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Polydactyly, or hyperdactyly, is a frequent malformation, with a reported incidence between 0.37 and 1.2 per 1000 live births. Most cases encountered in medical practice are sporadic cases, usually presenting one-sided manifestations. More frequently, polydactyly can be detected prenatally through an ultrasound examination, if not, it is usually diagnosed at birth, during the first physical examination. Although the clinical diagnosis is relatively easy in patients with manifest cases, it can sometimes be present with mild or partial forms that are not clinically evident on physical examination, resulting in later diagnosis and treatment. We reported a particular case of polydactyly of the foot not clinically manifest, diagnosed in a 39-year-old Caucasian Male patient with a history of recurrent localized pain in the big toe often associated with subungual bleeding, since he was a child who came to our emergency room following a car accident. Polydactyly is a frequently reported congenital malformation which may present in many different varieties of deformities. In this case, the X-ray, which was required after a car accident, leads to the incidental diagnosis of polydactyly in an adult patient. As described, because of the functional limitations related to this malformation, as well as to limit recurrent pain, and subungual anomalies, the patient underwent to a surgical correction to improve its quality of life.

Pulse pile-up in pulse-height energy analyzers increases when the incident rate of pulses increases relative to the inverse of the dead time per pulse of the detection system. Changes in the observed energy distributions with incident rate and detector-electronics-formed pulse shape then occur. We focus on weak high energy tails in X-ray spectra, important for measurements on partially ionized, warm (50–500 eV average electron energy), pure hydrogen plasma. A first-principles two-photon pulse-pile-up model is derived specific to trapezoidal-shaped pulses; quantitative agreement is found between the measurements and the model’s predictions. The model is then used to diagnose pulse-pile-up tail artifacts and mitigate them in relatively low count-rate spectra.

Aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and electron diffraction have been used to disclose local structure and nano-chemistry in a Ca modified BaTiO3-Bi(Mg0.5Ti0.5)O3 relaxor dielectric ceramic which exhibits high and near-invariant relative permittivity over a wide temperature range. High resolution, synchrotron X-ray diffraction indicated a globally cubic structure (Pm3m), but direct atomic-scale imaging by STEM revealed local tetragonal distortions. Nanopolar clusters were identified from B-site atomic displacement vectors measured relative to oxygen ion positions along < 100 > and < 110 > zone axes of integrated differential phase contrast (iDPC) STEM images, highlighting cluster sizes of 2–5 nm. Chemical analysis by STEM-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and full pattern refinements of X-ray powder diffraction data each implied high levels of Bi vacancies within the matrix. The possibility that these A-site vacancies modulate the nanopolar structure and promote flattening of the permittivity-temperature response in this class of dielectric is discussed.

To assess the potential benefits of molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations for macromolecular crystallography (MX), we performed room-temperature X-ray diffraction studies of the catalytic subunit of mouse protein kinase A (PKA-C). We then performed crystalline MD simulations of PKA-C, computed simulated electron densities from the water, protein, and ion components of the MD simulations, and carefully compared them to the initial crystal structure. The results led to the development of an MD-MX analysis procedure and several associated methods: 1) density comparison to evaluate consistency between the MD and the initial crystal structure model; 2) water building to generate alternative solvent models; and 3) protein remodeling to improve the crystal structure where interpretation of density is unclear. This procedure produced a revised structure of PKA with a new ordered water model and a modified protein structure. The revisions yield new insights into PKA mechanisms, including: a sensitivity of the His294 conformation to protonation state, with potential consequences for regulation of substrate binding; a remodeling of the Lys217 side chain along with a bound phosphate; an alternative conformation for Lys213 associated with binding to the regulatory subunit; and an alternative conformation for catalytic base Asp166 and nearby waters, suggesting a mechanism of progression of the phosphotransfer reaction via changes in Mg2+ coordination. Based on the benefits seen applying these methods to PKA, we recommend incorporating our MD-MX procedure into MX studies, to decide among ambiguous interpretations of electron density that occur, inevitably, as part of standard model refinement.

Medical imaging, such as chest X-rays, gives an acceptable image of lung functions. Manipulating these images by a radiologist is difficult, thus delaying the diagnosis. Coronavirus is a disease that affects the lung area. Lung segmentation has a significant function in assessing lung disorders. The process of segmentation has seen widespread use of deep learning algorithms. The U-Net is one of the most significant semantic segmentation frameworks for a convolutional neural network. In this paper, the proposed U-Net architecture is evaluated on 565 datasets divided into 500 training images and 65 validation images, For chest X-ray. The findings of the experiments demonstrate that the suggested strategy successfully achieved competitive outcomes with 91.47% and 89.18% accuracy, 0.7494 and 0.7480 IoU, 19.23% and 26.11% loss for training and validation images, respectively.

Objectives Evaluation and follow-up of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) mainly rely on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and pulmonary function tests (PFTs). The elastic registration technique can quantitatively assess lung shrinkage. We aimed to investigate the correlation between lung shrinkage and morphological and functional deterioration in IPF. Methods Patients with IPF who underwent at least two HRCT scans and PFTs were retrospectively included. Elastic registration was performed on the baseline and follow-up HRCTs to obtain deformation maps of the whole lung. Jacobian determinants were calculated from the deformation fields and after logarithm transformation, log_jac values were represented on color maps to describe morphological deterioration, and to assess the correlation between log_jac values and PFTs. Results A total of 69 patients with IPF (male 66) were included. Jacobian maps demonstrated constriction of the lung parenchyma marked at the lung base in patients who were deteriorated on visual and PFT assessment. The log_jac values were significantly reduced in the deteriorated patients compared to the stable patients. Mean log_jac values showed positive correlation with baseline percentage of predicted vital capacity (VC%) (r = 0.394, p < 0.05) and percentage of predicted forced vital capacity (FVC%) (r = 0.395, p < 0.05). Additionally, the mean log_jac values were positively correlated with pulmonary vascular volume (r = 0.438, p < 0.01) and the number of pulmonary vascular branches (r = 0.326, p < 0.01). Conclusions Elastic registration between baseline and follow-up HRCT was helpful to quantitatively assess the morphological deterioration of lung shrinkage in IPF, and the quantitative indicator log_jac values were significantly correlated with PFTs. Key Points • The elastic registration on HRCT was helpful to quantitatively assess the deterioration of IPF. • Jacobian logarithm was significantly reduced in deteriorated patients and mean log_jac values were correlated with PFTs. • The mean log_jac values were related to the changes of pulmonary vascular volume and the number of vascular branches.

Different types of medical imaging are increasingly being used to explain specific aspects of injuries to patients during consultations. However, there are no validated questionnaires available yet that specifically measure patients’ satisfaction with the use of such images. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a patient-centred measure of satisfaction with the use of medical imaging modalities in clinical treatment. A preliminary 22-item version of the Questionnaire for Patient Satisfaction with Imaging (QPSI) was developed based on extant literature and interviews with trauma patients. Final item selection and psychometric evaluations were conducted amongst a sample of 106 hospital trauma patients who were shown medical images of their injuries. The psychometric analyses resulted in a final 13-item questionnaire comprising two subscales that measure the importance of seeing the images (9 items) and the clearness of the image (4 items). Both subscales showed adequate internal consistency (α = 0.84 and 0.75). The subscales were weakly intercorrelated (ρ = 0.34) and were both significantly and independently associated with patients’ global ratings of satisfaction with the use of imaging. The final two-dimensional QPSI is an innovative, reliable and valid questionnaire for measuring patients’ satisfaction with imaging-based information during clinical consultations.

