Three-dimensional analysis of age and sex differences in femoral head asphericity in asymptomatic hips in the United States

BACKGROUND The sphericity of the femoral head is a metric used to evaluate hip pathologies and is associated with the development of osteoarthritis and femoral-acetabular impingement.AIM To analyze the three-dimensional asphericity of the femoral head of asymptomatic pediatric hips.We hypothesized that femoral head asphericity will vary significantly between male and female pediatric hips and increase with age in both sexes.METHODS Computed tomography scans were obtained on 158 children and adolescents from a single institution in the United States(8-18 years;50%male)without hip pain.Proximal femoral measurements including the femoral head diameter,femoral head volume,residual volume,asphericity index,and local diameter difference were used to evaluate femoral head sphericity.RESULTS In both sexes,the residual volume increased by age(P<0.05).Despite significantly smaller femoral head size in older ages(>13 years)in females,there were no sex-differences in residual volume and aspherity index.There were no age-related changes in mean diameter difference in both sexes(P=0.07)with no significant sex-differences across different age groups(P=0.06).In contrast,there were significant increases in local aspherity(maximum diameter difference)across whole surface of the femoral head and all quadrants except the inferior regions in males(P=0.03).There were no sex-differences in maximum diameter difference at any regions and age group(P>0.05).Increased alpha angle was only correlated to increased mean diameter difference across overall surface of the femoral head(P=0.024).CONCLUSION There is a substantial localized asphericity in asymptomatic hips which increases with age in.While 2D measured alpha angle can capture overall asphericity of the femoral head,it may not be sensitive enough to represent regional asphericity patterns.

TESTING SPHERICITY IN A GMANOVA-MANOVA MODEL WITH NORMAL ERROR

This article presents a statistic for testing the sphericity in a GMANOVA- MANOVA model with normal error. It is shown that the null distribution of this statistic is beta and its nonnull distribution is given in series form of beta distributions.

Geometric Approximation Technique for Minimum Zone Sphericity Error

The mathematical modeling for evaluation of the sphericity error is proposed with minimum radial separation center. To obtain the minimum sphericity error from the form data, a geometric approximation technique was devised. The technique regarded the least square sphere center as the initial center of the concentric spheres containing all measurement points, and then the center was moved gradually to reduce the radial separation till the minimum radial separation center was got where the constructed concentric spheres conformed to the minimum zone condition. The method was modeled firstly, then the geometric approximation process was analyzed, and finally,the software for data processing was programmed. As evaluation example, five steel balls were measured and the measurement data were processed with the developed program. The average iteration times of the approximation technique is 4.2, and on average the obtained sphericity error is 0. 529μm smaller than the least square solution,with accuracy increased by 7. 696%.

ALGORITHM FOR SPHERICITY ERROR AND THE NUMBER OF MEASURED POINTS

The data processing technique and the method determining the optimal number of measured points are studied aiming at the sphericity error measured on a coordinate measurement machine （CMM）. The consummate criterion for the minimum zone of spherical surface is analyzed first, and then an approximation technique searching for the minimum sphericity error from the form data is studied. In order to obtain the minimum zone of spherical surface, the radial separation is reduced gradually by moving the center of the concentric spheres along certain directions with certain steps. Therefore the algorithm is precise and efficient. After the appropriate mathematical model for the approximation technique is created, a data processing program is developed accordingly. By processing the metrical data with the developed program, the spherical errors are evaluated when different numbers of measured points are taken from the same sample, and then the corresponding scatter diagram and fit curve for the sample are graphically represented. The optimal number of measured points is determined through regression analysis. Experiment shows that both the data processing technique and the method for determining the optimal number of measured points are effective. On average, the obtained sphericity error is 5.78 μm smaller than the least square solution, whose accuracy is increased by 8.63%; The obtained optimal number of measured points is half of the number usually measured.

Blockage of the Deep-Sea Mining Pump Transporting Large Particles with Different Sphericity

The present study aims to plumb blockage of the deep-sea mining pump transporting large particles with different shapes. A numerical work was performed through combining the computational fluid dynamics(CFD) technique and the discrete element method(DEM). Six particle shapes with sphericity ranging from 0.67 to 1.0 were selected. A velocity triangle is built with the absolute, relative, and circumferential velocities of particles. Velocity triangles with absolute velocity angles ranging from 90° to 180° prevail in the first-stage impeller. With declining sphericity, more particles follow the velocity triangle with absolute velocity angles ranging from 0° to 90°, which weakens the ability of particles to pass through the flow passage. Furthermore, the forces acting on the particles traveling in the impeller passage are analyzed. Large particles, especially non-spherical ones, suffer from high centrifugal force and therefore move along the suction surface of the impeller blades. Non-spherical particles undergo great drag force as a result of large surface area. The distribution of drag force angles is featured by two peaks, and one vanishes due to blockage.As particle sphericity declines, both magnitude and angle of the pressure gradient force decrease. Variation of the drag force and the pressure gradient force causes clockwise deflection of the centripetal force, resulting in deflection and elongation of particle trajectory, which increases the possibility of blockage.

