Medical Image Enhancement Using Morphological Transformation

Medical imaging includes different modalities and processes to visualize the interior of human body for diagnostic and treatment purpose. However, one of the most common degradations in medical images is their poor contrast quality and noise. The existence of several objects and the close proximity of adjacent pixels values make the diagnostic process a daunting task. The idea of image enhancement techniques is to improve the quality of an image. In this study, morphological transform operation is carried out on medical images to enhance the contrast and quality. A disk shaped mask is used in Top-Hat and Bottom-Hat transform and this mask plays a vital role in the operation. Different types and sizes of medical images need different masks so that they can be successfully enhanced. The method shown in this study takes a mask of an arbitrary size and keeps changing its size until an optimum enhanced image is obtained from the transformation operation. The enhancement is achieved via an iterative exfoliation process. The results indicate that this method improves the contrast of medical images and can help with better diagnosis.

Morphological transformation of elongated MnS inclusions in non-quenched and tempered steel during isothermal heating

Elongated MnS inclusions in rolled non-quenched and tempered steel tend to cause the mechanical anisotropy of steel,deteriorate the mechanical properties and degrade the quality and service life of the steel products.To reveal the mechanisms of morphological transformation of strip-shaped MnS inclusions during isothermal heating,the effects of heat treatment time and temperature on the morphology,number density and size distribution of elongated MnS inclusions were systematically studied and discussed.A diffusion couple experiment was also conducted to clarify the diffusion mode of MnS inclusions.The experimental results showed that with the increase in isothermal heating time(from 0 to 10 h at 1473 K)and temperature(from 1173 to 1573 K for 3.0 h),the number density and average aspect ratio of MnS inclusions generally showed an increase and decrease trend,respectively,while the area fraction remained stable and only slightly fluctuated around 0.4%.In the diffusion couple,after the isothermal heating at 1473 K for 3.0 h,the elements Mn and S in the steel near the steel-MnS interface were very stable without any concentration gradient.The morphology change sequence of the elongated MnS inclusions in the rolled non-quenched and tempered steel during the isothermal heating was strip→cylinderization→spindle→spheroidization.Relationship between the diameter of MnS inclusion and the spacing between two MnS inclusions after splitting,and the fitting goodness of different n values under different experimental time and temperature confirmed that the driving force for the transformation of MnS inclusions during the isothermal heating was surface diffusion,instead of volume diffusion.

Morphological Transformation of Plant Cells in vitro and Its Effect on Plant Growth

Enhancement of cell growth in suspension cultures is urgently needed in plant cell culture engineering. This study investigates the relationship between morphological transformation and cell growth in callus and suspension cultures of saffron cells belonging to the cell line C96 induced from Crocus safivus L In the suspension culture, an unbalanced osmotic pressure between the intracell and extracell regions induced a large morphological transformation which affected normal division of the saffron cells. An increase in osmotic pressure caused by the addition of sucrose inhibits the vacuolation and shrinkage of cytoplasm in the cells. As the sucrose concentration increases, the total amount of accumulated biomass also increases. Besides the sucrose concentration, increased ionic strength and inoculation ratio also help restrain to a large extent the vacuolation and shrinkage of the cytoplasm in the suspended cells, which results in increased biomass. The conditions for optimal biomass are： Murashige and Skoog＇s （MS） medium with 40 g/L sucrose and 60% （v/v） inoculation ratio.

Tunable Multiple Morphological Transformation of Supramolecular Hyperbranched Polymers Based on an A_(2)B_(6)-type POSS Monomer

The growing dema nds of supramolecular hyperbranched polymers integrati ng non covale nt in teraction and unique topological structure merits had received considerable interest in the fabrication of novel materials for advaneed applications.Herein,we prepared A2B6-type POSS-containing supramolecular hyperbranched polymers with multiple morphologies including lamellar-like,branched,hollow,core-shell and porous spherical structures through regulating self-assembling monomer concentrations and solvent polarities.The incorporation of appropriate emulative guest molecules would further trigger morphological transformations(such as vesicles and spherical micelles)by synergistic effects of unique POSS aggregation ability,supramolecular complexations and hydrophilic-hydrophobic interactions.Thus,this facile and universal strategy may enable a modular nanofabrication of supramolecular hyperbranched polymers with diversiform topological structure and sophisticated multifunctionality for their potential applications.