Developing new technologies for carbon sequestra-tion and long-term carbon storage is important. Clay minerals are interesting in this context as they are low-cost, naturally abundant, can adsorb considerable amounts of CO2, and are present in storage sites for anthropogenic carbon. Here, to better understand the intercalation mechanisms of CO2 in dehydrated and hydrated synthetic Na-fluorohectorite clay, we have combined powder X-ray diffraction, inelastic and quasi-elastic neutron scattering, and density functional theory calculations. For dehydrated Na-fluorohectorite, we observe no crystalline swelling or spectroscopic changes in response to CO2, whereas for the hydrated case, damping of the librational modes related to the intercalated water was clearly observed. These findings suggest the formation of a more disordered water coordination in the interlayer associated with highly confined water molecules. From the simulations, we conclude that intercalated water molecules decrease the layer-layer cohesion energy and create physical space for CO2 intercalation. Furthermore, we confirm that interlayer confinement reduces the Na+ hydration number when compared to that in bulk aqueous water, which may allow for proton transfer and hydroxide formation followed by CO2 adsorption in the form of carbonates. The experimental results are discussed in the context of previous and present observations on, a similar smectite, Ni-fluorohectorite, for which it is established that CO2 attaches to the edge of nickel hydroxide islands present in the interlayer.

The study, preservation and restoration of the cultural heritage objects of mankind are not only of great cultural importance but also have a significant economic component because cultural values of past centuries attract tourists from all over the world. The use of modern technical and scientific achievements in the field of non-destructive testing makes it possible to obtain new knowledge about cultural objects regarding their origin and dating, as well as to contribute to their better restoration and preservation. An important component of their use is additional opportunities to identify high quality fakes of original cultural objects that have historical significance. The capabilities of various non-destructive testing (NDT) methods used to examine cultural objects are characterized by their penetration depth, resolution, and sensitivity to material properties. Thus, in many cases, it is necessary to perform multi-sensor non-destructive testing and creating large data sets that require an efficient evaluation. This article considers an example of using microwave (MW) holographic sensors for the examining of an old Orthodox Russian Icon dated of the late 19th century. The paper describes the technology of microwave holography, which has recently been applied to the examination of art works. Unlike the well-studied X-ray method, MW holography makes it possible to examine objects with one-sided access. Its other advantages are the relative cheapness of the equipment and the safety of use due to the low level of radiation. The article describes a MW holograms reconstruction algorithm, as well as a method for improving the quality of obtained MW images. The data collected at MW research of the Icon are compared with the results of X-ray examination and confirmed by subsequent opening and visual examination performed by professional restorers.

In their recent commentary in Protein Science, Jaskolski et al. analyzed three randomly picked diffraction data sets from fragment-screening group depositions from the PDB and, based on that, they claimed that such data are principally problematic. We demonstrate here that if such data are treated properly, none of the proclaimed criticisms persist.

A new solid solution Bi1.56-xCaxSb1.48Co0.96O7-δ (0≤x≤0.3) with a pyrochlore-like structure (A2B2O7) was synthesized in air by chemical solid-state reaction. The solution crystallized in the cubic system with the Fd-3m space group. A regular decrease of the lattice parameter was observed when calcium replaced bismuth in the A site. The electric measurements showed that the electrical conductivity increased with the temperature and that high values of relative permittivity and dielectric loss were put in evidence. Measurements of magnetic susceptibility indicated a paramagnetic behavior of the samples with an effective moment included between 4.81 and 5.12 μB and at a low temperature para-ferromagnetic transition was observed for fractions x= 0.2 and 0.3.

Uvod: Forenzična radiologija je specializirana veja radiološke slikovne diagnostike, ki se multidisciplinarno povezuje s številnimi drugimi strokami. Slednje se skupaj s forenzično radiologijo ukvarjajo z odkrivanjem identifikacij neznanih trupel ter vzrokov poškodb in smrti, ki so nastale kot posledica kaznivih dejanj, naravnih smrti ali drugih posebnih okoliščin. Namen: Namen diplomskega dela je preko večinoma tuje literature, sistematično raziskati različna področja forenzične radiologije in njihovo uporabo. Osredotočili se bomo na naslednje forenzične radiološke tehnike: postmortalna računalniška tomografija, postmortalna magnetna resonanca, postmortalno rentgensko slikanje, postmortalni ultrazvok, in mikro računalniška tomografija ter na spremembe telesa po smrti in uporabo pridobljenih slik za izdelvo 3D modelov in simulacij. Metode dela: Metodologija diplomskega dela vsebuje deskriptivno, kompilacijsko in komparacijsko metodo ter metodo sistematičnega pregleda literature. Raziskave in strokovne članke o postmortalni in forenzični radiologiji smo iskali na naslednjih svetovnih podatkovnih bazah: Web of Science, Ovid MEDLINE, Springer Link, ScienceDirect in PubMed. Ključne besede s katerimi smo iskali članke in raziskave, so bile v angleškem jeziku. Rezultati: V rezultatih smo predstavili in opisali 30 raziskav in člankov, ki opisujejo različna področja forenzične radiologije. Slednja obsegajo različne vzroke smrti kot tudi različne slikovne tehnike prikaza le-teh. Velika večina rezultatov opisuje postmortalno računalniško tomografijo. Po številčnosti mu sledijo postmortalna magnetna resonanca, konvencionalna avtopsija, postmortalno rentgensko slikanje, tri dimenzionalne tehnike, angiografske preiskave in mikro računalniška tomografija. Razprava in zaključek: Ugotovitve povzemajo, da klasična avtopsija ostaja zlati standard za ugotavljanje vzroka smrti. Povzeli smo prednosti in slabosti forenzičnih radioloških slikovnih metod in avtopsije. Največ informacij se lahko pridobi, če združimo slednjo z različnimi radiološkimi metodami, med katerimi prevladuje postmortalna računalniška tomografija. Ta veja forenzične medicine bo s tehnološkim razvojem čedalje bolj pomembna, tudi zaradi vseh (3D) rekonstrukcij, ki jih njeni slikovni podatki omogočajo. Posledično bo za diagnostično kvalitetne rezultate potrebno vlagati v razvijanje in izpopolnjevanje znanja in tehnik na forenzično-radiološkem področju. Introduction: Forensic radiology is a specialised branch of radiological imaging diagnostics that is multidisciplinary and intricately connected with numerous other fields. Along with forensic radiology, these fields are involved in the identification of unknown bodies, as well as determining the causes of injuries and deaths resulting from criminal acts, natural causes, or other exceptional circumstances. Purpose: The purpose of this diploma thesis is to systematically review various areas of forensic radiology and their application, primarily through foreign literature. We will focus on the following forensic radiological techniques: postmortem computed tomography, postmortem magnetic resonance, postmortem x-ray, postmortem ultrasound, and micro computed tomography, as well as changes to the body after death. Methods: The methodology of the diploma thesis includes the descriptive, compilation, and comparative methods, as well as the systematic literature review method. Research and professional articles on postmortem and forensic radiology were searched for in the following global databases: Web of Science, Ovid MEDLINE, Springer Link, ScienceDirect, and PubMed. The search terms used to find articles and research were in the English language. Results: In the results, we presented and described 30 studies and articles that describe various areas of forensic radiology. These encompass different modes of death as well as various imaging techniques to display them. Most of the results describe postmortem computed tomography. Following it in terms of numbers are postmortem magnetic resonance, conventional autopsy, postmortem x-ray, three dimensional techniques, angiographic examinations, and micro computed tomography. Discussion and conclusion: The findings summarise that conventional autopsy remains the gold standard for determining the cause of death. We summarised the advantages and disadvantages of forensic radiological imaging methods and autopsy. The most information can be obtained by combining the latter with various radiological methods, with postmortem computed tomography being the predominant one. This branch of forensic medicine will become increasingly important with technological development, also due to all the (3D) reconstructions that its imaging data allows. Consequently, it will be necessary to invest in developing and improving knowledge and techniques in the forensic radiological field to achieve diagnostically high-quality results.

