Detailed Topographic Information Research Articles

Nanostructural characterization of surfaces and interfaces of Portland cement mortars using atomic force microscopy

The characterization of Portland cement mortars is very important in the study of the interfaces and surfaces that make up the system mortar/ceramic block. In this sense, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive (X-ray) spectrometer are important tools in investigating the morphology and chemical aspects. However, more detailed topographic information can be necessary in the characterization process. In this work, the aim was to characterize topographically surfaces and interfaces of mortars applied onto ceramic blocks. This has been accomplished by using the atomic force microscope (AFM) – MFP-3D-SA Asylum Research. To date, the results obtained from this research show that the characterization of cementitious materials with the help of AFM has an important contribution in the investigation and differentiation of hydrated calcium silicates (CSH), calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2, ettringite and calcium carbonate by providing morphological and microtopographical data, which are extremely important and reliable for the understanding of cementitious materials.

Web-based agricultural infrastructure digital twin system integrated with GIS and BIM concepts

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are currently used in agriculture to represent various farming-related geographical information. While prior research has highlighted the potential of GIS in visualizing agricultural data, it still faces limitations in terms of model quality, interaction capabilities, and representing detailed topographic information, particularly in hydrological structures like culverts, irrigation systems, and drainage facilities. A method integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM) concepts with GIS is proposed to overcome these limitations. To achieve this, information on agricultural infrastructure in beneficiary areas was collected through field surveys and photos captured by Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Subsequently, a digital twin model was created with various characteristics and information about agricultural hydraulic structures such as land shape, sluices, and channels of the entire beneficiary area of the test bed (Heungeop reservoir in the City of Wonju, Gangwon Province, South Korea) based on this information. A web-based geographic information visualization platform (Cesium) was integrated with the concepts of BIM to check the information associated with the selected 3D agricultural infrastructure models in a pop-up window. The proposed method overcomes the limitations of existing GIS information representation by enabling a detailed depiction of the agricultural environment. It allows for an intuitive understanding of information such as structural features, details of the material, history of maintenance, year of completion, etc., on agricultural infrastructure through a pop-up window, providing a foundation for research on efficient management and planning.

Morphosedimentary characteristics and formation mechanisms of new beaches generated after the Tajogaite volcano eruption of 2021 (La Palma, Spain)

Only in very special circumstances can new beaches develop due to natural processes in areas where they did not exist before. One such circumstance is related to volcanic eruptions, when a lava flow reaches the ocean. The sudden formation of new beaches is examined in this paper. Following the Tajogaite volcano eruption in September 2021, two lava deltas formed after the arrival of several lava flows to the coast. Attached to the flanks and front of these lava deltas, thirteen gravel beaches formed in just a few months. Detailed topographic and sedimentologic information was collected both on the beaches and adjacent submarine areas. The volume of sediments accumulated on these beaches was obtained after comparison of the actual topography with a previous one, yielding a total net accumulation of about 79,000 m3 of volcanoclastic pebbles and cobbles. This material comes from two major source areas: extensive offshore deposits of volcanic clasts within the depth of closure which are moved onshore by low steepness swell waves, and rock fragments derived from erosion of the lava delta front by high energy waves. Two types of beaches were identified. Beaches that already existed prior to the eruption showed significant increases in cross-shore length and height, with a net accumulation of 67,000 m3. In contrast, the dismantling of the lava delta front led to the formation of totally new beaches in certain locations, accounting for about 12,000 m3 of sediments. Several features, such as a steep foreshore slope, a well-developed storm berm and the presence of wood debris in many of these beaches at several meters height and tens of meters inland, are examined conjointly with the sediment characteristics, showing how textural maturity can change in response to the forcing agents acting in the different parts of the beach profile. The future evolution of these beaches is also considered. This study can enrich the knowledge regarding how new gravel beaches can form in volcanic settings.

