Uniform Texture Research Articles

Utility of photon-counting detectors for MV-kV dual-energy computed tomography imaging.

High soft-tissue contrast imaging is essential for effective radiotherapy treatment. This could potentially be realized using both megavoltage and kilovoltage x-ray sources available on some therapy treatment systems to perform "MV-kV" dual-energy (DE) computed tomography (CT). However, noisy megavoltage images obtained with existing energy-integrating detectors (EIDs) are a limiting factor for clinical translation. We explore the potential for non-spectral photon-counting detectors (PCDs) to improve MV-kV image quality simply by equally weighting all MV photons rather than up-weighting the less informative, lower contrast high-energy photons as in an EID. Three computational methods were applied to compare non-spectral PCDs with EIDs in MV-kV DE imaging. A single-line integral estimation theory approach was used to calculate the basis material signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of tissue (1 to 50cm) and bone (0.1 to 10cm). CT images of a tissue cylinder with seven bone inserts (densities 1.0 to ) were simulated to assess material decomposition accuracy. Multiple noisy simulations of an anthropomorphic phantom were performed to generate pixel-by-pixel noise profiles. PCDs yielded a 15% to 45% improvement in single-line integral SNR for both materials. In CT simulations, similar material decomposition accuracy was achieved, with both EIDs and PCDs slightly underestimating bone density. However, PCDs yield a higher contrast-to-noise ratio and more uniform noise texture than EIDs in virtual monoenergetic images. We demonstrate the potential for improved MV-kV DE CT imaging using non-spectral PCDs and quantify the degree of improvement in a range of object compositions. This work motivates the experimental assessment of PCDs for megavoltage imaging and the potential clinical translation of PCDs to radiotherapy imaging.

The reasons for the inheritance of the composition and properties of red-colored soils of the modern weathering crust within the western part of the Sichuan Basin of China

In this work, we conducted an experimental evaluation and analysis of the characteristics and makeup of red-colored rocks from four representative Cretaceous and Jurassic sedimentary sequences in the western Sichuan Basin of China, as well as their weathering products. To determine the direction of weathering processes and the cause-and-effect link between the characteristics and composition of the parent rocks and the excess chemical components in the weathered soils, the chemical index of alteration was calculated. The findings demonstrated that, with regard to features like color, density of solid component, organic carbon content, granulometric composition, pH, mineral composition, and content of main chemical elements, all samples of weathered (dispersed) soils are quite comparable to the parent rocks. All samples of weathered soils and parent rocks exhibit similar chemical weathering characteristics and an index, according to the results of the CIAcorr calculation and the examination of the A–CN–K triangle diagrams. Furthermore, all of them have attained a moderate level of chemical weathering, with samples from Jurassic rocks (J3p, J3s, and J2s) having far lower weathering intensities than those from Cretaceous rocks (K1c). The red-colored rocks are characterized by weak chemical weathering and rapid development of physical weathering. This weathering characteristic can be attributed to the parent rock’s uniform texture and mostly clayey composition, which break down readily in environments with high humidity and plenty of heat. The low level of chemical weathering is due to the fact that the parent rock itself has undergone a significant change in chemical composition during sedimentation and subsequent diagenesis, and has acquired a high degree of resistance to subsequent transformation under modern conditions. Therefore, the characteristics and makeup of purple soil are mostly determined by the parent rock.

CO2 Foam Stabilized by Viscoelastic Surfactant: Effects of Chelating Agents’ Type, pH, and Water Chemistry on Microstructure, Stability, and Rheology of Foam