X-ray detectors have numerous applications in medical imaging, industrial inspection, and crystal structure analysis. Gallium oxide (Ga2O3) shows potential as a material for high-performance X-ray detectors due to its wide bandgap, relatively high mass attenuation coefficient, and resistance to radiation damage. In this study, we present Sn-doped Ga2O3 microwire detectors for solar-blind and X-ray detection. The developed detectors exhibit a switching ratio of 1.66 × 102 under X-ray irradiation and can operate stably from room temperature to 623 K, which is one of the highest reported operating temperatures for Ga2O3 X-ray detectors to date. These findings offer a promising new direction for the design of Ga2O3-based X-ray detectors.

The production of synthetic iron castings in Russia comprises 50% of all alloys produced; therefore, increasing their smelting efficiency is an urgent task in the industry. This process depends primarily on the efficiency of industrial frequency induction crucible furnaces using acid lining. In the present study, the properties of quartzite, which forms the basis of such a lining, were investigated. An analysis of the proposed variants for changing the composition of the acid lining for use at temperatures of 1550–1600 °C was conducted. Following the preliminary temperature treatment of raw quartzite, which was then subjected to a sintering regime, we determined the conditions under which it was possible to obtain a phase state, allowing for the operation of the lining at temperatures above 1450 °C. We determined the use of an electrocorundum of two fractions as an additive to the traditional composition of the acid lining. The industrial testing of a new liner composition for the smelting of synthetic cast iron in an induction crucible melting furnace with a single steel scrap-metal filling was assessed, which required the use of an increased amount of carburizing agent. The positive results obtained can be explained by the study of the spent lining, which withstood 345 smelting methods of genophasic rent analysis. The results of the test are based on the results obtained in a study conducted on the finished coating of the product.

The development of automatic chest X-ray (CXR) disease classification algorithms is significant for diagnosing thoracic diseases. Owing to the characteristics of lesions in CXR images, including high similarity in appearance of the disease, varied sizes, and different occurrence locations, most existing convolutional neural network-based methods have insufficient feature extraction for thoracic lesions and struggle to adapt to changes in lesion size and location. To address these issues, this study proposes a high-resolution classification network with dynamic convolution and coordinate attention (HRCC-Net). In the method, this study suggests a parallel multi-resolution network in which a high-resolution branch acquires essential detailed features of the lesion and multi-resolution feature swapping and fusion to obtain multiple receptive fields to extract complicated disease features adequately. Furthermore, this study proposes dynamic convolution to enhance the network’s ability to represent multi-scale information to accommodate lesions of diverse scales. In addition, this study introduces a coordinate attention mechanism, which enables automatic focus on pathologically relevant regions and capturing the variations in lesion location. The proposed method is evaluated on ChestX-ray14 and CheXpert datasets. The average AUC (area under ROC curve) values reach 0.845 and 0.913, respectively, indicating this method’s advantages compared with the currently available methods. Meanwhile, with its specificity and sensitivity to measure the performance of medical diagnostic systems, the network can improve diagnostic efficiency while reducing the rate of misdiagnosis. The proposed algorithm has great potential for thoracic disease diagnosis and treatment.

Hybrid composite materials can successfully solve the problems of reliability, durability, and extended functionality of products, components, and details, which operate under conditions of multifactorial influences (temperature, force, and deformation). The authors have developed a hybrid composite high-entropy AlCoCrCuFeNi material and ceramic cBNCoMo(B4CCoMo) layer. The formation of hybrid composites was carried out using new technology. This technology includes high-energy machining, high-velocity oxygen-fuel spraying in a protective environment, high-temperature thermomechanical treatment, and heat treatment. The use of the developed technology made it possible to increase the adhesive strength of the composite layers from 68 to 192 MPa. The authors performed an assessment of the structural parameters of the composite layers. The assessment showed that the composite layers had a nanocrystalline structure. The research included mechanical tests of the hybrid composites Hastelloy X (NiCrFeMo)—AlCoCrCuFeNi—cBNCoMo and Hastelloy X (NiCrFeMo)—AlCoCrCuFeNi—B4CCoMo for cyclic durability (fatigue mechanical tests) and friction wear. The use of surface-layered materials AlCoCrCuFeNi—cBNCoMo and AlCoCrCuFeNi—B4CCoMo in the composition of hybrid composites significantly increased cyclic durability. The use of surface-layered materials in the composition of hybrid composites made it possible to reduce wear intensity. The test results show that the developed composites are promising for use in various industries (including oil and gas), where high strength and wear resistance of materials are required.

SPEX is a spectral fitting package optimised for high-resolution spectroscopy. It has been developed since the 1990’s and was based on the popular MEKAL code. In the last decade, we expanded the atomic database, added new models and improved the user experience. A new 3D model for clusters of galaxies and a time-dependent non-equilibrium photo-ionisation model are two of the most recent additions. Like most of the SPEX models, the software provides several output options for plasma parameters like, for example, ionisation balance, transition rates, and line lists, which enables advanced interpretation of the plasma properties. A Python interface is added, allowing users to control and get data from a SPEX session, which makes scripting much easier. This year, we expect to release SPEX version 4. This version will have a modular setup with documented libraries, enabling the integration of SPEX in other software. With the upcoming launch of XRISM, we will have a very capable spectral fitting tool to interpret the upcoming high-quality spectra from Resolve, but also the existing high-resolution grating spectra of XMM-Newton and Chandra.

DAPHNE4NFDI focuses on research with photons and neutrons at large-scale research facilities. The main goal of DAPHNE4NFDI is to make data from these experiments "FAIR", thereby making scientific work more efficient and gaining more knowledge from the data. The overall goals of DAPHNE4NFDI are Improve metadata capture through consistent workflows supported by user-driven online logbooks that are linked to the data collection, thus enabling a richer capture of information about the experiments than is currently possible; Establish a community repository of processed data, new reference databases and analysis code for published results, linked, where possible, to raw data sources, to sustainably improve access to research data and enable data and software re-use; Develop, curate and deploy user-developed analysis software on facility computing infrastructure so that ordinary users can benefit from and repeat the analysis performed by leading power user groups through common data analysis portals. This is the public version of the proposal of DAPHNE4NFDI. For more information please visit the project website., This work is supported in the context of the work of the NFDI e.V. The consortium DAPHNE4NFDI is funded by the DFG - project number 460248799.

