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The major goal of this research is to develop a Deep Learning (DL) based automatic identification and classification of white blood cells (WBCs) with high accuracy and efficiency. The first phase of research is pre-processing and is accomplished by the Improved Median Wiener Filter (IMWF), which effectively eliminates the noises. The image is resized into a standard image size before filtering. The segmentation process takes place using Color Balancing Binary Threshold (CBBT) algorithm to divide the WBCs and another non-relevant background to improve the classification performance. The features like shape, texture and color of the WBCs are extracted from the segmented images. Finally, the classification takes place, and this is processed by a fine optimal deep convolution residual network (Fine Optimal DCRNet). In addition, the bionic model is introduced to improve classification accuracy. The dataset used in this research is BCCD and LISC datasets. The performance of the proposed model is validated using existing methods of Support Vector Machine (SVM), K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), VGG-16, VGG-19, ResNet-50, DensetNet-121, DensetNet-169, Inception-V3, InceptionResNet-V2, Xception, MobileNet-224, Mobile NasNet, Tree, Naive Bayes, Ensemble active contour model, k-means clustering and handcraft and deep learned features-scale-invariant feature transform (HCDL-SIFT) in terms of Accuracy, Precision, Recall, Specificity, F-score, Relative Distance Error (RDE), Over-Segmentation Rate (OSR), Under-Segmentation Rate (USR) and Overall Error Rate (OER). For the LISC dataset, the detection model attains an outcome of 99%, 98%, 98%, 99%, 98%, 1.143, 0.0125, 0.056 and 0.125, respectively. For the BCCD dataset, apart from RDE, OSR, USR and OER metrics, the performance is evaluated as 98%, 96%, 98%, 99% and 97%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs) are emerging pollutants, and they can absorb and transfer chemicals, which may cause significant effects on biota and risks to human health. State parks are natural areas highly influenced by seasonal tourist activities. This study investigated the distribution and characterization of MPs, including abundance, size, shape, and color, in seven Virginia State Parks within the James River Watershed (Douthat, Natural Bridge, Holliday Lake, James River, Powhatan, Pocahontas, and Chippokes Plantation State Parks). The MP concentration among the seven locations in the watershed had a significant difference (p < 0.05) and ranged from 0–26.5 particles/L with a mean of 8.33 ± 1.39 particles/L. The mountain region water bodies (Douthat and Natural Bridge) had the lowest MP concentration (< 4 particles/L), while the mainstream water bodies had a significantly higher MP concentration than other water bodies (10–20 particles/L) (p < 0.01). The size, shape, and color of MPs were also significantly different among all locations (p < 0.05). Faded and aged fragments with sizes below 1 mm were the most abundant, suggesting that terrestrial MPs were the most influencing source at most of the State Parks, and weathering effects have played a significant role in the fragmentation of plastics. In addition, a significantly positive relationship between MP concentration and the fraction of overnight guests was found (p < 0.0001). Our study indicated that State Parks and protected areas are polluted by MPs, which may pose potential harm to the surrounding environment, including both wildlife and humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical processes to change the hair shape can lead to damaged hair fibre. Here, we propose benign formulations based on different types of cellulose using imidazolium ionic liquids (ILs) and a commercial serum as solvents. Formulations with concentrations at 3% and 0.5% of HEC (Hydroxyethyl cellulose) and CMC (Carboxymethylcellulose) showed the best results after washing, around 10% of curling effect. Images from fluorescence microscopy enable to observe the coating layer formed on the surface of the hair fiber. ATR-FTIR corroborate the presence of functional groups of cellulose on the coated hair fiber. SEM images revealed that the treated hair fiber preserved it structural integrity, especially for the 3% CMC formulation. Those formulations also presented good mechanical wear determined by mass loss percentage. The novelty of this work is the methodology established associated with the cellulose formulation for hair modelling up to three washes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Orofacial clefts are complex congenital anomalies that call for comprehensive treatment based on a thorough assessment of the anatomy. This study aims to examine the effect of cleft type on craniofacial morphology using geometric morphometrics. Materials and methods: We evaluated lateral cephalograms of 75 patients with bilateral cleft lip and palate, 63 patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate, and 76 patients with isolated cleft palate. Generalized Procrustes analysis was performed on 16 hard tissue landmark coordinates. Shape variability was studied with principal component analysis. In a risk model approach, the first nine principal components (PC) were used to examine the effect of cleft type. Results: We found statistically significant differences in the mean shape between cleft types. The difference is greatest between bilateral cleft lip and palate and isolated cleft palate (distance of means 0.026, P = 0.0011). Differences between cleft types are most pronounced for PC4 and PC5 (P = 0.0001), which together account for 10% of the total shape variation. PC4 and PC5 show shape differences in the ratio of the upper to the lower face, the posterior mandibular height, and the mandibular angle. Conclusions: Cleft type has a statistically significant but weak effect on craniofacial morphological variability in patients with non-syndromic orofacial clefts, mainly in the vertical dimension. Clinical relevance: Understanding the effects of clefts on craniofacial morphology is essential to providing patients with treatment tailored to their specific needs. This study contributes to the literature particularly due to our risk model approach in lieu of a prediction model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generative design is a technique which enables the research person or design engineer to study and apply various parameters of mechanical design to design software. This process allows the application of the information used as an input to design software, and producing various outputs in a form of CAD models with optimized results in terms of volume and mass, shape without varying the strength and other such aspects of the safe design. It is a fast process compared to traditional method, which gives us the modified design defining high strength of the structure obtained. On using a Generative Design technique the various alternatives of the target component can be achieved in an optimized form. In this article the analysis is carried on software ANSYS 18.1. On applying various constraints of design to this Generative model it has produced different unique geometries to the research person or design engineer in the form of three dimensional models. On performing various case studies one case was found most suitable and perfect alternative of the basic standard design. Which gave the best alternative result with reduction in mass of tool geometry by 57.39%.The purpose of this research is to lower the material costing, for manufacturing of the husk extracting tool of coconuts used in hydraulically operated coconut de-husking machine. On basis of thorough study and analysis of the basic design of de-husking tool we had obtained some newly modified results by applying the Generative Design and Topology optimization technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing product diversity, rising performance and reliability demands, and industry competitiveness are some of the many reasons that increase the need of more complex product designs in almost all sectors. The complexity of parts increases with their geometrical features to be designed and manufactured. Researchers agreed that it can be qualitatively evaluated and expressed with terms like low, medium, high, and very high. However, it might be evaluated differently, depending on the designer's considerations, domain and experience. Quantitative evaluation of a design complexity is, therefore, indispensable and expedites the decision-making about the selection of the manufacturing process. However, having a well-defined and unambiguous metric for quantitative evaluation is challenging. Most of existing metrics are not objective and are only valid for their specific applications. This paper presents a novel, unambiguous, and generalized approach for shape complexity evaluation. The developed metric enables