Summary This research fully investigates the impact of chelating agent pH, chelating agent’s type, water chemistry, and viscoelastic surfactant (VES) concentration on the rheology and stability of CO2 foam under harsh reservoir conditions. In this regard, a modified high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) foam rheometer and HPHT foam analyzer were implemented to study the foam rheology and stability at 100°C and 1,000 psi. Additionally, the HPHT viscometer and drop shape analyzer were utilized to understand the role of physicochemical properties on the microstructure, stability, and rheology of CO2 foam. First, the role of L-glutamic acid N,N-diacetic acid (GLDA) pH on the foam properties and foam rheology was investigated; the results showed that GLDA has a significant effect on the viscosity, stability, and foamability of CO2 foam. The optimum foam viscosity was achieved with a GLDA pH of 3, while the highest stability was attained with a GLDA pH ranging between 4 and 7. The highest foamability was achieved with low GLDA pH (3 to 2) due to the formation of high bubble numbers with uniform fine texture. Second, different chelating agents were considered; low pH GLDA provided the highest foam viscosity and stability among diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) salt and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) disodium salt, while high pH EDTA exhibited the highest foamability. Additionally, three types of water were studied: produced water, sea water, and formation water. The outcomes showed that water salinity significantly impacts the foam formation process, where the formation water presented poor foamability. Finally, the concentration of surfactant has a major effect on the viscosity of CO2 foam; it reached 150 cp at 100/s once the concentration increased to 6 wt%. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the impact of additives and water chemistry on VES behavior for CO2 foam. Also, the usage of erucamidopropyl hydroxypropylsultain (SURF) is promising for the generation of high stability and foam viscosity at high salinity and high temperature and pressure.

Evolution of microstructure and properties of nanocrystalline NiCo alloy under high-energy laser shock

In this study, nanocrystalline NiCo alloy was prepared through electrodeposition and subjected to high-energy laser shock (HELS) treatment to investigate the influence of laser shock on the microstructures and properties. An analysis of phase composition, microstructural evolution, texture evolution, and hardness was conducted. The results indicated that under HELS, there was no change in phase composition, while there was a slight reduction in grain size, as well as in the quantities of Low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) and twin boundaries (TBs). The texture evolution revealed that HELS led to a more uniform overall texture due to grain boundary (GB) mediate deformation mechanisms, along with the generation of a significant amount of 9R phases, causing a shift in texture orientation from (110) to (100). The internal structure of nanocrystalline NiCo showed an accumulation of numerous dislocations post-laser shock, with randomly oriented dislocations interacting to form Lomer-Cottrell Locks (L-C Locks) and 9R phases. Additionally, interactions with large stacking faults (SFs) also resulted in their dissociation into multiple 9R phases. The hardness enhancement was mainly attributed to the accumulation of dislocations within the grain and the generation of a significant quantity of 9R phases.

Non-rigid scene reconstruction of deformable soft tissue with monocular endoscopy in minimally invasive surgery.

The utilization of image-guided surgery has demonstrated its ability to improve the precision and safety of minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Non-rigid scene reconstruction is a challenge in image-guided system duo to uniform texture, smoke, and instrument occlusion, etc. METHODS: In this paper, we introduced an algorithm for 3D reconstruction aimed at non-rigid surgery scenes. The proposed method comprises two main components: firstly, the front-end process involves the initial reconstruction of 3D information for deformable soft tissues using embedded deformation graph (EDG) on the basis of dual quaternions, enabling the reconstruction without the need for prior knowledge of the target. Secondly, the EDG is integrated with isometric nonrigid structure from motion (Iso-NRSFM) to facilitate centralized optimization of the observed map points and camera motion across different time instances in deformable scenes. For the quantitative evaluation of the proposed method, we conducted comparative experiments with both synthetic datasets and publicly available datasets against the state-of-the-art 3D reconstruction method, DefSLAM. The test results show that our proposed method achieved a maximum reduction of 1.6mm in average reconstruction error compared to method DefSLAM across all datasets. Additionally, qualitative experiments were performed on video scene datasets involving surgical instrument occlusions. Our method proved to outperform DefSLAM on both synthetic datasets and public datasets through experiments, demonstrating its robustness and accuracy in the reconstruction of soft tissues in dynamic surgical scenes. This success highlights the potential clinical application of our method in delivering surgeons with critical shape and depth information for MIS.

An Experimental Investigation into the Enhancement of Surface Quality of Inconel 718 Through Axial Ultrasonic Vibration-Assisted Grinding in Dry and MQL Environments

Ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding (UVAG) has proven to be beneficial for grinding difficult-to-machine materials. This work attempts to enhance the grinding performance of Inconel 718 through a comprehensive study of UVAG characteristics. Grinding experiments were performed in both dry and Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) environments, and assessment of the grinding forces, specific energy, residual stress, and surface topography was done. A substantial reduction of both surface roughness and grinding force components was observed in UVAG compared to conventional grinding (CG). Utilizing UVAG with MQL at the maximum vibration amplitude led to a 64% reduction in tangential grinding force and a 51% decrease in roughness parameter, Ra, when compared to CG conducted in a dry environment. The high-frequency indentations of the abrasives in UVAG generated compressive residual stresses on the ground surface. Surface parameters pointed to uniform texture and SEM images showed widening of abrasive grain tracks on the workpiece surface during UVAG. The utilization of UVAG under MQL produced a synergistic impact and resulted in the lowest grinding forces, specific energy, and optimal surface quality among all the grinding conditions investigated. Overall analysis of the results indicated that the axial configuration of the vibration set-up is favorable for UVAG, and the high-frequency periodic separation-cutting characteristic of the process improves lubricating efficiency and grinding performance.

Morphological and Optical Profiling of Melanocytes and SK-MEL-28 Melanoma Cells Via Digital Holographic Microscopy and Quantitative Phase Imaging.

Melanoma, which originates from pigment-producing melanocytes, is an aggressive and deadly skin cancer. Despite extensive research, its mechanisms of progression and metastasis remain unclear. This study uses quantitative phase imaging via digital holographic microscopy, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t-SNE) to identify the morphological, optical, and behavioral differences between normal melanocytes and SK-MEL-28 melanoma cells. Our findings reveal significant differences in cell shape, size, and internal organization, with SK-MEL-28 cells displaying greater size variability, more polygonal shapes, and higher optical thickness. Phase shift parameters and surface roughness analyses underscore melanoma cells' uniform and predictable textures. Violin plots highlight the dynamic and varied migration of SK-MEL-28 cells, contrasting with the localized movement of melanocytes. Hierarchical clustering of correlation matrices provides further insights into complex morphological and optical relationships. Integrating label-free imaging with robust analytical methods enhances understanding of melanoma's aggressive behavior, supporting targeted therapies and highlighting potential biomarkers for precise melanoma diagnostics and treatment.

Extreme sulfur isotope heterogeneity in individual Ediacaran pyrite grains revealed by NanoSIMS analysis

Pyrite sulfur isotopic composition (δ34Spy) is a crucial proxy for reconstructing ancient Ediacaran marine environments. However, recent in situ isotopic analyses of sedimentary pyrite have revealed distinct δ34Spy signatures among different pyrite morphologies, indicating that secular changes in bulk δ34Spy may reflect variations in proportions of different pyrite morphologies rather than environmental signals. Up to now, intragrain isotopic patterns within individual pyrite grains have not yet been extensively investigated for Ediacaran samples. The absence of this specific data set has hindered our ability to understand current complexities of bulk δ34Spy in reconstruction paleoenvironment. This study aims to elucidate δ34Spy patterns by conducting in situ isotopic analysis on pyrite grains from Ediacaran drill-core samples. We employed scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), Raman spectroscopy, and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) to examine the crystal texture, element atomic ratios (S/Fe), mineral composition, and in situ isotopic composition within single pyrite grains. SEM-EDS observations reveal that the euhedral/subhedral pyrite crystals generally exhibit uniform mineral texture, although some grains show varying degrees of dissolution edges and surface cavities. Raman spectroscopy demonstrates the possible presence of pyrrhotite mineral within pyrite grains at some specific sites and points. In situ isotopic analysis reveals significant intragrain δ34S heterogeneity, with difference reaching up to 69.3‰ on a micrometer scale. Distinct deposition depths and burial rates may contribute to the varying value ranges and degrees of isotopic heterogeneity amongst pyrite grains. A model suggesting rapid precipitation from numerous nucleation sites simultaneously could account for the observed intragrain heterogeneity of in situ δ34S values. Pyrite grains exhibit general atomic S/Fe ratios of > 2, potentially due to the presence of trace elements incorporated into the pyrite structure. The occurrence of pyrrhotite leads to a slightly positive correlation between in situ δ34Spy values and S/Fe ratios, yet the 32S-enriched pyrrhotite plays less substantial in generating intragrain δ34S heterogeneity of pyrite grains. Our findings reveal clear isotopic heterogeneities within individual pyrite grains, in addition to the notable δ34Spy differences among pyrite of various morphologies. These results highlight significant microenvironmental heterogeneity and dynamic sulfur pool mixing on rapid short-term timescale during pyrite growth.