Laser powder bed fusion is one of the most effective ways to achieve metal additive manufacturing. However, this method still suffers from deformation, delamination, dimensional error, and porosities. One of the most significant issues is poor printing accuracy, especially for small features such as turbine blade tips. The main reason for the shape inaccuracy is the heat accumulation caused by using constant laser power regardless of the shape variations. Due to the highly complex and dynamic nature of the laser powder bed fusion, improving the printing quality is challenging. Research gaps exist from many perspectives. For example, the lack of understanding of multi-physical melt pool dynamics fundamentally impedes the research progress. The scarcity of a customizable laser powder bed platform further restricts the possibility of testing the improvement strategies. Additionally, most state-of-the-art quality inspection techniques suitable for laser powder bed fusion are costly in economic and time aspects. Lastly, the rapid and chaotic printing process is hard to monitor and control. This dissertation proposes a complete research scheme including a fundamental physics study, process signature and quality correlation, smart additive manufacturing platform development, high-performance sensor development, and a robust real-time closed-loop control system design to address all these issues. The entire research flow of this dissertation is as follows: 1. This work applies and integrates three advanced sensing technologies: synchrotron X-ray imaging, high-speed IR camera, and high-spatial-resolution IR camera to characterize the melt pool dynamics, keyhole, porosity formation, vapor plume, and thermal evolution in Ti-64 and 410 stainless steel. The study discovers a strong correlation between the thermal and X-ray data, enabling the feasibility of using relatively cheap IR cameras to predict features that can only be captured using costly synchrotron X-ray imaging. Such correlation is essential for thermal-based melt pool control. 2. A highly customizable smart laser powder bed fusion platform is designed and constructed. This platform integrates numerous sensors, including but not limited to co-axial cameras, IR cameras, oxygen sensors, photodiodes, etc. The platform allows in-process parameter adjusting, which opens the boundary to test various control theories based on multi-sensing and data correlations. 3. To fulfill the quality assessment need of laser powder bed fusion, this dissertation proposes a novel structured light 3D scanner with extraordinary high spatial resolution. The spatial resolution and accuracy are improved by establishing hardware selection criteria, integrating the proper hardware, designing a scale-appropriate calibration target, and developing noise reduction procedures during calibration. Compared to the commercial scanner, the proposed scanner improves the spatial resolution from 48 µm to 5 µm and the accuracy from 108.5 µm to 0.5 µm. 4. The final goal of quality improvement is achieved through designing and implementing a real-time closed-loop system into the smart laser powder bed fusion platform. The system regulates the laser power based on the monitoring result from a novel thermal sensor. The desired printing temperature is found by correlating the laser power, the dimensional accuracy, and the thermal signatures from a set of thin-wall structure printing trails. An innovative high-speed data acquisition and communication software can operate the whole system with a graphic user interface. The result shows the laser power can be successfully controlled with 2 kHz, and a significant improvement in small feature printing accuracy has been observed. Doctor of Philosophy Laser powder bed fusion is one of the most effective ways to achieve metal additive manufacturing. However, this method still suffers from defects such as deformation, delamination, dimensional error, and porosities. Due to the highly complex and dynamic nature of the laser powder bed fusion, improving the printing quality is challenging. Research gaps exist from many perspectives, such as the lack of understanding of melt pool dynamics; the scarcity of a customizable laser powder bed platform; the need for suitable sensors; and the missing of a control system that can effectively regulate the rapid and chaotic printing process. This dissertation proposes a complete research scheme to address all these issues. The fundamental study characterizes the melt pool dynamics and discovers a strong correlation between the melt pool thermal and geometrical data, enabling thermal-based melt pool control. Following that, a highly customizable smart laser powder bed fusion platform is designed and constructed. The platform allows in-process parameter changes, opening the boundary to test various control theories. A novel structured light 3D scanner with an ultra-high spatial resolution was proposed to fulfill the quality assessment need. The final goal of quality improvement is achieved through designing and implementing a real-time closed-loop system into the smart laser powder bed fusion platform. The system regulates the laser power based on real-time thermal monitoring. The result shows the laser power can be successfully controlled with 2 kHz, and a significant improvement in printing accuracy is achieved.

Osteomyelitis is an infection of the bone that is often difficult to treat and causes a significant healthcare burden. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common pathogen causing osteomyelitis. Osteomyelitis mouse models have been established to gain further insights into the pathogenesis and host response. Here, we use an established S. aureus hematogenous osteomyelitis mouse model to investigate morphological tissue changes and bacterial localization in chronic osteomyelitis with a focus on the pelvis. X-ray imaging was performed to follow the disease progression. Six weeks post infection, when osteomyelitis had manifested itself with a macroscopically visible bone deformation in the pelvis, we used two orthogonal methods, namely fluorescence imaging and label-free Raman spectroscopy, to characterise tissue changes on a microscopic scale and to localise bacteria in different tissue regions. Hematoxylin and eosin as well as Gram staining were performed as a reference method. We could detect all signs of a chronically florid tissue infection with osseous and soft tissue changes as well as with different inflammatory infiltrate patterns. Large lesions dominated in the investigated tissue samples. Bacteria were found to form abscesses and were distributed in high numbers in the lesion, where they could occasionally also be detected intracellularly. In addition, bacteria were found in lower numbers in surrounding muscle tissue and even in lower numbers in trabecular bone tissue. The Raman spectroscopic imaging revealed a metabolic state of the bacteria with reduced activity in agreement with small cell variants found in other studies. In conclusion, we present novel optical methods to characterise bone infections, including inflammatory host tissue reactions and bacterial adaptation.

For a subpopulation of energetic gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), a moderate baryonic loading may suffice to power ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs). Motivated by this, we study the radiative signatures of cosmic-ray protons in the prompt phase of energetic GRBs. Our framework is the internal shock model with multicollision descriptions of the relativistic ejecta (with different emission regions along the jet), plus time-dependent calculations of photon and neutrino spectra. Our GRB prototypes are motivated by Fermi-Large Area Telescope-detected GRBs (including GRB 221009A) for which further, owing to the large energy flux, neutrino nonobservation of single events may pose a strong limit on the baryonic loading. We study the feedback of protons on electromagnetic spectra in synchrotron- and inverse Compton-dominated scenarios to identify the multiwavelength signatures, to constrain the maximally allowed baryonic loading, and to point out the differences between hadronic and inverse Compton signatures. We find that hadronic signatures appear as correlated flux increases in the optical-UV to soft X-ray and GeV–TeV gamma-ray ranges in the synchrotron scenarios, whereas they are difficult to identify in inverse Compton-dominated scenarios. We demonstrate that baryonic loadings around 10, which satisfy the UHECR energetic requirements, do not distort the predicted photon spectra in the Fermi Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor range and are consistent with constraints from neutrino data if the collision radii are large enough (i.e., the time variability is not too short). It therefore seems plausible that under the condition of large dissipation radii a population of energetic GRBs can be the origin of the UHECRs.

Cortisol is a steroid hormone that is produced by the adrenal gland. It is a primary stress hormone that increases glucose levels in the blood stream. High concentrations of cortisol in the body can be used as a biomarker for acute and chronic stress and related mental and physiological disorders. Therefore, the accurate quantification of cortisol levels in body fluids is essential for clinical diagnosis. In this article, we describe the isolation of recombinant anti-cortisol antibodies with high affinity for cortisol and discover their cross-reactivity with other glucocorticoids. To describe the cortisol binding site and elucidate the structural basis for the binding specificity, the high-resolution crystal structures of the anti-cortisol (17) Fab fragment in the absence of glucocorticoid (2.00 Å) and the presence of cortisol (2.26 Å), corticosterone (1.86 Å), cortisone (1.85 Å) and prednisolone (2.00 Å) were determined. To our knowledge, this is the first determined crystal structure of a cortisol-specific antibody. The recognition of cortisol is driven by hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding at the protein–ligand interface coupled with a conformational transition. Comparison of ligand-free and ligand-bound structures showed that the side chains of residues Tyr58-H and Arg56-H can undergo local conformational changes at the binding site, most likely prior to the binding event via a conformational selection mechanism. Compared to other anti-steroid antibody–antigen complexes, (17) Fab possesses a structurally unique steroid binding site, as the H3 loop from the CDR area has only a minor contribution, but framework residues have a prominent contribution to hapten binding.