Rockfall susceptibility analysis through 3D simulations in marine protected areas of the Portofino coastline: case studies of San Fruttuoso and Paraggi bays

The research focuses on the assessment of the potential geomorphological hazards affecting the stability of the Promontory of Portofino (Regional Natural Park of Portofino, Northern Italy), mainly on the bays of San Fruttuoso and Paraggi. The study area constitutes one of the most representative and most populated environments, both by locals and tourists, of the entire Liguria area. For this reason, there is a growing need for investigation on the natural dynamics of these landscapes, based on detailed topographic information. The research starts from a regional geological and geomorphological analysis specific to the study area, combined with a multi-model comparison algorithm (M3C2), which allows comparing two LiDAR datasets acquired in 2008 and 2020, respectively, to assess the overall dynamics of the promontory development. Then, a detailed study of San Fruttuoso and Paraggi bays, two key points for visitors and therefore for management, is performed. Three-dimensional modeling of rockfalls is carried out, which allows the development of a specific management oriented to the use of nature-based solutions (NBSs) strategies, respecting the environment and increasing safety against instability processes in these areas.

Risk Assessment of Urban Floods Based on a SWMM-MIKE21-Coupled Model Using GF-2 Data

Global climate change and rapid urbanization have caused increases in urban floods. Urban flood risk assessment is a vital method for preventing and controlling such disasters. This paper takes the central region of Cangzhou city in Hebei Province as an example. Detailed topographical information, such as the buildings and roads in the study area, was extracted from GF-2 data. By coupling the two models, the SWMM and MIKE21, the spatial distribution of the inundation region, and the water depth in the study area under different return periods, were simulated in detail. The results showed that, for the different return periods, the inundation region was generally consistent. However, there was a large increase in the mean inundation depth within a 10-to-30-year return period, and the increase in the maximum inundation depth and inundation area remained steady. The comprehensive runoff coefficient in all of the scenarios exceeded 0.8, indicating that the drainage system in the study area is insufficient and has a higher flood risk. The flood risk of the study area was evaluated based on the damage curve, which was obtained from field investigations. The results demonstrate that the loss per unit area was less than CNY 250/m2 in each return period in the majority of the damaged areas. Additionally, the total loss was mainly influenced by the damaged area, but, in commercial areas, the total loss was highly sensitive to the inundation depth.

Investigation of the Orbital Arterial Distribution Using Image Superimposition to Determine Safe Zones for Retrobulbar Injection and to Prevent Filler Complications.

Retrobulbar filler injection has recently been considered an ideal method for orbital volume enhancement due to its nontoxic, easily reversible, and noninvasive characteristics. This study determined the arterial distribution in the orbit with the aim of defining a safety zone for retrobulbar filler injections used to enhance the orbital volume. Twenty-seven orbits of 24 formalin-embalmed cadavers were dissected. The orbital arteries were identified after removal of the eyeball, extraocular muscles, and connective tissues. The course of each orbital artery was then recorded in each specimen, and all of the courses were then superimposed to determine the arterial distribution in the orbit. The superimposition of lined images based on the orbital vasculature of each specimen revealed that the arterial density was highest in the superonasal region and lowest in the inferotemporal region. In particular, orbital arteries were scarce at 8 o'clock and 4 o'clock in the right and left orbits, respectively, and an artery-free zone was demonstrated in the outer part of those directions. When performing a transcutaneous retrobulbar injection of filler for orbital volume enhancement, the relative safety zone could be considered to be located at 8 o'clock and 4 o'clock in the right and left orbits, respectively. The detailed topographic information about the arterial distribution in the orbit, provided by the present study, may help oculofacial surgeons to avoid injury to major vessels and decrease the risk of retrobulbar hemorrhage and vision-threatening complications.