Fluidization of non-spherical particles:Sphericity,Zingg factor and other fluidization parameters

A comparison of sphericity and Zingg factor for particle morphology and description of fluidized-bed dynamics are presented. It is found that Zingg factor Fz = LH/B2 （where L, H and B are, respectively, the length, breadth and height of a particle） well describes the effect of particle morphology. Experimental results show that non-spherical particles give poor fluidizing quality as compared to spherical particles in terms of pressure drop, Umf, etc. With the same volume-equivalent diameter, non-spherical particles have lower Umf and fluidizing coefficient 8. Some smooth curves have been obtained between the parameters 8, Umf and Fz. The quality of fluidization could be evaluated by fluidizing coefficient, which has been correlated to the Zingg factor and minimum fluidizing velocity in this paper.

Sphericity and Identity Test for High-dimensional Covariance Matrix Using Random Matrix Theory

This paper addresses the issue of testing sphericity and identity of high-dimensional population covariance matrix when the data dimension exceeds the sample size.The central limit theorem of the first four moments of eigenvalues of sample covariance matrix is derived using random matrix theory for generally distributed populations.Further,some desirable asymptotic properties of the proposed test statistics are provided under the null hypothesis as data dimension and sample size both tend to infinity.Simulations show that the proposed tests have a greater power than existing methods for the spiked covariance model.

Connecting particle sphericity and circularity

Sphericity,a measure of how much a particle’s shape deviates from spherical,is useful as a shape factorwhen characterizing particulate materials.However,particle surface areas,required when determiningthe sphericity,are very difficult to measure.As a result,the circularity,derivable from microscopic views,is often measured instead and assumed to be equal to the sphericity.This paper shows that the twoquantities are generally not equal for simple non-spherical shapes and provides advice on improving theestimation of sphericity from circularity.

Fertilizer sphericity measuring device based on equatorial and meridian circles

Fertilizer sphericity is an important assessment index of appearance quality that affects the fertilization effect.A fertilizer sphericity measuring device based on machine vision was designed aimed at low precision and heavy workload of manual fertilizer measurement,and high cost and complicated operation of high precision measuring instruments.A fertilizer sphericity measuring method based on equatorial and meridian circles was proposed.The device works in an intermittent static acquisition mode to simultaneously obtain both top and side images of a single fertilizer.First,the method performs gamma correction on the top and side images of the single fertilizer,and uses the Canny operator to detect the edge of the image to obtain the equatorial and meridian circular contour images of the fertilizer.Second,based on the fertilizer equatorial and meridian circular contour,the Least Squares Circle method was used to evaluate the roundness of the single fertilizer.Finally,the average roundness value of the equatorial and meridian circles was used as the final sphericity value of the fertilizer.The sphericity measurement test was carried out on the same batch of compound,organic and biological fertilizers by using the sphericity measuring device.The fertilizer sphericity data were obtained by different measurement and evaluation methods.The variation coefficient was used to evaluate the difference in fertilizer sphericity measured by different sphericity measurement and evaluation methods.The results show that among the different measurement and evaluation methods,the coefficient of variation of fertilizer sphericity measured by the equatorial and meridian circle method was the smallest,and the coefficient of variation of sphericity measured by the Least Squares Circle method was the smallest and accurate.This study shows that the sphericity measuring device and method can accurately measure the fertilizer sphericity,and has a significant potential to facilitate fertilizer production and quality inspection.

A TEST FOR SPHERICITY OF ERRORS IN LINEAR MODELS

For a general linear model, spherical distributions are often considered whenerrors do not have normal distribution. Several authors[1-3] studied the least squaresand James-Stein estimations for a linear model whose errors follow multivariate t or moregeneral spherical distributions. In this paper the test problem for sphericity of errors isconsidered. We propose an exact test for the sphericity by using the conditional probabilityintegral transformation and another transformation. As an important special case, thecorresponding test statistics for multivariate t distribution are obtained.