We report measured Tc of superconducting Ti/Au bilayer strips with a width W varying from 5 to 50 µm. The strips were fabricated based on a Ti/Au bilayer that consists of a 41-nm-thick Ti layer to which a 280-nm-thick Au layer was added. We find that the Tc drops as W decreases and the declining trend almost perfectly follows Tc/ [mK] = - 738.4 [μ m] 2/ W2+ 91.0 , where Tc(W= ∞) of 91 mK is consistent with the intrinsic Tc of the bilayer. The result is interpreted as a consequence of the lateral inverse proximity effect originated in normal-metal microstructures, namely Au overhangs that exist at the edges of the Ti/Au bilayer. The Tc shift from the intrinsic Tc should be anticipated in addition to the longitudinal proximity effect from superconducting Nb leads when one designs Ti/Au TESs.

Background: The comprehensive understanding of nanomaterial behavior in biological systems is essential in accurately modeling and predicting nanomaterial fate and toxicity. Synchrotron radiation (SR) X-ray techniques, based on their ability to study electronic configuration, coordination geometry, or oxidative state of nanomaterials with high sensitivity and spatial resolution, have been introduced to analyze the transformation behavior of nanomaterials in biological systems. Methods: Previous research in this field are classified and summarized. Results: To start with, a brief introduction of a few widely used SR-based analytical techniques including X-ray absorption spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence microprobe, scanning transmission X-ray microscopy and circular dichroism spectroscopy is provided. Then, the recent advances of their applications in the analysis of nanomaterial behaviors are elaborated based on different nanomaterial transformation forms such as biodistribution, biomolecule interaction, decomposition, redox reaction, and recrystallization/agglomeration. Finally, a few challenges faced in this field are proposed. Conclusion: This review summarizes the application of SR X-ray techniques in analyzing the fate of inorganic nanomaterials in biological systems. We hope it can help the readers to have a general understanding of the applications of SR-based techniques in studying nanomaterial biotransformation and to stimulate more insightful researches in relevant fields.

For the medical diagnosis, radiopaque materials (RM) made from high specific gravity elements like Pt, Au, Ta, Iodine, Bromine are either attached or blended or coated on an implant to makes it detectable under X-ray/Fluoroscopy/CT-Scan. RM facilitate the surgeon in an operation theatre to position an implant during the surgery. Mainly, RM are non-degradable, thus in case of biodegradable implants, it may detach from the body and accumulate in vital organ cause serious health issue. Therefore, a new bioresorbable radiopaque material (BRM) was produced by alloying the high specific gravity elements Zn (35% w/w) and Y(4% w/w) with Mg metal. In this alloy, three main phases were identified, alpha Mg, Mg7Zn3 and icosahedral quasicrystalline I-phase Mg3Zn6Y, which reinforce the Mg matrix. Hereafter, BRM was powdered to a size of less than 25microns and blended in different ratios with bioresorbable poly- l -lactic acid (PLLA) for fabricating PLLA/BRM bio-composite. BRM microparticles were uniformly distributed and interfacial bonded with the matrix. The X-ray was passed through bio-composite to capture µCT radiograph for evaluating linear attenuation co-efficient (µ) and optical density (OD). Thermal analysis reveals that BRM particles act as a nucleating site and enhance the crystallinity of the polymeric chain. During the In Vitro accelerated degradation study, the alkaline nature of BRM neutralise the acidity of PLLA and balance the pH of the body fluid to reduce the inflammatory reactions, but this compromises the stability of the polymer as it increases the decomposition rate.

The aim of this study was to establish a relationship between the textural parameters observed in X-ray images of bones and the age of the individual. The study utilized a meticulous visual analysis of the images to identify significant correlations between textural features and age. Five distinct regions of interest, namely the Wing of the Ilium, Neck of the Femur, Greater Trochanter, Ischium, and Shaft of the Femur, were identified on both sides of the body. Textural parameters were then measured for each of these regions. The left femoral neck showed the most noteworthy associations, with the textures generated from the histogram of oriented gradients and gray-level co-occurrence matrix exhibiting the strongest correlations (ρ −0.52, p-value 4.95 × 10−14). The main finding of the current study is that correlation of age-dependent bone structure differences in the femoral neck area is higher than in other structures of the femur. This proposed methodology has the potential to aid in the early detection of osteoporosis, which is crucial for devising treatment plans and identifying potential risks associated with bone fragility.

The pincer ligand 2,4-bis(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-6-methoxy-1,3,5-triazine (bpmt) was used to synthesize the novel [Na(bpmt)2][AuCl4] complex through the self-assembly method. In this complex, the Na(I) ion is hexa-coordinated with two tridentate N-pincer ligands (bpmt). The two bpmt ligand units are meridionally coordinated to Na(I) via one short Na-N(s-triazine) and two slightly longer Na-N(pyrazole) bonds, resulting in a distorted octahedral geometry around the Na(I) ion. In the coordinated bpmt ligand, the s-triazine core is not found to be coplanar with the two pyrazole moieties. Additionally, the two bpmt units are strongly twisted from one another by 64.94°. Based on Hirshfeld investigations, the H···H (53.4%) interactions have a significant role in controlling the supramolecular arrangement of the [Na(bpmt)2][AuCl4] complex. In addition, the Cl···H (12.2%), C···H (11.5%), N···H (9.3%), and O···H (4.9%) interactions are significant. Antimicrobial investigations revealed that the [Na(bpmt)2][AuCl4] complex has promising antibacterial and antifungal activities. The [Na(bpmt)2][AuCl4] complex showed enhanced antibacterial activity for the majority of the studied gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria compared to the free bpmt (MIC = 62.5–125 µg/mL vs. MIC = 62.5–500 µg/mL, respectively) and Amoxicillin (MIC > 500 µg/mL) as a positive control. Additionally, the [Na(bpmt)2][AuCl4] complex had better antifungal efficacy (MIC = 125 µg/mL) against C. albicans compared to bpmt (MIC = 500 µg/mL).

Background Radiographic progression and course of inflammation over 2 years in patients with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) from the phase 3, randomized, PREVENT study are reported here. Methods In the PREVENT study, adult patients fulfilling the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society classification criteria for nr-axSpA with elevated CRP and/or MRI inflammation received secukinumab 150 mg or placebo. All patients received open-label secukinumab from week 52 onward. Sacroiliac (SI) joint and spinal radiographs were scored using the modified New York (mNY) grading (total sacroiliitis score; range, 0–8) and modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (mSASSS; range, 0–72), respectively. SI joint bone marrow edema (BME) was assessed using the Berlin Active Inflammatory Lesions Scoring (0–24) and spinal MRI using the Berlin modification of the AS spine MRI (ASspiMRI) scoring (0–69). Results Overall, 78.9% (438/555) of patients completed week 104 of the study. Over 2 years, minimal changes were observed in total radiographic SI joint scores (mean [SD] change, − 0.04 [0.49] and 0.04 [0.36]) and mSASSS scores (0.04 [0.47] and 0.07 [0.36]) in the secukinumab and placebo-secukinumab groups. Most of the patients showed no structural progression (increase ≤ smallest detectable change) in SI joint score (87.7% and 85.6%) and mSASSS score (97.5% and 97.1%) in the secukinumab and placebo-secukinumab groups. Only 3.3% (n = 7) and 2.9% (n = 3) of patients in the secukinumab and placebo-secukinumab groups, respectively, who were mNY-negative at baseline were scored as mNY-positive at week 104. Overall, 1.7% and 3.4% of patients with no syndesmophytes at baseline in the secukinumab and placebo-secukinumab group, respectively, developed ≥ 1 new syndesmophyte over 2 years. Reduction in SI joint BME observed at week 16 with secukinumab (mean [SD], − 1.23 [2.81] vs − 0.37 [1.90] with placebo) was sustained through week 104 (− 1.73 [3.49]). Spinal inflammation on MRI was low at baseline (mean score, 0.82 and 1.07 in the secukinumab and placebo groups, respectively) and remained low (mean score, 0.56 at week 104). Conclusion Structural damage was low at baseline and most patients showed no radiographic progression in SI joints and spine over 2 years in the secukinumab and placebo-secukinumab groups. Secukinumab reduced SI joint inflammation, which was sustained over 2 years. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02696031.