Testing the use of single- and multi-mission satellite altimetry for the calibration of hydraulic models

Satellite altimetry is increasingly considered as a valuable source of information in many hydrological and hydraulic applications. However, the accuracy of different sensors adopted for monitoring the water level from satellite and the limited temporal resolution that characterizes each sensor (i.e. revisit time most of time varying from 10 to 35 days; 369 days in case of CryoSat mission) still hamper their common use. Recently introduced multi-mission (MM) densified time series might represent a possible alternative to ensure higher spatial and temporal coverage. Though, a comparison of the potential of different altimetry products, including MM series, for hydrodynamic model calibration is still missing. This study attempts to fill this gap investigating how available altimetry series perform over a stretch of the Po River (nearly 140 km across Northern Italy) in calibrating a quasi-2D model built with detailed topographic information. Specifically, objectives are manifold: i) to provide a comparison of satellite altimetry products available to the research community and commonly used in hydraulic modelling (Envisat, Envisat extended mission, ERS-2, TOPEX/Poseidon, SARAL/AltiKa, Jason-2, Jason-3, Sentinel 3A, Sentinel 3B and CryoSat); ii) to evaluate the performance of MM satellite series in calibrating a hydraulic model relative to single-mission series; and iii) to investigate the importance of the number of observations (series length) for each mission.Results of the model calibration depict a general improvement of satellite performance over time, moving from the oldest to more recent missions, with the exception of Envisat extended series. In general, Jason-2, Sentinel 3A and Sentinel 3B outperform other series both in terms of calibration error and number of measurements required to achieve a reliable calibration. MM series provide errors larger than those obtained from original single-mission time series considered with their overall length, but they provide more reliable calibrations than altimetric time series with low sampling rate (i.e., Envisat, Envisat extended, and SARAL/AltiKa) or those that cover very short periods (e.g. altimetry series limited to 20–40 months in length). The analysis offers additional insights into the possible use of altimetry series in hydrodynamic applications, providing a comparison of different original products and showing the potential, as well as limitations, offered by MM series.

Analysis of instabilities in the Basque Coast Geopark coastal cliffs for its environmentally friendly management (Basque-Cantabrian basin, northern Spain)

Coastal cliffs provide a high landscape value to many natural sites around the world. This means that an ever-increasing number of people are attracted to them. At this point, there is a growing need to manage these spaces from the safety of visitors, but with a view to preserving the environment. With this aim, this paper presents an approach to analyze and manage instabilities in these environments, particularly those subjected to significant anthropic activity, which has been implemented in the cliffs of the Basque Coast Geopark. The starting point is a detailed topographic information, obtained from UAV flights, and the identification on site of unstable elements, including their typology, active source areas, dynamics and reach. From this information, the simulation of rockfall processes, which basically correspond to toppling and infinite slope instabilities favored by differential erosion along the coastline, is approached in two and three dimensions. Results allow the design of precise actions by sectors, according to the energy, height and reach of the detached blocks, including barriers, middle slope actions, ditches and information strategies, depending on the different uses of the sectors. Therefore, this approach leads to a more detailed and environmentally friendly management of these environments.

Archaeological landscape in central northern Istria (Croatia) revealed by airborne LiDAR: from prehistoric sites to Roman centuriation

This paper presents the results of a research aimed at investigating by airborne LiDAR the ancient landscape of a sector of central northern Istria (Croatia) from prehistory to Roman times. The area, approximately corresponding to the territory of Oprtalj/Portole, is located in a strategic position just north of the mid–Mirna/Quieto river, an important waterway connecting coastal Istria with the inlands since prehistory. The elaboration of high-definition LiDAR data compared with aerial and satellite images, historical cartography and field surveys allowed us to identify unreported prehistoric and Roman features and also get detailed topographic information about already known sites. Beside a few protohistoric hill forts discovered in the past, an open-air Neolithic or Copper Age site, a probable Bronze Age burial mound and three small protohistoric fortifications have been identified. These hill forts are clustered around a north-south valley, which represents a preferential access route from the larger Mirna valley to the karst plateau north of Oprtalj/Portole. In the same plateau, small Roman buildings associated with enclosures and probable artificial ponds have been interpreted as remains of farmsteads related to small-scale herding and agricultural activities. In the southern sector of the investigated area, consisting of marls, sandstones and fertile soils, large scatters of archaeological materials sometimes associated to outcropping features are probably the remains of larger structures characterized by a well-developed agricultural economy. Particularly interesting is the identification of fossil rectilinear land division features that overlap with the cardines of Istrian centuriation. Before our study, centuriation was identified only in the territories of Porec/Parenzo and Pula/Pola, hence believed not to extend beyond the Mirna river. The new evidence revealed by LiDAR and satellite images, however, shows that a large part of central and northern Istria, between the Mirna and the Dragonja rivers, was divided by the same grid. Based on these considerations, the archaeological evidence here presented makes the Istrian peninsula one of the largest areas in the entire Roman world to have undergone a single planned land division survey.