The essence of soil and soil formation in accordance with soil water regime

The obtaining of new data on the transformation of parent materials into soil and on soil as a set of essential properties is provided on the basis of previously conducted fundamental studies of soils formed on loess-like loams in Belarus (15,000 numerical indicators). The study objects are autochthonous soils of uniform granulometric texture. The basic properties without which soils cannot exist are comprehensively considered. Interpolation of factual materials is given, highlighting the essential properties of soils. Soil formation is analyzed as a natural phenomenon depending on the life activity of biota and the water regime. Models for differentiation of the chemical profile and bioenergy potential of soils are presented. The results of the represented study interpret the available materials taking into account publications on the biology and water regime of soils over the past 50 years into three issues: the difference between soil and soil-like bodies; the soil formation as a natural phenomenon of the mobilization of soil biota from the energy of the sun, the atmosphere, and the destruction of minerals in the parent materials; and the essence of soil as a solid phase and as an ecosystem. The novelty of the article study is determined by the consideration of the priority of microorganisms and water regime in soil formation, chemical-analytical identification of types of water regime, and determination of the water regime as a marker of soil genesis.

Optimization in strength-ductility synergy of extruded Mg-3Sn-2Al-1Zn-0.6Y-0.6Nd alloy via novel FPE processes

Three novel FPE processes were proposed by integrating the advantages of conventional extrusion and ECAE, optimizing the strength-ductility synergy of extruded Mg-3Sn-2Al-1Zn-0.6Y-0.6Nd alloy. The deformation mechanism, evolution of texture and variation of the tensile properties of the alloy were investigated. Findings indicate that the alloys fabricated by the FPE processes exhibit a finer and more uniform microstructure with the lowest dislocation density, undergoing the most complete DRX. The FPE process breaks the strength-ductility tradeoff dilemma of the magnesium alloys, achieving a synergistic enhancement of both strength and ductility. The FPE-105 process was determined to be the best process for strengthening the alloy, with a 24.4 % (340 MPa) increase in UTS compared to the FE-10 sample, along with an impressive doubling of the ductility (18.6 %). The excellent mechanical properties provided by the FPE-105 process are primarily stem from the uniform and fine grain distribution and texture modification. The successful application of the three FPE processes to the fabrication of extruded magnesium alloys demonstrates that the series of novel extrusion processes can be further optimized to create magnesium alloys with excellent strength-ductility.

Optimization of a Solvent Exchange Method Enabling the Use of Dehydrated Cellulose Nanofibers as the Thickener in Lubricating Oleogels.

A method that enabled the formulation of lubricating oleogels using dried cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) as an eco-friendly thickener in castor oil was studied. In their dehydrated state, strong hydrogen bonding between nanofibers and high hydrophilicity are the main obstacles to their dispersion in oil. Hence, clusters of dried CNFs had to be previously detached by their dispersion in water. The resulting hydrogels were then subjected to methanol washes to displace the water from the nanofibers. After centrifugation, the methanol-wetted precipitate was readily dispersed in castor oil, forming an oleogel once the methanol was removed. Optimization was conducted in terms of the following variables: (a) hydrogel processing method; (b) hydrogel pH; (c) methanol/hydrogel ratio; (d) number of washes; and (e) oleogel CNF concentration. Their effect on the oleogel linear viscoelastic behavior was analyzed. In general, they demonstrated a prevailing elastic behavior denoted by a well-developed plateau region. The CNF concentration was found to have a more remarkable impact on the oleogels' rheological behavior than any other variable studied. Hence, substantial differences were observed between 1 and 2 wt.%. The CNFs exhibited a very remarkable thickening capacity in castor oil, achieving a plateau modulus of ca. 700 Pa with just 2 wt.%. Moreover, the resulting oleogels maintained a uniform texture even after one year of storage. This indicates that the oleogels were both homogeneous and storage stable, effectively overcoming the stability issues associated with direct dispersion of dried CNFs in castor oil.