We analyze a sample of 25 [Ne v] (λ3426) emission-line galaxies at 1.4 < z < 2.3 using Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 G102 and G141 grism observations from the CANDELS Lyα Emission at Reionization (CLEAR) survey. [Ne v] emission probes extremely energetic photoionization (creation potential of 97.11 eV) and is often attributed to energetic radiation from active galactic nuclei (AGNs), shocks from supernovae, or an otherwise very hard ionizing spectrum from the stellar continuum. In this work, we use [Ne v] in conjunction with other rest-frame UV/optical emission lines ([O ii] λ λ3726, 3729, [Ne iii] λ3869, Hβ, [O iii] λ λ4959, 5007, Hα+[N ii] λ λ6548, 6583, [S ii] λ λ6716, 6731), deep (2–7 Ms) X-ray observations (from Chandra), and mid-infrared imaging (from Spitzer) to study the origin of this emission and to place constraints on the nature of the ionizing engine. The majority of the [Ne v]-detected galaxies have properties consistent with ionization from AGNs. However, for our [Ne v]-selected sample, the X-ray luminosities are consistent with local (z ≲ 0.1) X-ray-selected Seyferts, but the [Ne v] luminosities are more consistent with those from z ∼ 1 X-ray-selected QSOs. The excess [Ne v] emission requires either reduced hard X-rays or a ∼0.1 keV excess. We discuss possible origins of the apparent [Ne v] excess, which could be related to the “soft (X-ray) excess” observed in some QSOs and Seyferts and/or be a consequence of a complex/anisotropic geometry for the narrow-line region, combined with absorption from a warm, relativistic wind ejected from the accretion disk. We also consider implications for future studies of extreme high-ionization systems in the epoch of reionization (z ≳ 6) with the James Webb Space Telescope.

Structures of three cocrystals of nootropic racetams were studied. They included two cocrystals of phenylpiracetam (PPA) with 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (HBA) with different stoichiometries, PPA·HBA and PPA·2HBA, and cocrystal of 2-(4-phenyl-2-oxopyrrolidin-1-yl)-N’-isopropylideneacetohydrazide (PPAH) with 4-hydroxybenzamide (HBD), PPAH·HBD·(acetone solvate). X-ray study of the pure forms of PPA and PPAH was also carried out to identify variations of molecular synthons under the influence of conformers. The cocrystal structures revealed the diversity of supramolecular synthons namely, amide-amide, amide-acid, acid-acid, and hydroxyl-hydroxyl; however, very similar molecular chains were found in PPA and PPA·2HBA, and similar molecular dimers in PPAH and PPAH·HBD. In addition, conformational molecular diversity was observed as disorder in PPA·2HBA as it was observed earlier for rac-PPA that allows for the consideration that cocrystal as an example of partial solid solution. Quantum chemical calculations of PPA and PPAH conformers demonstrated that for most conformers, energy differences do not exceed 2 kcal/mol that suggests the influence of packing conditions (in this case R- and S-enantiomers intend to occupy the same molecular position in crystal) on molecular conformation.

The microstructural features of three different materials have been quantified by means of 2D image analysis and X-ray micro-computer tomography (CT) and the results were compared to determine the reliability of the 2D analysis in the material characterization. The 3D quantification of shrinkage pores and Fe-rich inclusions of an Al-Si-Cu alloy by X-ray tomography was compared with the statistical analysis of the 2D metallographic pictures and a significant difference in the results was found due to the complex morphology of shrinkage pores and Fe-rich particles. Furthermore, wood particles of a wood-plastic composite were measured by dynamic image analysis and X-ray tomography. Similar results were obtained for the maximum length of the particles, although the results of width differ considerably, which leads to a miscalculation of the particles aspect ratio. Finally, air voids of a foam concrete were investigated by the analysis of the 2D pictures in ImageJ and the results of the 2D circularity were compared with the values of the 3D elongation obtained by micro-computed tomography. The 3D analysis of the air voids in the foam concrete showed a more precise description of the morphology, although the 2D result are in good agreement with the results obtained by X-ray micro-tomography.

Mirror-centered, closed-form expressions for hyperbolic surfaces used in X-ray beamlines have been derived. Hyperbolic mirrors create a virtual focus or source point and can be used to lengthen or shorten the effective focal distance of a compound optical system. The derivations here express off-axis segments of a hyperbolic surface in terms of the real and virtual focal distances and the incident glancing angle at the center of the mirror. Conventional mathematical expressions of hyperbolic shapes describe the surfaces in Cartesian or polar coordinates centered on an axis of symmetry, necessitating cumbersome rotation and translation to mirror-centered coordinates. The representation presented here, with zero slope and the origin at the central point, is most convenient for modeling, metrology, aberration correction, and general surface analysis of off-axis configurations. The direct derivation avoids the need for nested coordinate transforms. A series expansion provides a helpful approximation; the coefficients of the implicit equation are also provided.

Knee osteoarthritis is a challenging problem affecting many adults around the world. There are currently no medications that cure knee osteoarthritis. The only way to control the progression of knee osteoarthritis is early detection. Currently, X-ray imaging is a central technique used for the prediction of osteoarthritis. However, the manual X-ray technique is prone to errors due to the lack of expertise of radiologists. Recent studies have described the use of automated systems based on machine learning for the effective prediction of osteoarthritis from X-ray images. However, most of these techniques still need to achieve higher predictive accuracy to detect osteoarthritis at an early stage. This paper suggests a method with higher predictive accuracy that can be employed in the real world for the early detection of knee osteoarthritis. In this paper, we suggest the use of transfer learning models based on sequential convolutional neural networks (CNNs), Visual Geometry Group 16 (VGG-16), and Residual Neural Network 50 (ResNet-50) for the early detection of osteoarthritis from knee X-ray images. In our analysis, we found that all the suggested models achieved a higher level of predictive accuracy, greater than 90%, in detecting osteoarthritis. However, the best-performing model was the pretrained VGG-16 model, which achieved a training accuracy of 99% and a testing accuracy of 92%.

