Small Spheres Research Articles

Enhancing thermal insulation and mechanical strength of porous ceramic through size-graded MA Hollow Spheres

In this study, a series of porous ceramics were prepared using different ratios of small and large size MA hollow ceramic spheres as pore-forming agents, and their thermal insulation properties were investigated. The results showed that increasing the proportion of small size hollow ceramic spheres could effectively decrease the thermal conductivity and improve the compressive strength of the porous ceramics. The optimal porous ceramic was prepared with a ratio of 10∼50 of small and large size hollow ceramic spheres, which had a thermal conductivity of 0.368 W/(m·K) at 800 °C and a compressive strength of 22.43 MPa. Microscopic analysis indicated that the enhanced thermal insulation and mechanical properties were due to the improved pore structure and the enhanced bonding strength between the ceramic spheres and the matrix. The findings provide valuable insights for the development of high-performance thermal insulation materials.

Improved [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 image qualities reconstructed by total variation regularized expectation maximization on total-body PET/CT.

Total variation regularized expectation maximization (TVREM) reconstruction algorithm on the image quality of gallium (68GA) prostate-specific membrane antigen-11 ([68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11) total-body positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). Images of a phantom with small hot sphere inserts and the total-body PET/CT scans of 51 prostate cancer patients undergoing [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 were reconstructed using TVREM with 5 different penalization factors between 0.09 and 0.45 and for 20-, 40-, 60-, 120-, and 300-second acquisition, respectively. As a comparison, the same data were also reconstructed using the ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) with 3 iterations, 20 subsets, and 300 second acquisition. The contrast recovery coefficients (CRC) and background variability (BV) of the phantom, the tumor-to-background ratios (TBR), the contrast recovery (CR) ratio, the image noise of the liver, and maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) of the lesions were calculated to evaluate the image quality. The clinical performance of the images was evaluated by 2 radiologists with a 5-point scale (1-poor, 5-excellent). The TVREM reconstructions groups fwith 120 second acquisition and the penalization of 0.27 to 0.45 showed the best performance in terms of CR, TBR, image noise, and the gain of SUVmax compared to that obtained in the OSEM 300 second group. Even the image noise of the TVREM 120 second group with a penalization factor of 0.27 and 0.36 was comparable to the OSEM 300 second group; the lesions' SUVmax increased by 28% whereas the image noise decreased by 5% and 14%, respectively. The TVREM 120 second group with a penalization factor of 0.36 (5.00±0.00) had the highest qualitative score that equaled OSEM and TVREM for the 300 second (P>0.05) group. Our study has shown the potential of the TVREM reconstruction algorithm with optimized penalization factors to achieve comparable [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 total-body PET/CT image quality with a shorter acquisition time, compared with the conventional OSEM reconstruction algorithm.

Volume formula and growth rates of the balls of strings under the edit distances

Analogs of balls in n-dimensional Euclidean space are defined in the monoid of strings composed of letters of an alphabet if a metric is defined on the monoid. These analogs are not only balls in the monoid of strings but also regular languages. Since the Levenshtein distance, a reasonable metric between strings, was introduced in 1965, researchers have aimed to determine a formula for computing the volumes of balls of strings under this distance and their growth rate. However, this problem remains open. In this paper, we first derive a formula for the volumes of balls of strings under a metric obtained by extending the Hamming distance as a metric on the whole monoid and subsequently reveal the growth rate of balls of strings under the Levenshtein distance using this formula. Furthermore, we describe a conjecture on the formula for the volumes of spheres of strings under the Levenshtein distance. Next, we construct an efficient randomized algorithm that computes estimates of the volumes of the balls whose estimation errors are less than a given value with a probability greater than a specified value. Finally, we examine the validity of the proposed conjecture, using the (true) volumes obtained by exhaustive searches for small spheres and estimates of the volumes obtained by this algorithm for large ones.