Use of Topographic Models for Mapping Soil Properties and Processes

Landscape topography is an important driver of landscape distributions of soil properties and processes due to its impacts on gravity-driven overland and intrasoil lateral transport of water and nutrients. Rapid advancements in aerial, space, and geographic technologies have led to large scale availability of digital elevation models (DEMs), which have proven beneficial in a wide range of applications by providing detailed topographic information. In this report, we presented a summary of recent topography-based soil studies and reviewed five main groups of topographic models in geospatial analyses widely used for soil sciences. We then compared performances of two types of topography-based models—topographic principal component regression (TPCR) and TPCR-kriging (TPCR-Kr)—to ordinary kriging (OKr) models in mapping spatial patterns of soil organic carbon (SOC) density and redistribution (SR) rate. The TPCR and OKr models were calibrated at an agricultural field site that has been intensively sampled, and the TPCR and TPCR-Kr models were evaluated at another field of interest with two sampling transects. High-resolution topographic variables generated from light detection and ranging (LiDAR)-derived DEMs were used as inputs for the TPCR model building. Both TPCR and OKr models provided satisfactory results on SOC density and SR rate estimations during model calibration. The TPCR models successfully extrapolated soil parameters outside of the area in which the model was developed but tended to underestimate the range of observations. The TPCR-Kr models increased the accuracies of estimations due to the inclusion of residual kriging calculated from observations of transects for local correction. The results suggest that even with low sample intensives, the TPCR-Kr models can reduce estimation variances and provide higher accuracy than the TPCR models. The case study demonstrated the feasibility of using a combination of linear regression and spatial correlation analysis to localize a topographic model and to improve the accuracy of soil property predictions in different regions.

The Soviet Military Plan of Tokyo (1966)

Abstract. As part of its secret Cold War mapping programme, the Soviet Union produced detailed plans of over 2,000 towns and cities within foreign territories around the globe. Some of these maps were made available for the first time in 1993 at the 16th International Cartographic Conference in Cologne, Germany, via a Latvian map dealer who discovered them at an abandoned depot outside Riga as the Red Army withdrew. However, Soviet city plans have only recently become the topic of cartographic research, which has provided some insights into aspects of their production, accuracy and purpose, that continue to have relevance for mapping diverse urban environments today.This paper focuses on the city plan of Tokyo, which comprises four sheets and was produced by the General Staff of the Soviet Union in 1966. Street names are transcribed to allow phonetic pronunciation and the plan identifies almost 400 important objects (from factories to hospitals), which are described in a numbered list. Although the street-level detail of the plan is produced according to a standard specification and symbology, it adopts an uncommon scale of 1 : 20,000 (with contours at 5-metre intervals) and incorporates an unusual and transitory cartographic style in the history of the series.In addition to highlighting the main features of the plan and exploring some possible sources, this paper interprets the wider context of the Soviet military plans of Japanese towns and cities (over 90 are known to have been mapped during the Cold War). Aside from their historical significance, it suggests how understanding the city plans can reveal how problems of the design and portrayal of detailed topographic information may be overcome through their unfamiliar, yet comprehensive, cartographic language.

Modelling the dynamics of a large rock landslide in the Dolomites (eastern Italian Alps) using multi-temporal DEMs.