In this work, we show the feasibility of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) patterning on an HF-treated silicon (100) surface in the absence of a photoresist. EUV lithography is the leading lithography technique in semiconductor manufacturing due to its high resolution and throughput, but future progress in resolution can be hampered because of the inherent limitations of the resists. We show that EUV photons can induce surface reactions on a partially hydrogen-terminated silicon surface and assist the growth of an oxide layer, which serves as an etch mask. This mechanism is different from the hydrogen desorption in scanning tunneling microscopy-based lithography. We achieve silicon dioxide/silicon gratings with 75-nanometer half-pitch and 31-nanometer height, demonstrating the efficacy of the method and the feasibility of patterning with EUV lithography without the use of a photoresist. Further development of the resistless EUV lithography method can be a viable approach to nanometer-scale lithography by overcoming the inherent resolution and roughness limitations of photoresist materials., Science Advances, 9 (16), ISSN:2375-2548

Iron-bearing dust is one of the main solid wastes in the metallurgical industry, and currently, it is mainly disposed of according to accumulation, which brings great environmental risks. Therefore, this paper proposes a method of preparing X-ray shielding materials by hot pressing using iron-bearing dust as the filler and polyimide resin powder as the matrix. A CT imaging system was used to test the X-ray shielding performance of the materials. The results demonstrated that shielding material I-95 had a shielding percentage of more than 95% at a tube voltage of 55 kVp and a tube current of 2 mA, and the thickness of the half-value layer was less than 0.68 mm. The shielding percentage and mass attenuation coefficient of the composites showed an increasing trend with increased filler addition, tube voltage, and tube current intensity, while the half-value layer thickness showed the opposite trend. Furthermore, the shielding percentage of composites with different fillers was affected by the voltage and hardly affected by the current variation. The dominant part of the shielding material interaction across the tested tube voltage range was photoelectric absorption. The prepared composite is a low-cost material and has high efficiency and is an ideal medical X-ray shielding material.

Laboratory x-ray micro- and nano-tomography are emerging techniques in biomedical research. Through the use of phase-contrast, sufficient contrast can be achieved in soft tissue to support medical studies. With ongoing developments of x-ray sources and detectors, biomedical studies can increasingly be performed at the laboratory and do not necessary require synchrotron radiation. Particularly nano-focus x-ray sources offer new possibilities for the study of soft tissue. However, with increasing resolution, the complexity and stability requirements on laboratory systems advance as well. This thesis describes the design and implementation of two systems: a micro- CT and a nano-CT, which are used for biomedical imaging.To increase the resolution of the micro-CT, super-resolution imaging is adopted and evaluated for x-ray ima- ging, grating-based imaging and computed tomography utilising electromagnetic stepping of the x-ray source to acquire shifted low-resolution images to estimate a high-resolution image. The experiments have shown that super-resolution can significantly improve the resolution in 2D and 3D imaging, but also that upscaling during the reconstruction can be a viable approach in tomography, which does not require additional images.Element-specific information can be obtained by using photon counting detectors with energy-discriminating thresholds. By performing a material decomposition, a dataset can be split into multiple different materials. Tissue contains a variety of elements with absorption edges in the range of 4 – 11 keV, which can be identified by placing energy thresholds just below and above these edges, as we have demonstrated using human atherosclerotic plaques.An evaluation of radiopaque dyes as alternative contrast agent to identify vessels in lung tissue was performed using phase contrast micro-tomography. We showed that the dye solutions have a sufficiently low density to not cause any artefacts while still being able to separate them from the tissue and distinguish them from each other.Finally, the design and implementation of the nano-CT system is discussed. The system performance is assessed in 2D and 3D, achieving sub-micron resolution and satisfactory tissue contrast through phase contrast. Applica- tion examples are presented using lung tissue, a mouse heart, and freeze dried leaves.

This paper presents the results of research on a newly developed surface layer made by laser remelting the working surface of the Cu-ETP (CW004A, Electrolytic Tough Pitch) copper section insulator guide with Cr-Al powder. For the investigation, a fibre laser was used with relatively high power, reaching 4 kW, so as to ensure a high gradient of cooling rate for microstructure refinement. The microstructure of the transverse fracture of the layer (SEM) and the distribution of elements in the microareas (EDS) were investigated. The test results showed that chromium does not dissolve in the Cu matrix, and its precipitates take the shape of dendrites. The hardness and thickness of the surface layers as well as the friction coefficient and the influence of the Cr-Al powder feeding speed on them were examined. For the distance from the surface to 0.45 mm, the hardness of the produced coatings is above 100 HV0.3, while the friction coefficient of the produced coatings is in the range of 0.6–0.95. More sophisticated investigation results concern the d-spacing lattice parameters of the crystallographic structure of the obtained Cu phase reaching the range between 3.613–3.624 Å.

In this work, we describe the synthesis of new macrocycles derived from 3-phenyl-1,2,4-triazole-5-thione 1 in a heterogeneous medium using liquid–solid phase transfer catalysis (PTC) conditions. The structures of the two compounds (3 and 4) isolated were elucidated based on spectral data (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR) and confirmed in the case of 3-phenyl-1,2,4-triazolo [3,4-h]-13,4--thiaza-11-crown-4 (3) by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Furthermore, the experimental spectral and the X-ray geometrical parameters were compared with their corresponding predicted ones obtained at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. The intercontacts between crystal units were investigated through Hirshfeld surface analysis. The drug-like macrocycles were predicted using ADMET and drug-likeness properties, which showed that 3 may act as an inhibitor of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). This assumption was confirmed by the well-binding fitting of 3 into the binding site of DNA-PK and the formation of a stable 3-DNA-PK complex with a binding energy of −7 kcal-mol−1. Finally, the anticancer activity of 3 was assessed by an MTT assay against A549 cells, which showed that 3 has moderate anticancer activity compared to that of the doxorubicin reference drug.

In 2019, the world had been attacked with a severe situation by the new version of the SARSCOV- 2 virus, which is later called COVID-19. One can use artificial intelligence techniques to reduce time consumption and find safe solutions that have the ability to handle huge amounts of data. However, in this article, we investigated the classification performance of eight deep transfer learning methodologies involved (GoogleNet, AlexNet, VGG16, MobileNet-V2, ResNet50, DenseNet201, ResNet18, and Xception). For this purpose, we applied two types of radiographs (X-ray and CT scan) datasets with two different classes: non-COVID and COVID-19. The models are assessed by using seven types of evaluation metrics, including accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), F1- score, and Matthew\"s correlation coefficient (MCC). The accuracy achieved by the X-ray was 99.3%, and the evaluation metrics that were measured above were (98.8%, 99.6%, 99.6%, 99.0%, 99.2%, and 98.5%), respectively. Meanwhile, the CT scan model classified the images without error. Our results showed a remarkable achievement compared with the most recent papers published in the literature. To conclude, throughout this study, it has been shown that the perfect classification of the radiographic lung images affected by COVID- 19.

Cervical spine (CS) fractures or dislocations are medical emergencies that may lead to more serious consequences, such as significant functional disability, permanent paralysis, or even death. Therefore, diagnosing CS injuries should be conducted urgently without any delay. This paper proposes an accurate computer-aided-diagnosis system based on deep learning (AlexNet and GoogleNet) for classifying CS injuries as fractures or dislocations. The proposed system aims to support physicians in diagnosing CS injuries, especially in emergency services. We trained the model on a dataset containing 2009 X-ray images (530 CS dislocation, 772 CS fractures, and 707 normal images). The results show 99.56%, 99.33%, 99.67%, and 99.33% for accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and precision, respectively. Finally, the saliency map has been used to measure the spatial support of a specific class inside an image. This work targets both research and clinical purposes. The designed software could be installed on the imaging devices where the CS images are captured. Then, the captured CS image is used as an input image where the designed code makes a clinical decision in emergencies.