Two-step techniques for accurate selection of small elements in VR environments

One of the key interactions in 3D environments is target acquisition, which can be challenging when targets are small or in cluttered scenes. Here, incorrect elements may be selected, leading to frustration and wasted time. The accuracy is further hindered by the physical act of selection itself, typically involving pressing a button. This action reduces stability, increasing the likelihood of erroneous target acquisition. We focused on molecular visualization and on the challenge of selecting atoms, rendered as small spheres. We present two techniques that improve upon previous progressive selection techniques. They facilitate the acquisition of neighbors after an initial selection, providing a more comfortable experience compared to using classical ray-based selection, particularly with occluded elements. We conducted a pilot study followed by two formal user studies. The results indicated that our approaches were highly appreciated by the participants. These techniques could be suitable for other crowded environments as well.

All-aqueous printing of viscoelastic droplets in yield-stress fluids

All-aqueous printing of viscoelastic droplets (aaPVD) in yield-stress fluids is the core of an emerging voxelated bioprinting technology that enables the digital assembly of spherical bio-ink particles (DASP) to create functional tissue mimics. However, the mechanism of aaPVD is largely unknown. Here, by quantifying the dynamics of the whole printing process in real-time, we identify two parameters critical to aaPVD: (1) acceleration of print nozzle, and (2) droplet/nozzle diameter ratio. Moreover, we distinguish three stages associated with aaPVD: droplet generation, detachment, and relaxation. To generate a droplet of good roundness, the ink should be a highly viscous shear-thinning fluid. Using particle image velocimetry and scaling theory, we establish a universal description for the droplet displacements at various printing conditions. Along the direction of nozzle movement, the droplet displacement is determined by the detachment number, a dimensionless parameter defined as the ratio between the dragging force from the nozzle and the confinement force from the supporting matrix. Perpendicular to the direction of nozzle movement, the droplet displacement is determined by the Oldroyd number, a dimensionless parameter that describes the yielded area of the supporting matrix near the print nozzle. For a relaxed droplet, the droplet tail length is independent of droplet/nozzle diameter ratio but determined by the nozzle acceleration. We conclude that printing droplets of good fidelity requires a relatively large droplet/nozzle diameter ratio and intermediate nozzle accelerations. These ensure that the droplet is more solid-like to not flow with the nozzle to form a tadpole-like morphology and that the confinement force from the yield-stress fluid is large enough to prevent large droplet displacement. Our results provide the knowledge and tools for in situ generating and depositing highly viscoelastic droplets of good roundness at prescribed locations in 3D space, which help establish the foundational science for voxelated bioprinting. Analogues of pixels to two-dimensional (2D) pictures, voxels – in the form of small cubes or spheres – are the basic units of three-dimensional (3D) objects. All-aqueous printing of viscoelastic droplets (aaPVD) is the core of voxelated bioprinting, an emerging technology that uses spherical bio-ink voxels as building blocks to create 3D tissue mimics. Unlike existing technologies relying on the classic Rayleigh-Plateau instability to generate droplets, aaPVD exploits previously unexplored nonlinear fluid dynamics of complex fluids to precisely manipulate viscoelastic droplets in 3D space. The developed knowledge and tools not only help advance biomanufacturing but also stimulate new research directions in soft matter and complex fluids.

Impact of list-mode reconstruction and image-space point spread function correction on PET image contrast and quantitative value using SiPM-based PET/CT system.