Preoperative prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma microvascular invasion based on magnetic resonance imaging feature extraction artificial neural network

BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)recurrence is highly correlated with increased mortality.Microvascular invasion(MVI)is indicative of aggressive tumor biology in HCC.AIM To construct an artificial neural network(ANN)capable of accurately predicting MVI presence in HCC using magnetic resonance imaging.METHODS This study included 255 patients with HCC with tumors<3 cm.Radiologists annotated the tumors on the T1-weighted plain MR images.Subsequently,a three-layer ANN was constructed using image features as inputs to predict MVI status in patients with HCC.Postoperative pathological examination is considered the gold standard for determining MVI.Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the algorithm.RESULTS Using the bagging strategy to vote for 50 classifier classification results,a prediction model yielded an area under the curve(AUC)of 0.79.Moreover,correlation analysis revealed that alpha-fetoprotein values and tumor volume were not significantly correlated with the occurrence of MVI,whereas tumor sphericity was significantly correlated with MVI(P<0.01).CONCLUSION Analysis of variable correlations regarding MVI in tumors with diameters<3 cm should prioritize tumor sphericity.The ANN model demonstrated strong predictive MVI for patients with HCC(AUC=0.79).

Process and performance of DAAF microspheres prepared by continuous integration from synthesis to spherical coating based on microfluidic system

In order to improve the energy output consistency of 3, 3’-diamino-4, 4’-azoxyfurazan(DAAF) in the new insensitive booster and the safety and efficiency in the preparation process, a continuous preparation system of DAAF from synthesis to spherical coating was designed and established in this paper, which combined ultrasonic micromixing reaction with microdroplet globular template. In the rapid micromixing stage, the microfluidic mixing technology with ultrasonic was used to synergistically strengthen the uniform and rapid mass transfer mixing reaction between raw materials to ensure the uniformity of DAAF particle nucleation-growth, and to prepare high-quality DAAF crystals with uniform structure and morphology and concentrated particle size distribution. In the microdroplet globular template stage, the microfluidic droplet technology was used to form a droplet globular template with uniform size under the shear action of the continuous phase of the dispersed phase solution containing DAAF particles and binder. The size of the droplet template was controlled by adjusting the flow rate ratio between the continuous phase and the dispersed phase. In the droplet globular template, with the diffusion of the solvent in the dispersed phase droplets, the binder precipitates to coat the DAAF into a ball, forming a DAAF microsphere with high sphericity, narrow particle size distribution and good monodispersity. The problem of discontinuity and DAAF particle suspension in the process was solved, and the coating theory under this process was studied. DAAF was coated with different binder formulations of fluororubber(F2604), nitrocellulose(NC) and NC/glycidyl azide polymer(GAP), and the process verification and evaluation of the system were carried out. The balling effects of large, medium and small droplet templates under different binder formulations were studied. The scanning electron microscope(SEM) results show that the three droplet templates under the three binder formulations exhibit good balling effect and narrow particle size distribution. The DAAF microspheres were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction(XRD), differential scanning calorimetry(DSC), thermo-gravimetric(TG) and sensitivity analyzer. The results showed that the crystal structure of DAAF did not change during the process, and the prepared DAAF microspheres had lower decomposition temperature and lower mechanical sensitivity than raw DAAF. The results of detonation parameters show that the coating of DAAF by using the above three binder formulations will not greatly reduce the energy output of DAAF, and has comparable detonation performance to raw DAAF. This study proves an efficient and safe continuous system from synthesis to spherical coating modification of explosives, which provides a new way for the continuous, safe and efficient preparation of spherical explosives.

高马赫数球状气泡动力学理论研究

The compressibility of fluids has a profound influence on oscillating bubble dynamics,as characterized by the Mach number.However,current theoretical frameworks for bubbles,whether at the first or second order of the Mach number,are primarily confined to scenarios characterized by weak compressibility.Thus,a critical need to elucidate the precise range of applicability for both first-and second-order bubble theories arises.Herein,we investigate the suitability and constraints of bubble theories with different orders through a comparative analysis involving experimental data and numerical simulations.The focal point of our investigation encompasses theories such as the Rayleigh–Plesset,Keller,Herring,and second-order bubble equations.Furthermore,the impact of parameters inherent in the second-order equations is examined.For spherical oscillating bubble dynamics in a free field,our findings reveal that the first-and second-order bubble theories are applicable when Ma≤0.3 and 0.4,respectively.For a single sonoluminescence bubble,we define an instantaneous Mach number,Mai.The second-order theory shows abnormal sensibility when Mai is high,which is negligible when Mai≤0.4.The results of this study can serve as a valuable reference for studying compressible bubble dynamics.