One of the main issues in the processing sector of the tambaqui Colossoma macropomum is the removal and/or fragmentation of intermuscular bones (IBs), which negatively impacts its production chain. In this sense, we quantitatively examined the IB variation in farmed tambaqui (n = 127) by comparing the direct anatomical dissection with the high-resolution X-ray imaging method. The number of IBs from the anatomical dissection on the left side of the fish (27.3 ± 5.70 bones) was comparable to that of X-ray analysis (26.9 ± 6.03 bones) (p > 0.05). In addition, 76% of deviation in IB number between the two studied methods was one to three, indicating both methods are equally efficient for identifying and quantifying IBs. We found a strong positive correlation (R = 0.8, p < 0.001) between the X-ray and the dissection methods. Our predictive models indicated that more than 50% of variation in IB length can be explained by growth parameters. Our results demonstrated that the X-ray method can provide accurate phenotypic data (in vivo) for IB counting and length measurements by extrapolating from the standard length, body weight and trunk over axis area of tambaqui.

This study covers the analysis of isomeric forms of nitrophthalic acids with pyridine. This work dwells on the complementary experimental (X-ray, IR and Raman) and theoretical (Car-Parrinello Molecular Dynamics (CPMD) and Density Functional Theory (DFT)) studies of the obtained complexes. The conducted studies showed that steric repulsion between the nitro group in ortho-position and the carboxyl group causes significant isomeric changes. Modeling of the nitrophthalic acid—pyridine complex yielded a short strong intramolecular hydrogen bond (SSHB). The transition energy from the isomeric form with an intermolecular hydrogen bond to the isomeric form with an intramolecular hydrogen bond was estimated.

GRB221009A is the brightest gamma-ray burst ever detected. To probe the very-high-energy (VHE, $>$\!100 GeV) emission, the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) began observations 53 hours after the triggering event, when the brightness of the moonlight no longer precluded observations. We derive differential and integral upper limits using H.E.S.S. data from the third, fourth, and ninth nights after the initial GRB detection, after applying atmospheric corrections. The combined observations yield an integral energy flux upper limit of $\Phi_\mathrm{UL}^{95\%} = 9.7 \times 10^{-12}~\mathrm{erg\,cm^{-2}\,s^{-1}}$ above $E_\mathrm{thr} = 650$ GeV. The constraints derived from the H.E.S.S. observations complement the available multiwavelength data. The radio to X-ray data are consistent with synchrotron emission from a single electron population, with the peak in the SED occurring above the X-ray band. Compared to the VHE-bright GRB190829A, the upper limits for GRB221009A imply a smaller gamma-ray to X-ray flux ratio in the afterglow. Even in the absence of a detection, the H.E.S.S. upper limits thus contribute to the multiwavelength picture of GRB221009A, effectively ruling out an IC dominated scenario., Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in APJL. Corresponding authors: J. Damascene Mbarubucyeye, H. Ashkar, S. J. Zhu, B. Reville, F. Sch\"ussler

Cardiac measurement by chest X-ray is very important in the cardiac characterization of dogs and cats, however, the wild animal clinic has a different reality. Opossums (Didelphis albiventris) are part of the Brazilian fauna and are frequently referred for clinical and radiographic evaluation. The objective of this research was to evaluate the thorax of skunks and establish the average of VHS and VLAS for these animals. Chest radiographs were performed in lateral and ventrodorsal projections to measure the VHS and VLAS, thoracic depth and tracheal diameter. The mean VHS was 7.85 (± 0.3) for males and 8.12 (± 0.5) for females and the measured VLAS was 1.19 (± 0.2) for both sexes. The mean value for thoracic depth was 1.13 (± 0.03) and the ratio between the diameter of the chest inlet and the diameter of the trachea was 0.25 (± 0.02), with no significant differences between the sexes. This is the first study that addresses the thoracic evaluation by tracheal and cardiac measurements of skunks through radiographic examination. A mensuração cardíaca por meio de radiografia de tórax é muito importante na caracterização cardíaca de cães e gatos, porém, a clínica de animais silvestres tem uma realidade diferente. Os gambás (Didelphis albiventris) fazem parte da fauna brasileira e são frequentemente encaminhados para avaliação clínica e para avaliação radiográfica. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar o tórax de gambás e estabelecer a média de VHS e VLAS para esses animais. Foram realizadas radiografias de tórax em projeções laterais e ventro-dorsais, para mensuração do VHS e VLAS, a profundidade torácica e o diâmetro traqueal. O VHS médio foi de 7,85 (± 0,3) para os machos e 8,12 (± 0,5) para as fêmeas e o VLAS mensurado foi de 1,19 (± 0,2) para ambos os sexos. O valor médio da profundidade torácica foi 1,13 (± 0,03) e a relação entre o diâmetro da entrada do tórax e o diâmetro da traqueia foi de 0,25 (± 0,02), sem diferenças significativas entre os sexos. Este é o primeiro estudo que aborda a avaliação torácica a medida traqueal e cardíaca de gambás por meio de exame radiográfico.

INTRODUCTION While tin prefiltration is established in various CT applications, its value in extremity cone-beam CT relative to optimized spectra has not been thoroughly assessed thus far. This study aims to investigate the effect of tin filters in extremity cone-beam CT with a twin-robotic X-ray system. METHODS Wrist, elbow and ankle joints of two cadaveric specimens were examined in a laboratory setup with different combinations of prefiltration (copper, tin), tube voltage and current-time product. Image quality was assessed subjectively by five radiologists with Fleiss' kappa being computed to measure interrater agreement. To provide a semiquantitative criterion for image quality, contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR) were compared for standardized regions of interest. Volume CT dose indices were calculated for a 16 cm polymethylmethacrylate phantom. RESULTS Radiation dose ranged from 17.4 mGy in the clinical standard protocol without tin filter to as low as 0.7 mGy with tin prefiltration. Image quality ratings and CNR for tin-filtered scans with 100 kV were lower than for 80 kV studies with copper prefiltration despite higher dose (11.2 and 5.6 vs. 4.5 mGy; p

The comprehensive technical investigation of female nude paintings by the Singapore pioneer artist Liu Kang (1911–2004) provided the evidence for a discussion of the evolution of his palette of colours and his working process for expression in this genre, particularly the execution of female bodies. As the artist’s free expression in classical nude paintings was limited by the censorship imposed by the Singapore government, the investigated artworks span two periods, 1927–1954 (early career) and 1992–1999 (the “golden years”, during which censorship policies were relaxed). Hence, eight paintings from the Liu family and National Gallery Singapore were selected for non- and micro-invasive analyses of the paint layers. The obtained results were supplemented with archival sources to elucidate certain aspects of Liu Kang’s working practice. The investigation revealed the importance of drawing and sketching studies in the development of artistic ideas. The analytical techniques, such as polarised light microscopy (PLM), field emission scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectroscopy (FE-SEM-EDS) and attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), enabled us to observe a transition from the yellow iron-based tonal ranges of skin colours to complex pigment mixtures composed of additions of cobalt blue, ultramarine, Prussian blue, Cr-containing yellow(s) and green(s), cadmium yellow, orange and/or red and organic reds, revealing the artist’s more liberal use of colours and his experimentation with their contrasting and complementary juxtaposes. In terms of painting technique, the artist’s comparatively laborious paint application using small brushes quickly gave way to a more effortless manipulation of the paint using bigger brushes and the incorporation of palette knives. Moreover, visible light (VIS), near-infrared (NIR) and X-ray radiography (XRR) imaging techniques led to the discovery of a hidden composition in one investigated artwork, which bears resemblance to the nude painting known only from an archival photograph. Additionally, for the first time, the archival search provided photographic evidence that Liu Kang used oil paint tubes from Royal Talens and Rowney in the 1990s. Overall, this in-depth investigation contributes to the understanding of Liu Kang’s approach to the female nude painting and may assist conservators and art historians in studies of twentieth-century commercial paints.