Latest advances in topographic data acquisition techniques have greatly enhanced the possibility to analyse landscapes in order to understand the processes that shaped them. High-resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), such as LiDAR-derived ones, provide detailed topographic information. In particular, if multi-temporal DEMs are available, it is possible to carry out a detailed geomorphic change detection analysis. This analysis may provide information about the dynamics of large landslides and may thus, be useful for landslide risk assessments. However, LiDAR-derived DEMs are mostly available only as post-event surveys. The technique is relatively recent, and local or national authorities only started widespread surveys in the last decade. Therefore, it is of a certain interest to analyse the effectiveness of DEMs derived from technical cartography to produce reliable volumetric estimates related to large landslides. This study evaluates the use of a multi-source DEM of Difference (DoD) analysis for the investigation of a large landslide –Le Laste–, which occurred on November 12, 2014 on Mount Antelao (eastern Italian Alps). The landslide initiated as a 365,000 m3 rockslide close to the summit of the mountain and transformed into a debris avalanche during its runout. The comparison of pre- and post-event DEMs allowed for the identification and quantification of erosion and deposition areas, and for the estimation of landslide volume. A sound back-analysis of the landslide with the 3D numerical model DAN3D was based on this comparison and on seismic records of the event. These seismic records proved to be remarkably useful, as they allowed for the calibration of the simulated landslide velocity. This ensured the reliability of the model notwithstanding the topographic datasets, intrinsic uncertainties. We found that using a pre-event DEM derived from technical cartography tends to slightly overestimate the volume with respect to the use of the more accurate LiDAR-derived DEM. In recent years, the landslide risk around Mt. Antelao has been increasing alongside the ever-growing population and human activities in the area. Sediment accumulations produced by the Le Laste landslide significantly amplified the debris flow hazard by providing new sediment sources. Therefore, it is crucial to delineate the distribution of this material to enable an adequate debris flow hazard assessment. The material properties derived from the back-analysis of the Le Laste landslide can be used to simulate the runout of possible future events, and to generate reliable hazard zone maps, which are necessary for effective risk mitigation.

Characterizing water surface elevation under different flow conditions for the upcoming SWOT mission

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite mission (SWOT), scheduled for launch in 2021, will deliver two-dimensional observations of water surface heights for lakes, rivers wider than 100 m and oceans. Even though the scientific literature has highlighted several fields of application for the expected products, detailed simulations of the SWOT radar performance for a realistic river scenario have not been presented in the literature. Understanding the error of the most fundamental “raw” SWOT hydrology product is important in order to have a greater awareness about strengths and limits of the forthcoming satellite observations. This study focuses on a reach (∼140 km in length) of the middle-lower portion of the Po River, in Northern Italy, and, to date, represents one of the few real-case analyses of the spatial patterns in water surface elevation accuracy expected from SWOT. The river stretch is characterized by a main channel varying from 100 to 500 m in width and a large floodplain (up to 5 km) delimited by a system of major embankments. The simulation of the water surface along the Po River for different flow conditions (high, low and mean annual flows) is performed with inputs from a quasi-2D model implemented using detailed topographic and bathymetric information (LiDAR, 2 m resolution). By employing a simulator that mimics many SWOT satellite sensor characteristics and generates proxies of the remotely sensed hydrometric data, this study characterizes the spatial observations potentially provided by SWOT. We evaluate SWOT performance under different hydraulic conditions and assess possible effects of river embankments, river width, river topography and distance from the satellite ground track. Despite analyzing errors from the raw radar pixel cloud, which receives minimal processing, the present study highlights the promising potential of this Ka-band interferometer for measuring water surface elevations, with mean elevation errors of 0.1 cm and 21 cm for high and low flows, respectively. Results of the study characterize the expected performance of the upcoming SWOT mission and provide additional insights into potential applications of SWOT observations.

Identifying Feasible Locations for Wetland Creation or Restoration in Catchments by Suitability Modelling Using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Digital Elevation Model (DEM)

Wetlands play a key role in controlling flooding and non-point-source (diffuse) pollution. They are therefore an important tool for mitigating diffuse water pollution from farms. However, to use this tool, it is necessary to obtain detailed assessments and identification of potential wetland restoration or creation sites. This is complicated by the diversity of landscapes, environmental conditions, and land ownership. Site suitability for wetland restoration or creation depends on many factors: the underlying geology, soils, topography, hydrology, drainage, and land ownership. Local hydrology and soils are among the most important factors. However, the inventory and characterization of a site’s soils and hydrology often requires extensive, expensive, and time-consuming ground surveys, and it is therefore limited to small areas. Another possibility would be to consider topography, which strongly determines water movement patterns. Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data provides detailed topographic information and can be acquired by remote sensing. Our study showed that terrain analysis using high-resolution topographical data can produce suitability maps for wetlands that can be easily used by decision makers and planners in watershed management. The rapid methodology reveals potential wetland creation or restoration sites at a reasonable cost; with the resulting spatially explicit suitability map, managers can plan for wetland creation or restoration without having to wait for field-data collection.

