with the Computerized Radiography (CR) system (mode: 3) given that this technology, in the opinion of the observers, provided a better view of the analysis criteria previously defined. The results were presented using descriptive statistics and discrete categorical variables, grouped into modal classes. Conclusions: Clinical digital radiography, especially Computed Radiography (CR), applied to painting, showed considerable dimensions of image quality and its use can contribute to the conservation, restoration, validation, analytical study, dating and authentication of artworks.

Substituição de restauração de dente fraturado com substrato escurecido: Relato de caso

Dentes fraturados e escurecidos comprometem a estética do sorriso e podem ser decorrentes de situações de traumatismo dentário, o qual também pode afetar negativamente a oclusão e o desenvolvimento psicossocial do indivíduo. O objetivo deste trabalho é relatar um caso clínico de substituição de restauração classe IV em resina composta com uso de guia palatina em silicone em dente fraturado com substrato escurecido. Paciente do gênero feminino, 23 anos buscou atendimento queixando-se de restauração insatisfatória no dente 21. Foi proposta a substituição da restauração e mascaramento do substrato escurecido com resina composta direta. Realizou-se moldagem do arco superior e enceramento diagnóstico para confecção de guia palatina em silicone. Em seguida, procedeu-se com a remoção da restauração antiga; seleção da cor do material restaurador; isolamento absoluto do campo operatório; profilaxia com pasta de pedra pomes e água; condicionamento com ácido fosfórico 35% (30 segundos em esmalte e 15 segundos em dentina); lavagem e secagem do dente; aplicação de duas camadas de adesivo universal e fotopolimerização. Sequencialmente, foi inserida resina composta de alta translucidez na guia palatina, levada em boca, para confecção da concha palatina; construção do corpo opacificado da dentina; definição do contorno e caracterização com resina para esmalte, seguido de acabamento e polimento. O tratamento empregado mostrou-se eficaz para devolução da forma e cor compatíveis com os dentes adjacentes. O emprego da guia de silicone possibilitou bons níveis de adaptação marginal e facilitou a etapa de estratificação do material restaurador.

Рейтингова оцінка рівня самозабезпечення господарських формувань в аграрному секторі

The purpose of the article – development of a rating assessment of the level of self-sufficiency of economic entities in the agricultural sector as a toolkit for strategic monitoring of sectors of the national economy. Research methods. It is based on the concept of an active policy for the implementation of entrepreneurial potential in the countryside, the components of which are measures for the development of farms and family farms, in particular, from the transformation mechanisms of formalizing personal peasant farms into a market economy environment. The following scientific methods were used: dialectical method of scientific knowledge of processes and phenomena; monographic (analysis of scientific achievements of Ukrainian and foreign scientists, analysis of the stages of business development); graphic (to obtain a synthesized representation of the object of research, identify its components, establish cause-and-effect relationships); empirical (based on a comprehensive assessment of the current state of the research object); abstract-logical (theoretical generalizations and formulation of conclusions). Research results. Assessment of the level of self-sufficiency of economic entities in the agricultural sector made it possible to establish that, first of all, it is necessary to increase competitive advantages in resource potential, namely, to increase the number of cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, to expand the sown area for vegetables, potatoes, grain and fodder crops. All this can be realized by injecting additional financial resources and appropriate state support for the agrarian sector of the economy. Scientific novelty. The methodological presentation and identification of the category of small agribusiness as structured and defined by law, institutional and economic criteria of the form of organization of farming in the countryside were further developed, with the appropriate definition of priority contours of possible organizational and economic performance of functioning due to employment in agricultural entrepreneurship. Practical significance. Analysis of the current economic situation and rating assessment of the level of self-sufficiency of economic entities in the agricultural sector made it possible to assess the prospects for the development of economic entities in the agricultural sector, as well as to carry out predictive calculations of their formation and development. Tabl.: 6. Figs.: 5. Refs.: 19.

Can we define a unique microscopic pressure in inhomogeneous fluids?

The estimation of a microscopic pressure tensor in an adsorbed thin film on a planar surface remains a challenge in both experiment and theory. While the normal pressure is well-defined for a planar surface, the tangential pressure at a point is not uniquely defined at the nanoscale. We report a new method that allows us to calculate the local pressure tensor and its spatial integral using an arbitrary contour definition of the "virial-route" local pressure tensor. We show that by integrating the local tangential pressure over a small region of space, roughly the range of the intermolecular forces, it is possible to define a coarse-grained tangential pressure that appears to be unique and free from ambiguities in the definition of the local pressure tensor. We support our argument by presenting the results for more than ten types of contour definitions of the local pressure tensor. By defining the coarse-grained tangential pressure, we can also find the effective thickness of the adsorbed layer and, in the case of a porous material, the statistical pore width. The coarse-grained in-layer and in-pore tangential pressures are determined for Lennard-Jones argon adsorbed in realistic carbon slit pores, providing a better understanding of the pressure enhancement for strongly wetting systems.