Swimming velocity of spherical squirmers in a square tube at finite fluid inertia

The three-dimensional lattice Boltzmann method(LBM)is used to simulate the motion of a spherical squirmer in a square tube,and the steady motion velocity of a squirmer with different Reynolds numbers(Re,ranging from 0.1 to 2)and swimming types is investigated and analyzed to better understand the swimming characteristics of microorganisms in different environments.First,as the Reynolds number increases,the effect of the inertial forces becomes significant,disrupting the squirmer's ability to maintain its theoretical velocity.Specifically,as the Reynolds number increases,the structure of the flow field around the squirmer changes,affecting its velocity of motion.Notably,the swimming velocity of the squirmer exhibits a quadratic relationship with the type of swimming and the Reynolds number.Second,the narrow tube exerts a significant inhibitory effect on the squirmer motion.In addition,although chirality does not directly affect the swimming velocity of the squirmer,it can indirectly affect the velocity by changing its motion mode.

Numerical study of plasmas start-up by electron cyclotron waves in NCST spherical tokamak and CN-H1 stellarator

According to the physics of tokamak start-up,this study constructs a zero-dimensional(0D)model applicable to electron cyclotron(EC)wave assisted start-up in NCST spherical torus(spherical tokamak)and CN-H1 stellarators.Using the constructed 0D model,the results obtained in this study under the same conditions are compared and validated against reference results for pure hydrogen plasma start-up in tokamak.The results are in good agreement,especially regarding electron temperature,ion temperature and plasma current.In the presence of finite Ohmic electric field in the spherical tokamak,a study on the EC wave assisted start-up of the NCST plasma at frequency of 28 GHz is conducted.The impact of the vertical magnetic field B_(v)on EC wave assisted start-up,the relationship between EC wave injection power P_(inj),Ohmic electric field E,and initial hydrogen atom density n_(H0)are explored separately.It is found that under conditions of Ohmic electric field lower than ITER(~0.3 V m^(-1)),EC wave can expand the operational space to achieve better plasma parameters.Simulating the process of28 GHz EC wave start-up in the CN-H1 stellarator plasma,the plasma current in the zerodimensional model is replaced with the current in the poloidal coil of the stellarator.Plasma startup can be successfully achieved at injection powers in the hundreds of kilowatts range,resulting in electron densities on the order of 10^(17)-10^(18)m^(-3).

Revealing interfacial charge redistribution of homologous Ru-RuS_(2) heterostructure toward robust hydrogen oxidation reaction

Precisely tailoring the surface electronic structures of electrocatalysts for optimal hydrogen binding energy and hydroxide binding energy is vital to improve the sluggish kinetics of hydrogen oxidation reac-tion(HOR).Herein,we employ a partial desulfurization strategy to construct a homologous Ru-RuS_(2) heterostructure anchored on hollow mesoporous carbon nanospheres(Ru-RuS_(2)@C).The disparate work functions of the heterostructure contribute to the spontaneous formation of a unique built-in electric field,accelerating charge transfer and boosting conductivity of electrocatalyst.Consequently,Ru-RuS_(2)@C exhibits robust HOR electrocatalytic activity,achieving an exchange current density and mass activity as high as 3.56 mA cm^(-2) and 2.13 mAμg_(Ru)^(-1),respectively.exceeding those of state-of-the-art Pt/C and most contemporary Ru-based HOR electrocatalysts.Surprisingly,Ru-RuS_(2)@C can tolerate 1000 ppm of cO that lacks in Pt/C.Comprehensive analysis reveals that the directional electron transfer across Ru-RuS_(2) heterointerface induces local charge redistribution in interfacial region,which optimizes and balances the adsorption energies of H and OH species,as well as lowers the energy barrier for water formation,thereby promoting theHoR performance.

Fully Completed Spherical Fuzzy Approach-Based Z Numbers(PHIModel)for Enhanced Group Expert Consensus

This study aims to establish an expert consensus and enhance the efficacy of decision-making processes by integrating Spherical Fuzzy Sets(SFSs)and Z-Numbers(SFZs).A novel group expert consensus technique,the PHImodel,is developed to address the inherent limitations of both SFSs and the traditional Delphi technique,particularly in uncertain,complex scenarios.In such contexts,the accuracy of expert knowledge and the confidence in their judgments are pivotal considerations.This study provides the fundamental operational principles and aggregation operators associated with SFSs and Z-numbers,encompassing weighted geometric and arithmetic operators alongside fully developed operators tailored for SFZs numbers.Subsequently,a case study and comparative analysis are conducted to illustrate the practicality and effectiveness of the proposed operators and methodologies.Integrating the PHI model with SFZs numbers represents a significant advancement in decision-making frameworks reliant on expert input.Further,this combination serves as a comprehensive tool for decision-makers,enabling them to achieve heightened levels of consensus while concurrently assessing the reliability of expert contributions.The case study results demonstrate the PHI model’s utility in resolving complex decision-making scenarios,showcasing its ability to improve consensus-building processes and enhance decision outcomes.Additionally,the comparative analysis highlights the superiority of the integrated approach over traditional methodologies,underscoring its potential to revolutionize decision-making practices in uncertain environments.