The roles of channels and hillslopes in rainfall/run‐off lag times during intense storms in a steep catchment

AbstractThe response time (lag time) between rainfall input and run‐off output in headwater catchments is a key parameter for flood prediction. Lag times are expected to be controlled by run‐off processes, both on hillslopes and in channels. To demonstrate these effects on peak lag times within a 4.5‐km2 catchment, we measured stream water levels at up to 16 channel locations at 1‐min intervals and compared the lag times with topographic indices describing the length and gradient of the hillslope and channel flow path. We captured storm events with a total precipitation of 38–198 mm and maximum hourly precipitation intensity of 9–90 mm/hr. There were positive relationships between lag time and flow path length as well as the ratio of the flow path length and the square root of the gradient of channels for the most intense storms, demonstrating that channel flow paths generally defined the variation in lag times. Topographic analysis showed that hillslope flow path lengths were similar among locations, whereas channel flow path length increased almost one order of magnitude with a 100‐fold increase in catchment area. Thus, the relative importance of hillslope flow path decreased with increasing catchment area. Our results indicate that the variation in lag times is small when hillslopes are sufficiently wet; thus, catchment‐scale variation in lag times can be explained almost entirely by channel processes. Detailed topographic channel information can improve prediction of flood peak timing, whereas hillslopes can be treated as homogeneous during large flood events.

Improvement of anisotropic porosity models with a merging technique

Anisotropic porosity shallow-water models are used to take into account detailed topographic information through porosity parameters multiplying the various terms of the shallow-water equations. A storage porosity is assigned to each cell to reflect the void fraction in the cell and a conveyance porosity is used at each edge to reproduce the impact of subgrid obstacles on the flux terms. To guaranty the numerical stability, the time step depends on the value of the porosity parameters. This may hamper severely the computational efficiency in the presence of cells with low values of storage porosity. Cartesian grids are particularly sensitive to such a case since the meshing stems directly from the choice of the grid size. In this paper, this problem is addressed by using an original merging technique consisting in merging cells with a storage porosity lower than a threshold value with neighbouring cells. The model was tested for modelling a prismatic channel with different orientations between the Cartesian computational grid and the channel direction. The results show that the standard anisotropic porosity model (without merging) improves the reproduction of the flow characteristics; but at the cost of a significantly higher computational time. In contrast, the computational time is drastically reduced and the accuracy preserved when the merging technique is used with the porosity model.

Dense image matching of terrestrial imagery for deriving high-resolution topographic properties of vegetation locations in alpine terrain

The investigation of changes in spatial patterns of vegetation and identification of potential micro-refugia requires detailed topographic and terrain information. However, mapping alpine topography at very detailed scales is challenging due to limited accessibility of sites. Close-range sensing by photogrammetric dense matching approaches based on terrestrial images captured with hand-held cameras offers a light-weight and low-cost solution to retrieve high-resolution measurements even in steep terrain and at locations, which are difficult to access. We propose a novel approach for rapid capturing of terrestrial images and a highly automated processing chain for retrieving detailed dense point clouds for topographic modelling. For this study, we modelled 249 plot locations. For the analysis of vegetation distribution and location properties, topographic parameters, such as slope, aspect, and potential solar irradiation were derived by applying a multi-scale approach utilizing voxel grids and spherical neighbourhoods. The result is a micro-topography archive of 249 alpine locations that includes topographic parameters at multiple scales ready for biogeomorphological analysis. Compared with regional elevation models at larger scales and traditional 2D gridding approaches to create elevation models, we employ analyses in a fully 3D environment that yield much more detailed insights into interrelations between topographic parameters, such as potential solar irradiation, surface area, aspect and roughness.