determining if the selected part should be produced by conventional methods such as machining, or by non-conventional methods such as additive manufacturing. In order to ensure its objectivity, only geometrical features have been considered. The metric was tested through 25 different part designs of varying complexity. The investigations showed an accordance between the qualitatively evaluated shape and the calculated complexity factor. Also, the comparison of the results with other metrics showed the weakness of the latter and the efficiency and reliability of our metric. The results have been also validated by 50 experts from 23 countries. Based on these results, a threshold between machining and additive manufacturing is fixed allowing an easier decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat is a staple food crop that provides a significant portion of the world's daily caloric intake, serving as a vital source of carbohydrates and dietary fiber for billions of people. Seed shape studies of wheat typically involve the use of digital image analysis software to quantify various seed shape parameters such as length, width, area, aspect ratio, roundness, and symmetry. This study presents a comprehensive investigation into the water-absorbing capacity of seeds from 120 distinct wheat lines, leveraging digital image analysis techniques facilitated by SmartGrain software. Water absorption is a pivotal process in the early stages of seed germination, directly influencing plant growth and crop yield. SmartGrain, a powerful image analysis tool, was employed to extract precise quantitative data from digital images of wheat seeds, enabling the assessment of various seed traits in relation to their water-absorbing capacity. The analysis revealed significant transformations in seed characteristics as they absorbed water, including changes in size, weight, shape, and more. Through statistical analysis and correlation assessments, we identified robust relationships between these seed traits, both before and after water treatment. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC) were employed to categorize genotypes with similar trait patterns, providing insights valuable for crop breeding and genetic research. Multiple linear regression analysis further elucidated the influence of specific seed traits, such as weight, width, and distance, on water-absorbing capacity. Our study contributes to a deeper understanding of seed development, imbibition, and the crucial role of water absorption in wheat. These insights have practical implications in agriculture, offering opportunities to optimize breeding programs for improved water absorption in wheat genotypes. The integration of SmartGrain software with advanced statistical methods enhances the reliability and significance of our findings, paving the way for more efficient and resilient wheat crop production. Significant changes in wheat seed shape parameters were observed after imbibition, with notable increases in area, perimeter, length, width, and weight. The length-to-width ratio (LWR) and circularity displayed opposite trends, with higher values before imbibition and lower values after imbibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In rich visual environments, humans have to adjust their attentional control settings in various ways, depending on the task. Especially if the environment changes dynamically, it remains unclear how observers adapt to these changes. In two experiments (online and lab-based versions of the same task), we investigated how observers adapt their target choices while searching for color singletons among shape distractor contexts that changed over trials. The two equally colored targets had shapes that differed from each other and matched a varying number of distractors. Participants were free to select either target. The results show that participants adjusted target choices to the shape ratio of distractors: even though the task could be finished by focusing on color only, participants showed a tendency to choose targets matching with fewer distractors in shape. The time course of this adaptation showed that the regularities in the changing environment were taken into account. A Bayesian modeling approach was used to provide a fine-grained picture of how observers adapted their behavior to the changing shape ratio with three parameters: the strength of adaptation, its delay relative to the objective distractor shape ratio, and a general bias toward specific shapes. Overall, our findings highlight that systematic changes in shape, even when it is not a target-defining feature, influence how searchers adjust their attentional control settings. Furthermore, our comparison between lab-based and online assessments with this paradigm suggests that shape is a good choice as a feature dimension in adaptive choice online experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On June 24, 2017, a catastrophic landslide destroyed the village of Xinmo (Maoxian County, Sichuan, China). A 2.87 × 106 m3 rock mass in source area collapsed and entrained the surface soil layer along the run-out path. This disaster took eighty-three people's lives and destroyed more than 103 houses. It is worth noting that rock fragmentation and grinding could expand the spreading area of danger zone in a landslide event. The Xinmo landslide provided a rare opportunity to infer the dynamic fragmentation and grinding of rock masses from the particle size and shape distribution in the entrainment and deposition area. A field investigation combined with an automatic image analysis system was conducted to study the characteristics of particle size and shape distribution along the debris channel. The image analysis of these field data showed that the median size (D50) of particles ranged from 0.41 to 27.71 m in the landslide area. Particle fractal dimension (D) obtained from the Number-size distribution ranged from 1.77 to 2.97 over the entire study area. Moreover, the evolution of D50 and D along the run-out path confirmed that the degree of cumulative rock fragmentation increased as the travel distance increased. Additionally, the particle roundness (R) ranged from 0.51 to 0.88 along the run-out path, which peaked twice during the motion of granular flow, once was in the entrainment area, and another was in the end of the deposition area. Rock scraping occurred in the entrainment area could increase the degree of rock grinding, and reshape coarse stones into smooth particles of large R values (larger roundness of particles could lead to longer spreading distance in a landslide event, due to the lower internal friction among particles). Based on analysis above, the rock scraping phenomena occurred between the source materials and entrainment materials were confirmed to influence the translation and spread of granular flows in landslides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variation in bandgap energy with decreased size and varying composition of alloys has attracted the attention of researchers over the past few decades. In the present paper, a simple unified model is presented to study the impact of alloying on the bandgap energy of ternary semiconducting compounds with varying composition. The energy bandgap is determined for semiconducting homogeneous nano-compounds with zinc-blende and wurtzite structure, including ZnxCd1−xS, ZnxCd1−xSe, Cd(S)x(Se)1−x, and Cd(Se)x(Te)1−x. The model does not involve any adjustable parameters. The study provides insight into the impact of size, dimension, and composition on the energy bandgap of the material and the possibility of tuning the optical properties of semiconducting compounds by alloying, as alloyed compounds could be more stable and have higher luminescence than single semiconducting nanocrystal with a narrower energy bandgap. The model predictions are in good accord with the available experimental and simulated data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abrasive machining must not only provide the necessary machining quality but also ensure stable surface characteristics of the workpiece throughout tool operation. The main factors affecting workpiece quality (its microgeometry or texture) are the shape of the tool's working surface and the shape of the abrasive grain. Models that have been adopted for the abrasive grain in the literature on abrasive tools are reviewed in the present work. That provides the basis for formulating the requirements when modeling the tool and workpiece surfaces during various types of machining (from grinding to plateau honing). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphological and morphometric parameters of erythrocytes (size, shape, and color) were studied in five species of marine mammals. A comparative assessment of oxygen reserves in the blood of Harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus (Erxleben 1777)) and Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus (Fabricius 1791)) pups during adaptations to the aquatic environment, as well as of Bottlenose dolphins during the period of adaptation to conditions of captivity, is given. The morphometric parameters of red blood cells have been established to vary depending on the age, habitat conditions, and phylogenetic position of the animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current theoretical study analyzes a performance comparison of a two-stage variable leg-shaped thermoelectric generator (TEG) with the combination of dissimilar p-type and n-type materials. For the cold side of the TEG configuration, water, MXene/Water, MXene/CNT, MXene/Graphene, and MXene/CNT/Graphene ternary hybrid nanofluid as new coolants have been considered. The objective of the present study is to ascertain the effect of flow parameters on hot and cold side fluids and to investigate the performance parameters of the TEG. The first stage of TEG is of a regular shape, while the later stage tapers to give a high-temperature gradient. Effect on voltage, power, conversion efficiency, second law efficiency, irreversibility, and normalized voltage with the coolant and exhaust flow rates have been investigated. The results revealed an optimum result of higher power output, second law efficiency, conversion efficiency, current, and voltage with a coolant flow rate of 0.007 kg s−1. Compared to water, MXene/Water nanofluid has 3.5% and 3.27% higher power output and second law efficiency, respectively, followed by MXene/CNT, MXene/Graphene, and MXene/CNT/Graphene ternary hybrid nanofluids. MXene/water nanofluid has 6.42% higher power output than water; MXene/CNT, MXene/Graphene, and MXene/CNT/Graphene ternary hybrid nanofluids have 4.28%, 4.23%, and 15.68% lower power output, respectively. The power output and second law efficiency of MXene/Water nanofluid are 3.5% and 6.84% greater than water. MXene/CNT, MXene/Graphene, and MXene/CNT/Graphene ternary hybrid nanofluids had 8.21%, 9.58%, and 10.95% poorer second law efficiency: with CNT and graphene-based MXene hybrid nanofluids, the improved TEG outperforms traditional units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea turtles, an ecologically vital marine species, face the mounting threat of plastic ingestion. To devise effective mitigation strategies, a nuanced understanding of the characteristics of ingested plastics is essential. Previous reviews have predominantly concentrated on the frequency of occurrence (%FO) and quantity of ingested plastics. In this study, we present an update to the literature on %FO and quantity of ingested plastics and also introduce a novel review of the morphology, color, and polymer composition of ingested plastics. This analysis draws upon 110 scholarly articles on plastic ingestion by sea turtles. Additionally, we explore geographical variations in both the quantity and characteristics of ingested plastics. Most of the analyzed studies were conducted in the Americas and Europe. We found that approximately 54% of examined sea turtles had ingested plastic debris. Loggerhead sea turtles ingested more foams than green sea turtles (Wilcoxon rank-sum test, p < 0.05). By contrast, green sea turtles exhibited a higher ingestion on films (Wilcoxon rank-sum test, p > 0.05). Our study also underscored the paucity of data regarding the original usage of ingested plastics. White and transparent plastics were most commonly ingested. Additionally, polymers with a lower density than seawater, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and their copolymers, were frequently found. We strongly advocate for future studies to furnish more comprehensive data regarding the ingested plastics, including quantities, morphological and chemical properties, and origins. Such detailed information is indispensable for shaping well-informed and effective strategies to combat plastic ingestion in marine life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoprecipitation is one of the most popular methods for producing polymer nanoparticles. However, the reported results show a large variability. In order to provide a first-hand comparative study, we prepared cellulose-based nanoparticles via different nanoprecipitation methods. Here, the influence of the coagulating solvents acetone, N,N-dimethylacetamide and tetrahydrofuran on the size and shape of the particles via precipitation using dialysis was investigated. The influence of temperature and concentration was determined by dropwise addition of the coagulation medium. Then, via rapid solvent shifting, particles were prepared from cellulose acetates with different molecular masses and the cellulose acetate propionate and cellulose acetate butyrate derivatives in the concentration range of 1–20 mg mL− 1. Thereby, it was possible to prepare spherical particles in the range from 43 to 158 nm. Furthermore, the impact of the molecular weight of these derivatives on the obtained particle size distributions was determined. It is possible to obtain pure regenerated cellulose particles in the nanometer range by a deacetylation of the derivatives. In addition, the findings were used to directly convert cellulose from a DMAc/LiCl solvent system into regenerated cellulose nanoparticles with a size of 10 ± 3 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some familiar objects are associated with specific colors, e.g., rubber ducks with yellow. Whether and at what stage neural responses occur to these color associations remain open questions. We recorded frequency-tagged electroencephalogram (EEG) responses to periodic presentations of yellow-associated objects, shown among sequences of non-periodic blue-, red-, and green-associated objects. Both color and grayscale versions of the objects elicited yellow-specific responses, indicating an automatic activation of color knowledge from object shape. Follow-up experiments replicated these effects with green-specific responses, and demonstrated modulated responses for incongruent color/object associations. Importantly, the onset of color-specific responses was as early to grayscale as actually colored stimuli (before 100 ms), the latter additionally eliciting a conventional later response (approximately 140–230 ms) to actual stimulus color. This suggests that the neural representation of familiar objects includes both diagnostic shape and color properties, such that shape can elicit associated color-specific responses before actual color-specific responses occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface finishing of hard-alloy parts is investigated. The best conditions for preliminary and final finishing are established. The grid density of the resultant raster trajectory is q = 0.5–3.0 mm–1 for preliminary finishing and q = 5–7 mm–1 for final finishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selection of a suitable shape representation model is an essential component to consider in order to achieve satisfactory results in shape recognition. However, this selection is highly dependent on the specific case of study. In this paper, a comparison of outline-based shape descriptors for the alphanumeric character typeface used on vehicle license plates is reported. The shape of each character is described by the polygonal curve that connects the set of points uniformly distributed around its image outline. Formally, two descriptors are analyzed: mesh distance and circle mesh distance. However, considering that, from a practical point of view, rotation of characters can be discarded due to the standard vertical alignment of characters in vehicle plates, parametric functions of coordinates (x and y) are also considered in this study. To exploit and collect all the geometric information provided by the outline points, piecewise linear functions are used. The main contribution of this work is precisely to determine, among the set of shape descriptors considered in the present study, the best choice to identify shape similarity (with the aid of piecewise linear functions) in alphanumeric characters with the typography style used in vehicle license plates. Experimental results reveal that for this case of study, the best shape signature is the circle mesh distance, and the most descriptive information about shape can be found in the parametric function of x. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to test the feasibility for deep CNN–based artificial intelligence methods for automatic classification of the mass margin and shape, while radiomic feature–based machine learning methods were also implemented in this study as baseline and for comparison study. In this retrospective study, 596 patients with breast mass that underwent mammography from 4 hospitals were enrolled from January 2012 to October 2019. Margin and shape of each mass were annotated according to BI-RADS by 2 experienced radiologists. Deep CNN–based AI was implemented for the classification task based on Resnet50. Balanced sampler and CBAM were also used to improve the performance of the Deep CNNs. As comparison, image texture features were extracted and then dimensionality reduction methods (such as PCA, ICA) and classical classifiers (such as SVM, DT, KNN) were used for classification task. Based on Python programming software, accuracy (ACC) was used to evaluate the performance of the model, and the model with the highest ACC value was selected. Deep CNN based on Resnet50 with balanced sampler and CBAM achieved the best performance for both margin and shape classification, with ACC of 0.838 and 0.874, respectively. For the radiomics-based machine learning, the best performance for margin was achieved as 0.676 by the combination of FA + RF, while the best performance for shape was 0.802 by the combination of PCA + MLP. The feasibility for automatic classification with coarse labeling of the mass shape and margin was testified with the deep CNN–based AI methods, while radiomic feature–based machine learning methods achieved inferior classification results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The WO3 nanostructures were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal route in the presence of C14TAB and gemini-based twin-tail surfactant. The impact of using these special shape and size directing agents for the synthesis of nanostructures was observed in the form of different shapes and sizes. The WO3 web of chains type nanostructure was obtained using C14TAB in comparison to the cube-shaped nanoparticles through twin-tail surfactant. On contrary, the twin-tail surfactant provides sustainable and controlled growth of cube shape nanoparticles of size ~ 15 nm nearly half of the size ~ 35 nm obtained using conventional surfactant C14TAB, respectively. For the detailed structural features, the Williamson–Hall analysis method was implemented to find out the crystalline size and lattice strain of the prepared nanostructures. Owing to the strong quantum confinement effect, the WO3 cube-shaped nanoparticles with an optical band gap of 2.69 eV of the prepared nanoparticles showed excellent photocatalytic efficacy toward organic pollutant (fast green FCF) compared to the web of chain nanostructures with an optical band gap of 2.66 eV. The ability of the prepared systems to decompose the organic pollutant (fast green FCF) in water was tested under visible light irradiations. The percentage degradation was found to be 94% and 86% for WO3 cube-shaped nanoparticles and WO3 web of chains, respectively. The simplicity of the fabrication method and the high photocatalytic performance of the systems can be promising in environmental applications to treat water pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We created high-resolution shape models of Phobos and Deimos using stereophotoclinometry and united images from Viking Orbiter, Phobos 2, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Express, and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter into a single coregistered collection. The best-fit ellipsoid to the Phobos model has radii of (12.95 ± 0.04) km × (11.30 ± 0.04) km × (9.16 ± 0.03) km, with an average radius of (11.08 ± 0.04) km. The best-fit ellipsoid to the Deimos model has radii of (8.04 ± 0.08) km × (5.89 ± 0.06) km × (5.11 ± 0.05) km with an average radius of (6.27 ± 0.07) km. The new shape models offer substantial improvements in resolution over existing shape models, while remaining globally consistent with them. The Phobos model resolves grooves, craters, and other surface features ~ 100 m in size across the entire surface. The Deimos model is the first to resolve geological surface features. These models, associated data products, and a searchable, coregistered collection of images across six spacecraft are publicly available in the Small Body Mapping Tool, and will be archived with the NASA Planetary Data System. These products enable an array of future studies to advance the understanding of Phobos and Deimos, facilitate coregistration of other past and future datasets, and set the stage for planning and operating future missions to the moons, including the upcoming Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanotechnology circumscribes designing of numerous materials right from the nano level in order to achieve exclusive properties that could be appropriately manipulated by the required applications. Silver nanoparticles have been recognised as an antimicrobial agent with a lesser amount of toxicity on the mammalian cells. The substantial step in the nanotechnology field is to engineer procedure used for the synthesis of size and shape-controlled nanoparticles. Synthesis of Ag NPs with various size and morphology enabled the opportunity to use in the medical field as potential antibacterial agents. For the very first time, this paper significantly emphasises the antibacterial activity of accurate shape and specified size-controlled Ag nanoparticles. The approaches and procedures for the producing the Ag NPs are reported with a discussion of growth mechanisms and common criteria needed for the required shapes and sizes. This review's goal is to recapitulate the detailed review of current advances in the shape and size-controlled Ag NPs synthesis and their role in antibacterial activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modularity and integration are fundamental properties of organisms and central to theories of complex adaptation. Modularity and integration of shape can provide valuable information about the geometry and spatial structure of modules, but a recent study contends that Procrustes superimposition yields alarmingly high frequencies of statistically significant modularity and integration. We reexamine those claims, using data simulated with biologically realistic parameter values, extending the analyses to consider the impact of simulation procedure, model complexity, and landmark sampling scheme, as well as the impact of superimposition on the strength of modularity and integration and on model comparisons. We further extend analyses to evolutionary modularity and integration. We find that superimposition, followed by sliding semilandmarks to minimize bending energy almost invariably induces significant modularity and integration but sliding to minimize the Procrustes Distance, rarely does (no more than 11% of simulated populations are significantly modular) and even more rarely strengthens it. Integration is more often significant in simulated populations, and is more strongly affected by model complexity, density of semi-landmarks, simulation procedure and sample size. The frequency of significant modularity and integration can reach 17% of simulated lineages but neither evolutionary modularity nor integration are significantly strengthened by superimposition followed by sliding. The most alarming results are the extremely high frequency of significant integration in large samples (N = 500) and the non-normal distribution of effect sizes (Z-scores). Even so, the effect of superimposition is slight compared to the strength of variational or evolutionary modularity and integration found in empirical cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is an advanced magnetic resonance technology that describes subtle brain structures using a diffusion tensor at each point. The obtained DTI image is always degraded since diffusion-weighted imaging sequences, which are used to estimate DTI images, are corrupted by noise. In this paper, we propose an approach called geometric invariant nonlocal means on the tensor manifold (GINLM-TM) to reduce undesired components in the degraded DTI image. We transform the diffusion tensor into a positive definite matrix (called a tensor) to measure the intrinsic property of the diffusion tensor. Then, we directly regularise DTI images in the tensor manifold endowed with an affine invariant metric. Finally, geometrically invariant measures of patches of tensors are used to define the similarity function of patches to ensure the similarity between patches is more accurate and robust. It is experimentally demonstrated that the proposed method performs adequately in reducing undesired components without blurring the boundaries of DTI images. The results of fractional anisotropy (FA) images and fibre tracking of our restored data indicate that our method performs well in denoising the DTI image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most distinguished feature of the female silhouette is the buttock. As such, the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) has become the most popular plastic surgery procedures in recent years. Despite the popularity of this buttock reshaping and augmentation procedure, there remains no prevailing standard for evaluating, planning surgical design, and objectifying buttock size and shape outcomes. In fact, we have observed a wide range of preferred buttock size and shapes among our patients. We have previously published the BBL assessment tool that serves to guide patient communication of their preferred buttock size and shape. In this study, we demonstrate how the BBL assessment tool can serve to optimize Brazilian Buttock Lift results. We present 25 case studies of how the BBL assessment tool can serve to optimize BBL results by providing a guide for evaluation, surgical design, and objectification of outcomes. Level of Evidence IV Therapeutic study. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ligand-based virtual screening is a widespread method in modern drug design. It allows for a rapid screening of large compound databases in order to identify similar structures. Here we report an open-source command line tool which includes a substructure-, fingerprint- and shape-based virtual screening. Most of the implemented features fully rely on the RDKit cheminformatics framework. VSFlow accepts a wide range of input file formats and is highly customizable. Additionally, a quick visualization of the screening results as pdf and/or pymol file is supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we describe an algorithm for accurately segmenting multiple nudfclei from clumps of non-overlapping immuno-histochemically stained histological hepatic (liver) images. This problem is notoriously difficult because of the degree of presence of stains among the multi-nucleated cells, the poor contrast of cell cytoplasm, and the presence of mucus, blood, and inflammatory cells in the images. Hepatocellular carcinoma, characterized by cellular and nuclear enlargement, nuclear pleomorphism, and multi-nucleation, poses a prominent threat. Our proposed method addresses the aforementioned issues for an automated diagnosis system by judging the presence of multiple nuclei in a two-step process: the Quickhull algorithm defines the convex hull of each cell in the image and candidate nuclei regions are located with morphological operations. A combination of features containing local minima and shape-dependent features is extracted for the detection of single or multiple nuclei in each cell with a significant reduction in the number of false positives and false negatives providing an accuracy of 89.76%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper, a theoretical model is used to study the optical properties of nanomaterials. The optical properties of nanosized semiconductors are studied in relation to dimension and size. The model proposed by Guisbiers is extended to study the impact of size and shape on band-gap expansion, dielectric constant, vibrational frequency and electrical susceptibility of nanomaterials. The model is free from any adjustable parameter. We have considered here II–VI and III–V group semiconductors. It is found from model predictions that the energy band gap of the nanosized semiconducting compounds increases as size decreases because of the quantum confinement of electrons and holes as size is reduced to nanolevel. The vibrational frequency, dielectric constant and electrical susceptibility are found to decrease with decrease in the size of the nanosized semiconductors. The results calculated from the present model are found to be in good agreement with the available experimental and simulated data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, a simple model is developed to determine the variation in dielectric constant with size and shape in nanosolids. The dielectric properties are investigated with respect to the size and composition of the nanoalloys. The variation in dielectric constant in nanosized semiconducting compounds of ZnS, CdS, CdSe, CdTe and their nanoalloys is studied using the present approach. The model theory considers the lattice packing fraction based on crystal structure, along with size and shape in nanocrystals. Based on the composition of the components in the nanoalloys, the variation in the dielectric constant is studied. It is observed that the effects of size and shape are more drastic and prominent for a nanosolid less than 10 nm in size. It is noted that as the size of the nanosolid decreases, a rapid increase is observed in the surface-to-volume atomic ratio in the nanosolids. The dielectric constant demonstrates a reduction with a decrease in the size of the nanocrystals. It is possible to tune the dielectric properties of nanoalloys by varying the composition of their components, which increases the potential utility of the nanoalloys in various scientific applications. Good consistency between the computed results and available experimental and simulated results confirms the validity of the present model theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The second-generation cryoballoon (CB) has proven to be a highly effective ablative strategy in patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF). This study sought to investigate the anatomical characteristics of pulmonary veins (PVs) and the relationship between their size, ovality, and late reconnections in a large cohort of patients undergoing repeat ablation for recurrence of atrial arrhythmias. Methods and results: A total of 152 consecutive patients (98 males, 64.5%; mean age 64.9 ± 9.6 years) underwent a repeat ablation for recurrent atrial tachyarrhythmias after a median time of 6.5 months [IQR 11] from the index CB ablation. All repeat ablations were performed using a 3-dimensional electro-anatomical mapping system. Among all 593 PVs, 134 (22.6%) showed a late PV reconnection in 95 patients (0.88 per patient), at the time of repeat ablation procedure. There was a significant difference in ovality between left- and right-sided PVs (p < 0.001). Greater diameters of left superior PV, left inferior PV, and right inferior PV ostia (both maximum and minimum) and higher index ovality were significantly associated with late PV reconnection. Conclusions: The rate of late PV reconnection after CB ablation was low (0.88 PVs/patient). Left-sided PVs were more oval than septal PVs. Larger PV dimensions and higher ovality index were significantly associated with reconnections in all PVs except for RSPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanomaterials have been widely applied to many fields because of their excellent photocatalytic performance. The performance is closely related to the catalytic kinetics, but it is not completely clear about the influencing regularities of shape and particle size on the photocatalytic kinetics of nanomaterials and the photocatalytic kinetic mechanism. In this paper, nano-CeO2 with different shapes and particle sizes were prepared, the kinetic parameters of adsorption and photocatalytic degradation were determined, and the effects of shape and particle size on the kinetics of adsorption and photocatalysis and photocatalytic mechanism were discussed. The results show that the shape and particle size have significant influences. With the decreases of diameter, the performances of adsorption and photocatalysis of nano-CeO2 are improved; and these performances of spherical nano-CeO2 are greater than those of linear nano-CeO2. The shape and particle size have no effects on the kinetic order and mechanism of the whole photocatalytic process. Then a generalized mechanism of photocatalytic kinetics of nanomaterials was proposed and the mechanism rate equation was derived. Finally, the conclusion can be drawn: the desorption of photodegradation products is the control step of photocatalytic kinetics, and the kinetic order of photocatalytic degradation reaction is 1. The mechanism is universal and all nanomaterials have the same photocatalytic kinetic mechanism and order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In dealing with rockfall risk mitigation, a proper assessment of the phenomenon is the key to correctly and precisely managing its possible consequences. In doing so, numerical simulations are an unavoidable step of the assessment process. The proper description of the slope and the falling rock is paramount. Thus, it is highly relevant to accurately assess block size and shape. Block size directly defines the kinetic energy involved in the phenomenon, whilst shape directly influences its trajectory. Tools to properly assess both block size and shape are available, either in analytical form or relying upon Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) models. However, at present, no concrete demonstration of the equivalence of these two methods is provided in the literature. Moreover, block size and shape are always treated separately, while it is likely that a relationship of some sort exists between the two as they derive from the same features of the rock mass (i.e., the 3D geometry of its discontinuities). This paper presents a comprehensive study concerning (1) the comparison between DFN and analytical approaches and (2) the existence and quantification of a shape–size correlation. A modeling campaign