We evaluate the effects of list-mode reconstruction and the image-space point spread function (iPSF) on the contrast and quantitative values of positron emission tomography (PET) images using a SiPM-PET/CT system. The evaluation is conducted on an NEMA body phantom and clinical images using a Cartesion Prime SiPM-PET/CT system. The signal-to-background ratio (SBR) of the phantom is set to 2, 4, 6, and 8, and all the PET image data are obtained and reconstructed using 3D-OSEM, time-of-flight, iPSF (-/ +), and a 4-mm Gaussian filter with several iterations. The evaluation criteria include % background variability (NB,10mm), % contrast (QH,10mm), iPSF change in QH,10mm (ΔQH,10mm) for edge artifact evaluation, profile curves, visual evaluation of edge artifacts, clinical imaging for the standardized uptake value (SUV) of lung nodules, and SNRliver. NB,10mm demonstrates no significant difference in all SBRs with and without iPSF, whereas QH,10mm is higher based on the SBR with and without iPSF. ΔQH,10mm indicates increased iterations and a larger rate of change (> 5%) for small spheres of < 17mm. The profile curves portrayed almost real concentrations, except for the 10-mm sphere of SBR2 without iPSF; however, with iPSF, an overshoot was observed in the 13-mm sphere of all SBRs. The degree of overshoot increased with increasing iteration and SBR. Edge artifacts were detected at values ≥ 17-22mm in SBRs other than SBR2 with iPSF. Irrespective of the nodal size, SUV and SNRliver improved considerably after iPSF adjustment. Therefore, the effects of list-mode reconstruction and iPSF on PET image contrast were limited, and the overcorrection of the quantitative values was validated using iPSF.

Visible-Light-driven Photocatalytic Properties of Copper(I) Oxide (Cu2O) and Its Graphene-based Nanocomposites

In this study, an improved process was proposed for the synthesis of structure-controlled Cu2O nanoparticles, using a simplified wet chemical method at room temperature. A chemical solution route was established to synthesize Cu2O crystals with various sizes and morphologies. The structure, morphology, and optical properties of Cu2O nanoparticles were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, SEM (scanning electron microscope), and UV-Vis spectroscopy. By adjusting the aqueous mixture solutions of NaOH and NH2OH•HCl, the synthesis of Cu2O crystals with different morphology and size could be realized. Strangely, it was found that the change in the ratio of de-ionized water and NaOH aqueous solution led to the synthesis of Cu2O crystals of different sizes, while the morphology of Cu2O crystals was not affected. The synthesized Cu2O crystal samples were used as photocatalysts for methyl orange (MO) dye decomposition, as a model molecule, to evaluate the photocatalytic activities. However, under 200 watts of a visible light source, there are four samples with and without graphene-based nanocomposite of Cu2O NPs. The results showed that, compared with roughly spherical, irregular but thick plates, brick and small granule spheres shaped Cu2O nanoparticles provided better activity. The Cu2O sample with irregular but thick platelet-like shapes, having an average particle size of 0.53 µm, exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity (99.08% degradation). In addition, by reducing the size of Cu2O particles and preparing their graphene composition, one can fabricate a sample (Cu2-Cu2Gr) with the highest efficiency which has significantly better photocatalytic activity in comparison to the others. This work represents an innovative strategy for pre-the-case production of nanomaterials with shapes and sizes, that is, Cu2O crystals, with excellent photocatalytic activity through compositing with graphene

Activity recovery for differently shaped objects in quantitative SPECT

Objective. The aim was to theoretically and experimentally investigate recovery in SPECT images with objects of different shapes. Furthermore, the accuracy of volume estimation by thresholding was studied for those shapes. Approach. Nine spheres, nine oblate spheroids, and nine prolate spheroids phantom inserts were used, of which the six smaller spheres were part of the NEMA IEC body phantom and the rest of the inserts were 3D-printed. The inserts were filled with 99mTc and 177Lu. When filled with 99mTc, SPECT images were acquired in a Siemens Symbia Intevo Bold gamma camera and when filled with 177Lu in a General Electric NM/CT 870 DR gamma camera. The signal rate per activity (SRPA) was determined for all inserts and represented as a function of the volume-to-surface ratio and of the volume-equivalent radius using VOIs defined according to the sphere dimensions and VOIs defined using thresholding. Experimental values were compared with theoretical curves obtained analytically (spheres) or numerically (spheroids), starting from the convolution of a source distribution with a point-spread function. Validation of the activity estimation strategy was performed using four 3D-printed ellipsoids. Lastly, the threshold values necessary to determine the volume of each insert were obtained. Main results. Results showed that SRPA values for the oblate spheroids diverted from the other inserts, when SRPA were represented as a function of the volume-equivalent radius. However, SRPA values for all inserts followed a similar behaviour when represented as a function of the volume-to-surface ratio. Results for ellipsoids were in agreement with those results. For the three types of inserts the volume could be accurately estimated using a threshold method for volumes larger than 25 ml. Significance. Determination of SRPA independently of lesion or organ shape should decrease uncertainties in estimated activities and thereby, in the long term, be beneficial to patient care.