POTENTIAL AND LIMITATIONS OF PHOTOMETRIC RECONSTRUCTION THROUGH A FLOCK OF DOVE CUBESATS

Abstract. When Earth observation satellite systems are designed, one typically prefers a sun-synchronous orbit. However, the first generations of cubesats from Planet were deployed out of the International Space Station (ISS) and therefore do not obey such an orbit. Their configuration samples at different local times within the mid-latitudes. Consequently, it is in theory possible to exploit photometric techniques and extract highly detailed topographic information. In this study we demonstrate and explore photometry based on Planet cubesat images for Tyndall glacier at the Southern Patagonian icefield, and Zhadang glacier situated on the Tibetan plateau.

AFM Applications to the Analysis of Plasma-Treated Surface Growth and Nanocomposite Materials

Background: The atomic force microscope (AFM) technique has proven to be a useful and versatile tool for the surface characterization of various materials. AFM is capable of providing three dimensional representations of surfaces down to the sub-nanometer scale resolution, with even atomic resolution. The aims of this mini review are to briefly illustrate our personal experience in AFM application for characterizing plasma-treated surface growth on different substrates, such as fluorocarbon (CFx) nano-structured films, polyethylene oxide (PEO) substrates and plasma deposited acrilic acid (pdAA) coatings, and nanocomposite materials, such as polydimethylsiloxane-gold (PDMS-Au) and chitosan-Au (CTO-Au), including the characterization of nanoparticle powder. Methods: The CFx films were obtained by plasma enhanced-chemical vapor deposition in the non-contact AFM mode and pdAA coatings by radiofrequency glow discharges fed with AA vapors and analyzed in the contact AFM mode. Coating morphology was analized by X-Ray photoelectron microscopy (XPS) and water contact angle (WCA). The AFM images of PDMS-Au and CTO-Au nanocomposites was also acquired and analyzed for their topography. Results: The surface topography, the root-mean square (RMS) surface roughness and the mean surface height of CFx coatings plasma-polymerised on polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) substrates were evaluated by AFM as a function of the deposition time, and AFM images obtained were used to gain detailed topographical information of the single nanostructure. By comparing the AFM images of pure PDMS with those of PDMS-Au it was possible to observe the topography of nanofillers embedded in a polymeric matrix or generated on a polymeric surface and also other main differences between the two materials. Conclusion: The AFM technique was shown to be a versatile and promising tool for the morphological characterization of growth of plasma-treated surfaces, such as CFx nano-structured films, PEO substrates and pdAA coatings, and for the topographical characterization of nanocomposite materials such as PDMs-Au and CTO-Au. Finally, AFM can be used as a simple method able to characterize the topography of as-received nanofillers, based on the attachment of the nanopowders on a bi-adhesive tape and on 3D image processing. Keywords: AFM, CFx nano-structured films, nanocomposite materials, nanofillers topography, plasma deposited acrylic acid coatings.

Automated tru-cut imaging-guided core needle biopsy of canine orbital neoplasia. A prospective feasibility study

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of imaging-guided core needle biopsy for canine orbital mass diagnosis. A second excisional biopsy obtained during surgery or necropsy was used as the reference standard. A prospective feasibility study was conducted in 23 canine orbital masses at a single centre. A complete ophthalmic examination was always followed by orbital ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) examination of the head. All masses were sampled with the patient still on the CT table using ultrasound (US) guided automatic tru-cut device. The most suitable sampling approach to the orbit was chosen each time based on the CT image analysis. One of the following different approaches was used: trans-orbital, trans-conjunctival or trans-masseteric. In all cases, the imaging-guided biopsy provided a sufficient amount of tissue for the histopathological diagnosis, which concurred with the biopsies obtained using the excisional technique. CT examination was essential for morphological diagnosis and provided detailed topographic information that allowed us to choose the safest orbital approach for the biopsy. US guided automatic tru-cut biopsy based on CT images, performed with patient still on the CT table, resulted in a minimally invasive, relatively easy, and accurate diagnostic procedure in dogs with orbital masses.