consisting of 20 different geometrical structures is performed with both methods, with the aim of obtaining In Situ Block Size Distributions and Shape Distributions. Although the DFN and the analytical approach have different advantages and disadvantages, they have proved to be comparable in terms of results. Both methods identify the existence of a correlation between shape and size of the blocks: the shape distribution changes with reference to block size. This result points out the importance of implementing shape distribution in rockfall numerical simulations. Finally, a suitable case study from the literature has been selected to test the applicability and usefulness of the new findings for the design of rockfall barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This radiologic work aimed to display the alteration in the superior orbital fissure (SOF) morphology in the pediatric population with advancing age. This pediatric examination consisted of computed tomography images of 180 subjects (90 males/90 females) aged 1–18 years. The length (SOF-L) and width (SOF-W) of SOF were measured, and its shape was noted. SOF-L and SOF-W were measured as 16.04 ± 2.34 mm and 5.35 ± 1.01 mm, respectively. SOF-L was similar in infancy and early childhood periods, but then decreased up to postpubescent period. This measurement increased significantly in postpubescent period. SOF-W did not show important change from infancy period up to postpubescent period. After that, it increased significantly in postpubescent period. Seven configurations regarding SOF shape were observed: the straight type in 20.8% out of 360 SOFs, eight-shaped type in 12.2%, key-shaped type in 14%, racket-shaped type in 18.6%, narrow type in 7.2%, triangular type in 14.7%, and curved type in 12.5%. SOF shape was not affected by sex (p = 0.150) and side (p = 0.919). Linear functions were calculated as y = 16.310—0.028 × age for SOF-L, and as y = 4.886 + 0.048 × age for SOF-W. SOF-L showed an irregular pattern of first decreasing and then increasing, during the transition from 1 year to 18 years. SOF-W displayed an irregular pattern of increasing with advancing ages in children. Our linear functions representing the growth pattern of SOF in children may be useful to estimate SOF size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porosity is one of the key properties of dense particle packings like sediment deposits and is influenced by a multitude of grain characteristics such as their size distribution and shape. In the present work, we focus on the form, a specific aspect of the overall shape, of sedimentary grains in order to investigate and quantify its effect on porosity, ultimately deriving novel porosity-prediction models. To this end, we develop a robust and accurate simulation tool based on the discrete element method which we validate against laboratory experiments. Utilizing digital representations of actual sediment from the Rhine river, we first study packings that are composed of particles with a single form. There, porosity is found to be mainly determined by the inverse equancy, i.e., the ratio of the longest to the smallest form-defining axis. Only for small ratios, additional shape-related properties become relevant, as revealed by a direct comparison to packings of form-equivalent but smooth ellipsoids. Since sediment naturally features form mixtures, we extend our simulation tool to study sediment packings with normally-distributed forms. In agreement with our single form studies, porosity is found to depend primarily on the inverse of the mean equancy. By supplying additional information about a second form factor and the standard deviations, we derive an accurate model for porosity prediction. Due to its simplicity, it can be readily applied to sediment packings for which some measurements of flatness and elongation, the two most common form factors, are available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Compare the differences in the morphology of the ACL femoral footprint between the cadavers of the young and elderly in consideration of the degenerative physiological process that occurs with aging. Methods: The femoral footprint of the ACL was dissected in 81 knees of known gender and age (45 male/36 female). They were divided into four groups by age and gender, establishing 50 years as the cut-off point to divide patients by age. Three observers analyzed the femoral footprint dissections, and the shapes were described and classified. The area and morphometric characteristics of the femoral insertion of the ACL were determined and these were compared between genders and age groups. Results: The femoral footprint of the ACL from the cadavers of males younger than 50 years of age presented a semicircular morphology in 90% of the cases. In males aged more than 50 years, a ribbon-like morphology was found in 96% of the cases. In women less than 50 years old, the semicircular morphology was observed in 93.7% of the cases. In women aged over 50 years old, the ribbon-like morphology was found in 95% of the cases. A significant difference was observed between the prevalence rates of the morphologies, area size and measurements of the younger and older groups (p < 0.001 for both genders). Conclusions: The femoral insertion of the ACL presents variations in its morphology, area and morphometric characteristics over time. It goes from a large semicircular shape that almost contacts the posterior articular cartilage to a smaller, flattened ribbon-like shape that moves away from the edge of the articular cartilage. It is bounded anteriorly by the lateral intercondylar ridge. These findings should be considered to avoid employing reconstruction techniques in which femoral tunnels with oval or rectangular shapes are used in patients under 50 years of age because they do not correspond to the morphology of the femoral insertion of the ACL in this age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of the phenomenon of the electrochemical phase formation in metals and alloys via a supercooled liquid state stage is further discussed. In order to experimentally verify the existence of the phenomenon in question, the shapes of metal deposits subjected to the action of a centrifugal force parallel to the crystallization front in the course of electrodeposition were studied. The idea of the performed studies was that if the phase formation in the electrodeposited metal actually passes the stage of the liquid state, then under a low force exerted on a metal parallel to the crystallization front, one should expect a change in the shape of the deposits in the direction of the applied force. The results of the performed experiments made it possible to establish the effect of a change in the shapes of metal deposits electrodeposited under a low force applied parallel to the crystallization front, including a thickening of the deposit edge which is distant in the direction of the force action, its deformation, and elongation. The established effect is one more proof for the existence of the phenomenon under discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: We assessed lower-limb geometry in adults with X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) and controls. We found large differences in multiple measures including femoral and tibial torsion, bowing and cross-sectional area and acetabular version and coverage which may contribute to clinical problems such as osteoarthritis, fractures and altered gait common in XLH. Purpose: Individuals with X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) are at risk of lower-limb deformities and early onset of osteoarthritis. These two factors may be linked, as altered biomechanics is a risk factor for osteoarthritis. This exploratory evaluation aims at providing clues and concepts for this association to facilitate future larger-scale and longitudinal studies on that aspect. Methods: For this observational study, 13 patients with XLH, aged 18–65 years (6 female), were compared with sex-, age- and weight-matched healthy individuals at a single German research centre. Femoral and hip joint geometry, including femoral and tibial torsion and femoral and tibial shaft bowing, bone cross-sectional area (CSA) and acetabular version and coverage were measured from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Results: Total femoral torsion was 29° lower in individuals with XLH than in controls (p < 0.001), mainly resulting from lower intertrochanteric torsion (ITT) (p < 0.001). Femoral lateral and frontal bowing, tibial frontal bowing, mechanical axis, femoral mechanical–anatomical angle, acetabular version and acetabular coverage were all greater and tibial torsion lower in individuals with XLH as compared to controls (all p < 0.05). Greater femoral total and marrow cavity CSA, greater tibial marrow cavity CSA and lower cortical CSA were observed in XLH (all p < 0.05). Discussion: We observed large