Ultrasound treatment improved gelling and emulsifying properties of myofibrillar proteins from Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba)

Antarctic krill is a promising source of marine proteins with abundant biomass and excellent nutritional profile, but has poor technological properties. Ultrasonic treatment at power levels of 0, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 W was applied to improve the technological properties of Antarctic krill meat, and the changes in physicochemical properties of myofibrillar proteins (MPs) were investigated. The results indicated that proper ultrasonic treatment significantly improved the gelling properties of Antarctic krill meat, in terms of a more uniform and stable gel texture and better water holding capacity, which were related to better cross-linking of MPs. Ultrasonic treatment promoted the conversion of MPs’ secondary structures from α-helix and random coil to β-sheet and β-turn, thereby making the molecular structure soft and loose. In addition, at tertiary structure level, ultrasonic treatment exposed the hydrophobic groups and sulfhydryl groups within MPs, thereby improving the emulsifying properties by changing the intermolecular interactions and interface properties. Furthermore, the particle size of MPs decreased and exhibited a more uniform distribution, aligning with the enhanced interactions observed between MPs and oil. These results provide an insight into the efficient development of Antarctic krill by elucidating how the ultrasonic treatment improves the gelling and emulsifying properties based on structure modulation of myofibrillar proteins.

Performance evaluation of cold plasma and h-BN nano-lubricant multi-field coupling assisted micro-milling of aluminum alloy 6061-T651

Micro-milling has been employed in various fields due to its efficiency, flexibility, material, and structural versatility in the machining of small and high-quality parts. However, when micro-milling highly plastic aluminum alloys, it is difficult to produce a smooth surface due to the easy sticking of tools. To solve this problem, a multi-energy field coupling method of adding nano-lubricant to the micro-milling area by minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) and modifying the aluminum alloy by cold plasma (CP) was introduced. In this paper, the experiments of CP and h-BN nano-lubricant minimum quantity lubrication (NMQL) multi-field coupling assisted (CPNMQL) micro-milling of aluminum alloy 6061-T65 were carried out to analyze 3D surface roughness (Sa), tool texture, milling forces (Fx and Fy), and surface morphology. The results revealed that the CP could increase the surface microhardness and improve material removal rate; Cottonseed oil with h-BN nanoparticles exhibited superior lubricating properties; The milling forces Fx and Fy were significantly reduced; Sa (0.029 µm) under CPNMQL condition decreased by 60 %, 72.1 %, 27.5 %, and 53.2 % comparing to dry (0.104 µm), NMQL (0.04 µm), and CP (0.062 µm) conditions. In addition, the smallest and most uniform tool mark texture height and depth of 0.038 µm was obtained under CPNMQL condition, a 76.3 % reduction over dry condition.

Comparison of remineralizing efficacy of two novel preparation of arginine and theobromine on white spot lesion - an in vitro SEM analysis

ABSTRACT Purpose Evaluation of the efficacy of two novel formulations of arginine and theobromine in remineralizing artificial enamel defects using in vitro testing techniques- Microhardness and SEM Materials and methods Enamel slabs measuring 3 mm by 3 mm by 1.5 mm were created using 11 healthy premolars that were excised for orthodontic treatment. Group 1 (control, treated with merely a remineralization solution), Group 2 (0.05% arginine in 10 ml distilled water), and Group 3 (2% theobromine in 10 ml distilled water) were the three groups to which the slabs were randomly allocated (n = 7 per group). The pH cycle was run for 14 days, starting with a 72-h demineralization period and ending with 11 days of remineralization in the corresponding solutions. Prior to and during remineralization, microhardness was measured, and surface features were assessed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Statistical analysis, including Paired T Test, one-way ANOVA, and post hoc Tukey tests, determined that the mean values were significant at the 0.05 level. Results The control group showed a mean microhardness increase from 192.09 ± 19.30 to 208.58 ± 5.76. The arginine group increased significantly from 217.20 ± 4.24 to 304.00 ± 15.96, and the theobromine group from 214.09 ± 7.67 to 283.14 ± 10.91. Statistical analysis indicated that both arginine and theobromine groups had significantly greater microhardness improvements compared to the control (p < 0.05). SEM revealed that although arginine and theobromine enhanced enamel microhardness, surface morphology remained irregular and non-uniform. Conclusion Arginine and theobromine improve enamel microhardness and promote remineralization, but they do not create a uniform surface texture. Further research is needed to optimize their use and explore long-term effects on enamel surface uniformity.

Harnessing AI for precision tonsillitis diagnosis: a revolutionary approach in endoscopic analysis.