Lower Ordovician calcareous microfossils from the San Juan Formation, Argentina: a new type of calcitarch and its paleoenvironmental implications

The calcareous microfossils present in the Ordovician and Silurian carbonate successions around the world are limited to few studies and their biological affinities and environmental preferences remain indefinite. In the carbonate Ordovician San Juan Formation from the Cerro La Chilca section, a group of calcareous microfossils was recognized and, based on their size, they are included in the calcitarch classification. Two types of calcitarchs have been recognized, Type-III calcitarch: large spheres with a thin to medium wall (diameter ~250 μm), and Type-0 calcitarch: small spheres with a thin wall (diameter ~80 μm). The carbonate microfacies analysis of the lower part of the San Juan Formation allowed defining five successive microfacies: burrowed bioclastic wackestone (M1), peloidal intraclastic packstone-grainstone (M2), intraclastic floatstone (M3), intraclastic wackestone-packstone (M4) and bioclastic boundstone (M5). These microfacies are interpreted to range from shallow subtidal facies below wave action to shoal and reef facies. It is possible to infer that the recovered calcitarchs show variations in size in relation to the facies that contain them. The calcitarchs recognized in wackestone-type facies are the Type-0 calcitarch and those recovered from the packstone-grainstone facies are the Type-III calcitarch. The calcitarch sizes variation probably is related to a gradual increase of energy within a shallow subtidal environment. Occurrences of calcitarchs within the Floian Oepikodus evae-O. intermedius conodont zone extends their fossil record into the Early Ordovician.

Constraint Guided Autoencoders to Enforce a Predefined Threshold on Anomaly Scores: An Application in Machine Condition Monitoring

Anomaly detection (AD) is an important task in a broad range of domains. A popular choice for AD are Deep Support Vector Data Description models. When learning such models, normal data is mapped close to and anomalous data is mapped far from a center, in some latent space, enabling the construction of a sphere to separate both types of data. Empirically it was observed: (i) that the center and radius of such sphere largely depends on the training data and model initialization which leads to difficulties when selecting a threshold, and (ii) that the center and radius of this sphere strongly impacts the model AD performance on unseen data. In this work, a more robust AD solution is proposed that (i) defines a sphere with a fixed radius and margin in some latent space and (ii) enforces the encoder, which maps the input to a latent space, to encode the normal data in a small sphere and the anomalous data outside a larger sphere, with the same center. Experimental results indicate that the proposed algorithm attains higher performance compared to alternatives and that the difference in size of the two spheres has a minor impact on the performance.

Optimized SPECT Imaging of 224Ra α-Particle Therapy by 212Pb Photon Emissions.