Superior rectus/levator complex in acquired anophthalmic socket repaired with spheric implant—a computed tomography scan and topographic study

AIM:To determine whether the levator palpebrae superioris(LPS)/superior rectus(SR)muscle complex,can influence the position of the upper lid and fornix in acquired anophthalmic sockets.METHODS:This comparative non-randomized and non-interventional study included retrospective data of 21 patients with unilateral acquired anophthalmic sockets repaired with spheric implants.High-resolution computed tomography(CT)measurements of the LPM/SR muscle complex and clinical topographic position of the upper lid,superior and inferior fornix depth in primary gaze position were evaluated.Demographic data were presented as frequency and percentage proportions and quantitative variables comparing the socket measurements with the normal contralateral orbit was statistically analyzed using non-parametric tests considering P<0.05.RESULTS:The anophthalmic orbits had a significantly shorter LPS length(P=0.01)and significantly thicker SR(P=0.02)than the normal orbit.Lagophthalmos was present in anophthalmic sockets but not in normal orbits(P=0.002),while levator function was normal in both(P>0.05,all comparisons).The superior fornix depth was similar in the anophthalmic socket and the contralateral normal orbit(P=0.192)as well the inferior fornix depth(P=0.351).CONCLUSION:Acquired anophthalmic sockets repaired with spheric implants have shorter LPS,thicker SR,and more lagophthalmos than normal orbits.The relationship of the LPS and SR with other orbital structures,associated with passive or active forces acting in the final position of the lids and external ocular prosthesis should be further investigated.

Terahertz quasi-perfect vortex beam with integer-order and fractional-order generated by spiral spherical harmonic axicon

We propose a new method to generate terahertz perfect vortex beam with integer-order and fractional-order. A new optical diffractive element composed of the phase combination of a spherical harmonic axicon and a spiral phase plate is designed and called spiral spherical harmonic axicon. A terahertz Gaussian beam passes through the spiral spherical harmonic axicon to generate a terahertz vortex beam. When only the topological charge number carried by spiral spherical harmonic axicon increases, the ring radius of terahertz vortex beam increases slightly, so the beam is shaped into a terahertz quasi-perfect vortex beam. Importantly, the terahertz quasi-perfect vortex beam can carry not only integer-order topological charge number but also fractional-order topological charge number. This is the first time that vortex beam and quasi-perfect vortex beam with fractional-order have been successfully realized in terahertz domain and experiment.

Distribution and correlation of refractive parameters in children with different corneal curvatures in southeast China

AIM:To analyze the distribution of refractive status in school-age children with different corneal curvatures(CC)and the correlation between CC and refractive status.METHODS:A total of 2214 school-aged children of grade 4 in Hangzhou who were screened for school myopia were included.Uncorrected distance visual acuity(UCDVA),non-cycloplegic refraction,axial length(AL),horizontal and vertical corneal curvature(K1,K2)were measured and spherical equivalent(SE),corneal curvature radius(CCR)and axial length/corneal radius of curvature ratio(AL/CR)were calculated.UCDVA<5.0 and SE≤-0.50 D were classified as school-screening myopia.According to the different CCRs,the patients were divided into the lower corneal curvature(LCC)group(CCR≥7.92)and the higher corneal curvature(HCC)group(CCR<7.92).Each group was further divided into the normal AL subgroup and the long AL subgroup.The refractive parameters were compared to identify any differences between the two groups.RESULTS:Both SE and AL were greater in the LCC group(P=0.013,P<0.001).The prevalence of myopia was 38% in the LCC group and 44% in the HCC group(P<0.001).The proportion of children without screening myopia was higher in the LCC group(62%)than in the HCC group(56%).Among these children without screening myopia,the proportion of long AL in the LCC group(24%)was significantly higher than that in the HCC group(0.012%;P<0.001).The change of SE in the LCC group was less affected by the increase of AL than that in the HCC group.CONCLUSION:School-aged children in the LCC group have a lower incidence of screening myopia and longer AL.Low CC can mask SE reduction and AL growth to some extent,and the change of AL growth change more in children with low CC than high CC.Before the onset of myopia,its growth rate is even faster than that after the onset of myopia.