Diagnosing and treating tonsillitis pose no significant challenge for otolaryngologists; however, it can increase the infection risk for healthcare professionals amidst the coronavirus pandemic. In recent years, with the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), its application in medical imaging has also thrived. This research is to identify the optimal convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm for accurate diagnosis of tonsillitis and early precision treatment. Semi-supervised learning with pseudo-labels used for self-training was adopted to train our CNN, with the algorithm including UNet, PSPNet, and FPN. A total of 485 pharyngoscopic images from 485 participants were included, comprising healthy individuals (133 cases), patients with the common cold (295 cases), and patients with tonsillitis (57 cases). Both color and texture features from 485 images are extracted for analysis. UNet outperformed PSPNet and FPN in accurately segmenting oropharyngeal anatomy automatically, with average Dice coefficient of 97.74% and a pixel accuracy of 98.12%, making it suitable for enhancing the diagnosis of tonsillitis. The normal tonsils generally have more uniform and smooth textures and have pinkish color, similar to the surrounding mucosal tissues, while tonsillitis, particularly the antibiotic-required type, shows white or yellowish pus-filled spots or patches, and shows more granular or lumpy texture in contrast, indicating inflammation and changes in tissue structure. After training with 485 cases, our algorithm with UNet achieved accuracy rates of 93.75%, 97.1%, and 91.67% in differentiating the three tonsil groups, demonstrating excellent results. Our research highlights the potential of using UNet for fully automated semantic segmentation of oropharyngeal structures, which aids in subsequent feature extraction, machine learning, and enables accurate AI diagnosis of tonsillitis. This innovation shows promise for enhancing both the accuracy and speed of tonsillitis assessments.

Highly transparent inorganic superhydrophilic coatings with sustainable anti-fogging and mechanically robust underwater anti-oil-fouling capabilities

Inorganic coatings with high transparency and superhydrophilicity have attracted tremendous attention because of their potential applications in marine environment monitoring, and oily wastewater treatment. However, the transparency and superhydrophilicity are usually mutually exclusive. Herein, we present a new facile strategy for fabricating highly transparent and mechanically robust superhydrophilic inorganic coatings with outstanding anti-fogging ability and anti-oil-fouling performance for high-viscosity oils. In this strategy, amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) coatings are mineralized on the surface of polydopamine and polyethylenimine (PDA/PEI) membranes under the synergistic effect of magnesium ions, citric acid, and poly(acrylic acid) at room temperature, forming an organic-inorganic composite structure with a uniform texture on various substrates. Owing to the strong hydration capacity of ACP, these coatings are highly efficient at preventing surface fogging and avoiding underwater crude oil fouling. Meanwhile, the ACP coating without grain boundaries or pores can reduce light scattering, thus maintaining the high transparency of the substrate. Moreover, the organic-inorganic composite structure endows the coatings with robust mechanical properties. This PDA/PEI-ACP mineralized coating can be deposited on various substrates, showing potential applications in underwater optical lenses, oily wastewater treatment, microfluidic devices, and other areas.

DIY adapting SEM for low-voltage TEM imaging.

Electron microscopy is essential for examining materials and biological samples at microscopic levels, providing detailed insights. Achieving high-quality imaging is often challenged by the potential damage high-energy beams can cause to sensitive samples. This study compares scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to evaluate image quality, noise levels, and the ability to preserve delicate specimens. We used a modified SEM system with a transmitted electrons conversion accessory, allowing it to operate like a TEM but at lower voltages, thereby reducing sample damage. Our analysis included quantitative assessments of noise levels and texture characteristics such as entropy, contrast, dissimilarity, homogeneity, energy, and correlation. This comprehensive evaluation directly compared traditional TEM and the adapted SEM system across various images. The results showed that TEM provided images with higher clarity and significantly lower noise levels, reinforcing its status as the preferred method for detailed studies. However, the modified SEM system also produced high-quality images at very low acceleration voltages, which is crucial for imaging samples sensitive to high-energy exposure. The texture metrics analysis highlighted the strengths and limitations of each method, with TEM images exhibiting lower entropy and higher homogeneity, indicating smoother and more uniform textures. This study emphasizes the importance of selecting the appropriate electron microscopy method based on research needs, such as sample sensitivity and required detail level. With its conversion accessory, the modified SEM system is a versatile and valuable tool, offering a practical alternative to TEM for various applications. This research enhances our understanding of the capabilities and limitations of SEM and TEM. It paves the way for further innovations in electron microscopy techniques, improving their applicability for studying sensitive materials. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Our study introduces a modified SEM adapter enabling TEM-like imaging at reduced voltages, effectively minimizing sample damage without compromising image resolution. Through comparative analysis, we found that images from the modified SEM closely match the quality of traditional TEM, showcasing significantly lower noise levels. This advancement underscores the SEM's enhanced capability for detailed structural analysis of sensitive materials, broadening its utility across materials science and biology.