In preparation for an α-particle therapy trial using 1-7 MBq of 224Ra, the feasibility of tomographic SPECT/CT imaging was of interest. The nuclide decays in 6 steps to stable 208Pb, with 212Pb as the principle photon-emitting nuclide. 212Bi and 208Tl emit high-energy photons up to 2,615 keV. A phantom study was conducted to determine the optimal acquisition and reconstruction protocol. Methods: The spheres of a body phantom were filled with a 224Ra-RaCl2 solution, and the background compartment was filled with water. Images were acquired on a SPECT/CT system. In addition, 30-min scans were acquired for 80- and 240-keV emissions, using triple-energy windows, with both medium-energy and high-energy collimators. Images were acquired at 90-95 and 29-30 kBq/mL, plus an explorative 3-min acquisition at 20 kBq/mL (using only the optimal protocol). Reconstructions were performed with attenuation correction only, attenuation plus scatter correction, 3 levels of postfiltering, and 24 levels of iterative updates. Acquisitions and reconstructions were compared using the maximum value and signal-to-scatter peak ratio for each sphere. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to examine the contributions of key emissions. Results: Secondary photons of the 2,615-keV 208Tl emission produced in the collimators make up most of the acquired energy spectrum, as revealed by Monte Carlo simulations, with only a small fraction (3%-6%) of photons in each window providing useful information for imaging. Still, decent image quality is possible at 30 kBq/mL, and nuclide concentrations are imageable down to approximately 2-5 kBq/mL. The overall best results were obtained with the 240-keV window, medium-energy collimator, attenuation and scatter correction, 30 iterations and 2 subsets, and a 12-mm gaussian postprocessing filter. However, all combinations of the applied collimators and energy windows were capable of producing adequate results, even though some failed to reconstruct the 2 smallest spheres. Conclusion: SPECT/CT imaging of 224Ra in equilibrium with daughters is possible, with sufficient image quality to provide clinical utility for the current trial of intraperitoneally administrated activity. A systematic scheme for optimization was designed to select acquisition and reconstruction settings.

Why the reciprocal two-sphere swimmer moves in a viscoelastic environment

In Newtonian fluids, microswimmers need to perform a non-reciprocal shape change to move forward. However, this is no longer required in biological fluids with their viscoelastic properties. In this work, we investigate an oscillating two-sphere swimmer in a weakly viscoelastic fluid and show that the swimmer moves toward the smaller sphere. We use the flow fields generated by the individual spheres. Since they contain a viscoelastic contribution quadratic in the sphere velocities, the forces needed to expand and contract the swimmer differ from each other. This causes a non-zero net displacement during one cycle. We also find that the mean flow field generated by the two-sphere swimmer is the one of a contractile force dipole.

Total Mean Curvature and First Dirac Eigenvalue

In this note, we prove an optimal upper bound for the first Dirac eigenvalue of some hypersurfaces in the Euclidean space by combining a positive mass theorem and the construction of quasi-spherical metrics. As a direct consequence of this estimate, we obtain an asymptotic expansion for the first eigenvalue of the Dirac operator on large spheres in three-dimensional asymptotically flat manifolds. We also study this expansion for small geodesic spheres in a three-dimensional Riemannian manifold. We finally discuss how this method can be adapted to yield similar results in the hyperbolic space.

Numerical Simulation of the Radiation Force from Transient Acoustic Fields: Application to Laser-Guided Acoustic Tweezers

Using pulsed acoustic waves could provide a superior selectivity for microscale acoustic tweezers. However, the theory for the radiation force of pulsed acoustic waves has only been recently derived and no numerical implementations are available. In this paper, we present a finite-element implementation of this model to simulate the transient acoustic radiation force on small spheres. We use the model to simulate laser-guided acoustic tweezers and optimize their performance. By enabling numerical simulations of the transient radiation force, this work may accelerate the rational design of pulse-based high-selectivity acoustic tweezer devices.

Pemahaman Kesetaraan Gender Dalam Keluarga Untuk Mewujudkan Perempuan Berdaya

Women and men should have an access, participation, and so on in life activities wherever they are, including in the smallest sphere, such as a family. However, women can be situated in a condition of gender inequality in the family, like a discriminatory act committed by dominant people, both structurally and culturally, for example a violence. Regarding violence, Komnas Perempuan's data show that the number of complaints received throughout 2021 was 2,527 cases of violence, which 771 cases were violence against wives and 212 cases were violence against daughters. In this case, it is important to have a program for Ibu PKK to provide an understanding related to gender equality in the family to create empowered women. The methods used in organizing this program are by giving a course, making a discussion, and giving a test regarding the course. Furthermore, the program has taken place and based on the result of the test given during the program, the participants have an average test score of 89. In this case, it can be seen that the participants' understanding of gender equality in the family to create empowered women already well. This also indicates that efforts to provide understanding to participants have been running effectively, because participants can understand the course well. Education about gender equality in the family by providing a program to Ibu PKK is very necessary because a woman has an important role in empowering a family.