differences in clinically relevant measures of tibia and particularly femur bone geometry in individuals with XLH compared to controls. These differences may plausibly contribute to clinical manifestations of XLH such as early-onset osteoarthritis, pseudofractures and altered gait and therefore should be considered when planning corrective surgeries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A de Rham p-current can be viewed as a map (the current map) between the set of embeddings of a closed p-dimensional manifold into an ambient n-manifold and the set of linear functionals on differential p-forms. We demonstrate that, for suitably chosen Sobolev topologies on both the space of embeddings and the space of p-forms, the current map is continuously differentiable, with an image that consists of bounded linear functionals on p-forms. Using the Riesz representation theorem, we prove that each p-current can be represented by a unique co-exact differential form that has a particular interpretation depending on p. Embeddings of a manifold can be thought of as shapes with a prescribed topology. Our analysis of the current map provides us with representations of shapes that can be used for the measurement and statistical analysis of collections of shapes. We consider two special cases of our general analysis and prove that: (1) if p = n - 1 then closed, embedded, co-dimension one surfaces are naturally represented by probability distributions on the ambient manifold and (2) if p = 1 then closed, embedded, one-dimensional curves are naturally represented by fluid flows on the ambient manifold. In each case, we outline some statistical applications using an H ˙ 1 and L 2 metric, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of European red foxes in Australia in the late mid-nineteenth century has resulted in the spread of this invasive species across the continent. The morphological and functional divergence of this relatively recently introduced population has not been explored to date, yet it may provide unique insights into adaptability of this widespread carnivore to very different environments. Here we used three-dimensional geometric morphometric approaches and dissections to explore differences in mandible form and function between two populations: one from France and the other from Western Australia. Bite force was predicted for Australian foxes using partial least squares (PLS) regression models based on the observed covariation between estimated bite force (from muscle dissections) and mandible form in French foxes. Muscle contributions were estimated based on Euclidean distances between landmarks that provide insights into muscle lever arms. Despite the greater sample size, Australian foxes show reduced variability in mandible shape compared with French foxes. The mandibles of adult French foxes tend to be slightly smaller and they also strongly differ in shape from the Australian foxes in functionally important areas of the mandible such as muscle insertion areas. This is accompanied by significant differences in the predicted bite force, even relative to size, and muscle contribution: the bite of Australian foxes is weaker and they show greater use of their temporalis muscle compared to French foxes. The reduced variability suggests a founder effect or stabilizing selection on a specific morphology, which was supported by statistical tests. The corresponding anatomical traits suggest different functional demands likely due to differences in diet or competition. Future studies investigating the drivers of variation in mandible shape in native and invasive populations, including data from the original source of the Australian introductions, are needed to better understand the observed differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published reports on the comparative study of morphometric characteristics, technological, and physical properties of powders of synthetic and natural technical diamonds are reviewed. Applied and methodological aspects of using grain projections of diamond powders as the most acceptable and accessible expression of their 3D shapes for estimating the quality of such powders are analyzed. Based on the results of the literature review, it is emphasized that the shape similarity indices of grain projections of such powders and the methods used to identify the grain projection shapes are of great practical significance for abrasive treatment. A comparative analysis of the shape similarity of grain projections of synthetic and natural technical diamond grinding powders and their uniformity with respect to this characteristic as an important quality feature is performed. The results of determining the shape similarity indices are given, and the trends in their change are established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a novel method of abnormal crowd behavior detection in surveillance videos. Mainly, our work focuses on detecting crowd divergence behavior that can lead to serious disasters like a stampede. We introduce a notion of physically capturing motion in the form of images and classify crowd behavior using a convolution neural network (CNN) trained on motion-shape images (MSIs). First, the optical flow (OPF) is computed, and finite-time Lyapunov exponent (FTLE) field is obtained by integrating OPF. Lagrangian coherent structure (LCS) in the FTLE field represents crowd-dominant motion. A ridge extraction scheme is proposed for the conversion of LCS-to-grayscale MSIs. Lastly, a supervised training approach is utilized with CNN to predict normal or divergence behavior for any unknown image. We test our method on six real-world low- as well as high-density crowd datasets and compare performance with state-of-the-art methods. Experimental results show that our method is not only robust for any type of scene but also outperform existing state-of-the-art methods in terms of accuracy. We also propose a divergence localization method that not only identifies divergence starting (source) points but also comes with a new feature of generating a 'localization mask' around the diverging crowd showing the size of divergence. Finally, we also introduce two new datasets containing videos of crowd normal and divergence behaviors at the high density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When designing tunnels, it is advisable to pre-estimate several tunnel parameters such as the depth (cover), the lining thickness, and the shape of the tunnel cross section. This condition is important in order to limit deformations during construction of the tunnel, and to ensure good tunnel resistance under seismic load conditions. In this context, the present paper is devoted to the analysis of the influence of some test parameters (the cover of the tunnel, the thickness of the lining, and the shape of the tunnel and the direction of the seismic waves) on the behaviour of the soil and the lining of a shallow tunnel built in soft ground subjected to seismic loading. The reference model for this parametric study is a real case, which happens to be the tunnel of Djebel El Ouahch (East-West motorway) in the province of Constantine/Algeria. The study is performed in three dimensions (3D) using a finite difference calculation method based on the FLAC3D calculation code. The results are presented in terms of shear strain induced in the soil around the tunnel, surface settlement, and vertical displacement of soil under the raft foundation, and also shear stress, bending moment, and shear strain, induced in the tunnel lining. The results show that the increase in thickness of the lining causes a reduction in shear force, and shear strain, while the circular or oval shape of the tunnel cross section results in low values of strain in the lining and ground displacement. It has been also pointed out that bending moment and shear strain induced in the lining are relatively low in comparison with the other forms. On the other hand, the direction of the seismic waves has a great influence on the behaviour of the lining and the surrounding soil. These results demonstrate that the strongest and most stable tunnel is the deepest tunnel with circular or oval section with a large thickness of the tunnel lining under the effect of compressive seismic waves. The results of the present study will be useful in the design of such a case by understanding the effects of various influencing parameters that control the stability of the tunnel in soil with bad characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) offer a wide range of applications in biomedicine due to their unique physicochemical properties, usually associated with their size and shape. The effects of drugs and other materials, such as nanoparticles, on mitochondrial bioenergetics can be analyzed to evaluate their toxicity. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the shape-dependent effect of AuNPs on mitochondrial bioenergetics. As a case of study, we exposed isolated rat liver mitochondria to gold nanoparticles with different shapes. Our initial results showed that the presence of the same amounts of gold nanorods (AuNRs) and nanospheres (AuNSs), resulted in similar effects of decreases in mitochondrial oxygen consumption, H2O2 levels, and swelling, even in the presence of Cyclosporin A (CsA), an inhibitor of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP). However, the mitochondrial electrochemical potential could be either sustained or dissipated depending on the total surface area of the particles in the medium. Toxicity of gold nanoparticles with different shapes on isolated mitochondria [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how people perceive the visual complexity of shapes has important theoretical as well as practical implications. One school of thought, driven by information theory, focuses on studying the local features that contribute to the perception of visual complexity. Another school, in contrast, emphasizes the impact of global characteristics of shapes on perceived complexity. Inspired by recent discoveries in neuroscience, our model considers both local features of shapes: edge lengths and vertex angles, and global features: concaveness, and is in 92% agreement with human subjective ratings of shape complexity. The model is also consistent with the hierarchical perceptual learning theory, which explains how different layers of neurons in the visual system act together to yield a perception of visual shape complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three different models, viz. Qi model, Jiang model and Lu model, have been used in the present paper for studying the size and shape dependence of magnetic properties of the nanomaterials. The magnetic properties considered here are Curie temperature (T C) , magnetisation (M S) and Neel temperature (T N) . It is observed that Curie temperature, magnetisation and Neel temperature decrease with decrease in the size of the nanomaterial. This decrease is due to the increase in the surface atoms with reduction in size. The variations in Curie temperature, magnetisation and Neel temperature are studied for cylindrical nanowires, thin films, spherical, regular tetrahedral nanoparticles, and regular triangular cross-section nanowires. The models used in the study give similar trend of variation and after the comparison of the computed results with experimental data, it is found that Qi model works well compared to Lu and Jiang models. A close agreement between the available experimental results and the calculated results from Qi model justifies the validity of the present work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the origin of Phobos and Deimos, the Japanese Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission is scheduled for launch in 2024. MMX will make comprehensive remote-sensing measurements of both moons and return regolith samples from Phobos to Earth. Geodetic measurements of gravity, shape, and rotation parameter of a body provides constraints on its internal structure reflecting its origin and evolution. Moments of inertia are important parameters to constrain the internal mass distribution, but they have not been well determined for the Martian moons yet. We discuss the mission requirements related to the moments of inertia to detect a potential heterogeneity of the mass distribution inside Phobos. We introduce mission instruments and operational strategies to meet the mission requirements. We present a preliminary imaging strategy from a quasi-satellite orbit for a base shape model that is expected to be created at the early stage of the mission. Geodetic products including ephemeris, gravity field, rotation parameter of Phobos, and spacecraft orbit are of importance not only for the geodetic study, but also for interpreting data from various mission instruments and selecting possible landing sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic particles of less than 5 mm size, referred as microplastics, have recently become a major environmental issue. While microplastics are well known in marine and lake systems, there have been less investigations in soils and groundwater. Here we review the origin, shape, impact, and mitigation strategies of soil and groundwater microplastics. We found that littering is the main origin of microplastics in global topsoils, while greenhouses are the main source of microplastics in South Korea. Fibers and pellets are dominant microplastic shapes in soil and groundwater. Microplastic contamination of soil and groundwater is detrimental to human health, plants, nematodes, earthworms, and soil properties. Remediation methods include pyrolysis, replacing plastics by biodegradable plastics, plastic filtration, and subsequent chemical or biological degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we develop a Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) based model to simulate the atomistic growth behavior of metallic nanoparticle in the solution of its ions and understand the growth pattern. KMC is used as it can model the growth of nanoparticle to the timescale comparable with that actual experiments. Energy minimas where metal atom can adsorb or surface diffuse have been found using Shrake–Rupley algorithm and conjugate gradient energy minimization algorithm. The rate of adsorption, desorption, and surface diffusion was artificially accelerated, and decelerated to observe different shapes. We demonstrate the model by a case study on growth of gold nanoparticles and find that shapes like the truncated octahedron, cuboctahedron, truncated cube, cube, rhombic dodecahedron, and sphere are seen to form by the model during the growth of NP. This KMC model provides a simplistic understanding of the mechanism and progression of shapes that may be seen during the growth of nanoparticle; these in turn may provide clues to synthesize NP of specific shapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shape-dependent performance of metal co-catalysts in photocatalysis has been one of the research focal points in recent years. In this study, PtPd/C3N4 hybrid structures were constructed to reveal the effect of the shape of the PtPd bimetallic co-catalyst on the performance of photocatalytic hydrogen generation. PtPd nanocubes (NCs) and nanotetrahedrons (NTs) were sequentially deposited in situ on the surface of C3N4 nanosheets, establishing a strong contact interface to ensure the smooth transfer of photoinduced electrons. Ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and photoelectrochemical experiments revealed that the PtPd NCs/C3N4 photocatalyst had comparable light absorption ability and equivalent carrier separation and transfer efficiency in comparison with the PtPd NTs/C3N4 photocatalyst, which excluded the influence of these factors on shape-dependent performance. The photocatalytic hydrogen generation results indicate that the hydrogen generation rate of the PtPd NCs/C3N4 photocatalyst is 1.33 times higher than that of the PtPd NTs/C3N4 photocatalyst, demonstrating that the cubic PtPd bimetallic co-catalyst is more conducive to hydrogen generation compared to the tetrahedral PtPd bimetallic co-catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long-term tumor control of pituitary adenomas may be achieved by gross total resection (GTR). Factors, which influence the extent of resection, are invasiveness, tumor size, and possibly tumor shape. Nevertheless, the latter factor has not been assessed so far and there is no classification for the different shapes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of different tumor shapes on GTR rates and outcome according to our proposed "Shape grading system." Methods: In this retrospective single center study, the radiological outcome of nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas was assessed with respect to the following previously defined growth patterns: spherical (Shape I), oval (Shape II), dumbbell (Shape III), mushroom (Shape IV), and polylobulated (Shape V). Results: A total of 191 patients were included (Shape I, n = 28 (15%); Shape II, n = 91 (48%); Shape III, n = 37 (19%); Shape IV, n = 12 (6%); Shape V, n = 23 (12%)). GTR was achieved in 101 patients (53%) with decreasing likelihood of GTR in higher shape grades (Shape I, n = 23 (82%); Shape II, n = 67 (74%); Shape III, n = 9 (24%); Shape IV, n = 2 (17%); Shape V, n = 0 (0%)). This correlated with larger tumor remnants, a higher risk of tumor recurrence/regrowth and therefore necessity of re-surgery and/or radiotherapy/radiosurgery. Conclusion: The "Shape grading system" may be used as a predictor of the outcome in nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas. The higher the "Shape grade," the higher the likelihood for lower GTR rates, larger tumor remnants, and need for further therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]