HDhuman: High-Quality Human Novel-View Rendering From Sparse Views.

In this paper, we aim to address the challenge of novel view rendering of human performers that wear clothes with complex texture patterns using a sparse set of camera views. Although some recent works have achieved remarkable rendering quality on humans with relatively uniform textures using sparse views, the rendering quality remains limited when dealing with complex texture patterns as they are unable to recover the high-frequency geometry details that are observed in the input views. To this end, we propose HDhuman, which uses a human reconstruction network with a pixel-aligned spatial transformer and a rendering network with geometry-guided pixel-wise feature integration to achieve high-quality human reconstruction and rendering. The designed pixel-aligned spatial transformer calculates the correlations between the input views and generates human reconstruction results with high-frequency details. Based on the surface reconstruction results, the geometry-guided pixel-wise visibility reasoning provides guidance for multi-view feature integration, enabling the rendering network to render high-quality images at 2k resolution on novel views. Unlike previous neural rendering works that always need to train or fine-tune an independent network for a different scene, our method is a general framework that is able to generalize to novel subjects. Experiments show that our approach outperforms all the prior generic or specific methods on both synthetic data and real-world data. Source code and test data will be made publicly available for research purposes at http://cic.tju.edu.cn/faculty/likun/projects/HDhuman/index.html.

Development and evaluation of berberine-loaded bigel for the treatment of hyperpigmentation on B16F10 melanoma cell line.

Aim: The aim of this study was to optimize, develop, characterize and evaluate a topical nanobigel (BG) formulation containing Berberine (BRB) that exhibits anti-melanogenic properties.Materials & methods: The Berberine-loaded bigel (BRB@BG) formulation was prepared by homogenously mixing the optimized hydrogel and oleogel. BRB@BG was characterized in vitro and cytotoxicity study was conducted to evaluate its effects on murine skin melanoma B16F10 cell lines.Results: The optimized BRB@BG exhibited uniform texture with nanometric size, desirable spreadability and extrudability, suitable for topical applications. Cytotoxicity studies revealed that BRB@BG had a lower IC50 value (4.84μg/ml) on B16F10 cell lines compared with drug alone.Conclusion: In conclusion, the developed BRB@BG formulation showed good potential as safe and effective topical treatment for hyperpigmentation.

Performance of asphalt mixtures containing high reclaimed asphalt pavement and waste steel rolling oil

Reducing costs, dealing with environmental problems, and preserving more natural resources are among the main incentives for reusing asphalt instead of road reconstruction. However, asphalt reuse involves the addition of some modifiers to the asphalt mixture. In this respect, rejuvenators investigated in the previous studies did not perform properly against all failures. Besides, they had problems such as lacking access to the required amount for road construction and high production costs. Regarding the high-temperature resistance and antioxidant properties of the waste steel rolling oil (WSRO), for the first time, the effect of using this lubricant was investigated on the recovery of bitumen aging and the performance of asphalt mixture containing high amounts of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). To this end, the conventional (penetration and softening point) tests and rotational viscosity test were conducted to determine the optimal amount of rejuvenator. In addition, FTIR and FESEM tests were carried out for chemical and morphological investigation. SCB and dynamic creep tests were performed on a balanced mix design to examine the performance against cracking and rutting. Moisture sensitivity was also investigated by performing an indirect tensile test. The results show that a uniform texture was created in the aged bitumen modified with WSRO, and there was a decrease in functional groups that represent the occurrence of aging. Therefore, WSRO can restore aging and improve rutting and cracking performance. Resistance to moisture sensitivity also improved. Overall, the results show a performance improvement in the mixture containing high RAP content mixed with WSRO as a waste rejuvenator. However, more studies encompassing rheological, economic and environmental aspects, are needed to conclude about the practical use of this material.