The Mass of the Static Extension of Small Spheres

Abstract We give a simple proof to the computation of ADM mass of the static extensions of small spheres in Wiygul [13, 14]. It makes use of the mass formula $m = \frac {1}{4\pi } \int _{\partial M} \frac {\partial V}{\partial \nu }$ for an asymptotically flat static manifold with boundary.

Non-Destructive Eggshell Strength Assessment Using Hertz Contact Theory Part I: Theory and Applicability

In the egg industry, fast and highly reliable quality measurements are crucial. This study presents a novel method based on Hertz contact theory that allows for non-destructive determination of eggshell strength. The goal of the study was to evaluate the material strength (Young's Modulus) and structural strength (stiffness) of eggshells. To this end, an experimental setup was constructed to measure the collision of an eggshell with a small steel ball, which was recorded using a laser vibrometer. The study analyzed a sample of 120 eggs and found a correlation of 0.85 between the traditional static stiffness measured during quasi-static compression tests and the stiffness obtained from the Hertz contact theory. The results show that Hertz contact theory is valid for small steel spheres impacting eggshells, while a sensitivity analysis indicated that the most important factor in determining the strength of the eggshell is the contact duration between the egg and the impactor. These results open up the possibility of grading eggs based on their shell strength in a non-destructive manner.

Acoustic interaction force between two particles immersed in a viscoelastic fluid

The interaction acoustic radiation force in a standing plane wave applied to each small solid sphere in a two-particle system immersed in a viscoelastic fluid is studied in a framework based on perturbation theory. In this work, the first- and second-order perturbation theories are used in the governing equations with considering the upper-convected Maxwell model to obtain mathematical modeling. We use the finite element method to carry out simulations and describe the behavior of the viscoelastic fluid. The mathematical development is validated from three literature case studies: a one-particle system in a viscous fluid, a two-particle system in a viscous fluid, and a one-particle system in a viscoelastic fluid. The novelty of this study is to establish the acoustic interaction force between two spherical particles immersed in a viscoelastic fluid. The results show that the acoustic interaction force between two spheres is greater in a viscous fluid in comparison with the viscoelastic fluid with the same shear viscosity. This behavior is due to the relaxation time effect. It is also indicated that the acoustic interaction force between the particles decreases by the relaxation time and increases by the fluid's viscosity. A mathematical formula is proposed for the acoustic interaction force between particles located close to each other in a viscoelastic fluid.

Inside Front Cover: Observation of Robust Polarization Squeezing via the Kerr Nonlinearity in an Optical Fiber (Adv. Quantum Technol. 3/2023)

The cover shows the evolution of the state of the light field represented on the Poincaré sphere (green) due to the nonlinear Kerr interaction described in article number 2200143 by Nikolay Kalinin, Gerd Leuchs, and co-workers. The quantum uncertainty of the initial coherent two-mode laser field is the small grey sphere on the larger Poincaré sphere which develops into the orange squeezed ellipsoid.

Thermal shock in a sphere due to a proton beam pulse

In several high-energy physics experiments the possibility of using the so-called pebble-bed targets is being considered. They consist of a large number of small spheres, in which a proton beam deposits heat energy with exceptionally high density. The article discusses thermal shock in a sphere, caused by a rapid temperature rise by a beam pulse of finite length, under the conditions of uniform heat energy deposition within the volume of the sphere. The character of the response depends on the duration of the pulse length relative to the time it takes for the stress wave to travel the distance of the sphere radius. For short pulses a stress-focusing effect takes place near the sphere core. The convergence of the series that defines the stress components is discussed using an analytical test. The influence of damping on the stress level has been considered, by introducing a flexible model of damping. It is shown that for very short pulses damping plays an important role in the determination of the magnitude of the stress spikes near the sphere core. The solution approach renders itself much better to convergence studies and is computationally more efficient than the available finite element codes, such as LS-Dyna.