Morphological transformations of diblock copolymers in binary solvents： A simulation study

Morphological transformations of amphiphilic AB diblock copolymers in mixtures of a common solvent （S1） and a selective solvent （S2） for the B block are studied using the simulated annealing method. We focus on the morphological transformation depending on the fraction of the selective solvent Cs2, the concentration of the polymer Cp, and the polymers-solvent interactions εij （i = A, B; j = S1, S2）. Morphology diagrams are constructed as functions of Cp, Cs2, and/or εAs2. The copolymer morpho- logical sequence from dissolved → sphere → rod → ring/cage → vesicle is obtained upon increasing Cs2 at a fixed Cv. This morphology sequence is consistent with previous experimental observations. It is found that the selectivity of the selective solvent affects the self-assembled microstructure signifi- cantly. In particular, when tile interaction εBS2 is negative, aggregates of stacked lamellae dominate the diagram. The mechanisms of aggregate transformation and the formation of stacked lamellar ag- gregates are discussed by analyzing variations of the average contact numbers of the A or B monomers with monomers and with molecules of the two types of solvent, as well as the mean square end-to-end distances of chains. It is found that the basic morphological sequence of spheres to rods to vesicles and the stacked lamellar aggregates result from competition between the interfacial energy and the chain conformational entropy. Analysis of the vesicle structure reveals that the vesicle size increases with increasing Cp or with decreasing Cs2, but remains almost unchanged with variations in εAS2.

Shear Induced Morphological Transformation of Large Compound Micelles Formed by Glutathione End-capped Poly（4-vinylpyridine）

Here we report novel shear-sensitive polymeric large compound micelles （LCMs） formed by self-assembly of glutathione end-capped poly（4-vinylpyridine） （GP4VP） in water containing 4 vol% methanol. The amphiphile prefers to form the kinetieally stabilized LCMs due to the small length ratio of the hydrophilic part to the hydrophobic part; the encapsulation of the hydrophilic part within LCMs causes only a small enthalpy loss from a thermody- namic view. Sheared by vortex flows generated by vigorous stir, the LCMs evolve to thick wall vesicles, thin wall vesicles, broken vesicles and ＂pearl-necklace＂ structures consecutively. The high flexibility of the LCMs and the internal tension caused by the encapsulation of the hydrophilic part are responsible for the high shear sensitivity of the LCMs.

Parareal in Time Simulation of Morphological Transformation in Cubic Alloys with Spatially Dependent Composition

In this paper,a reducedmorphological transformation model with spatially dependent composition and elastic modulus is considered.The parareal in time algorithm introduced by Lions et al.is developed for longer-time simulation.The fine solver is based on a second-order scheme in reciprocal space,and the coarse solver is based on a multi-model backward Euler scheme,which is fast and less expensive.Numerical simulations concerning the composition with a randomnoise and a discontinuous curve are performed.Some microstructure characteristics at very low temperature are obtained by a variable temperature technique.

Segmentation algorithm of complex ore images based on templates transformation and reconstruction

Lots of noises and heterogeneous objects with various sizes coexist in a complex image,such as an ore image;the classical image thresholding method cannot effectively distinguish between ores.To segment ore objects with various sizes simultaneously,two adaptive windows in the image were chosen for each pixel;the gray value of windows was calculated by Otsu＇s threshold method.To extract the object skeleton,the definition principle of distance transformation templates was proposed.The ores linked together in a binary image were separated by distance transformation and gray reconstruction.The seed region of each object was picked up from the local maximum gray region of the reconstruction image.Starting from these seed regions,the watershed method was used to segment ore object effectively.The proposed algorithm marks and segments most objects from complex images precisely.

Morphological Changes Induced by Coastal Protection on the Coast of Maputo City, Mozambique

Coastal change has merited attention because of heated arguments in the literature on this subject at national,regional,southern African,and international levels.The city of Maputo,the capital of Mozambique,which had been undergoing intense coastal erosion actions,was the target of large-scale intervention aimed at halting the advance of the sea and the consequent destruction of infrastructure.Coastal protection consisted of soft forms,artificial feeding,and heavy,longitudinal and transversal structures.This study was carried out along the protected line,about 3 km long,and aims to understand the morphological transformations in the Maputo city shoreline that occurred after the coastal protection.For that,the following technical methods were used:observation,a topographic survey of the beach cross-sections,and the shoreline evolution before and after coastal protection using 2008 and 2010 Google Earth satellite imagery prior to protection 2015,project completion year and 2018 monitoring year.The findings of the study revealed that the causes of coastal erosion persist,like constant removal by deflation of the borrowed sediment.Besides,vertical structures(groynes)intensify erosion in the downdrift while adherent structures interrupt the return of sediment deposited on the sidewalk and the road.The beach that experienced a positive sedimentary balance with artificial feeding has been losing more sediment than it gets.The transversal profiles show the beach shore has depressions that are submerged in the presence of high tides,bringing the sea closer to the adherent structure.Despite the sped up erosion observed,embryonic dunes were detected in some parts of the beach,signs of the establishment of dynamic equilibrium,becoming sites of sand accumulation and sediment source to the beach,through the exchange between the dune and the beach.With these results,a pilot station for artificial dune construction is being designed for beach stability.

Dark channel prior based blurred image restoration method using total variation and morphology

The blurred image restoration method can dramatically highlight the image details and enhance the global contrast, which is of benefit to improvement of the visual effect during practical ap- plications. This paper is based on the dark channel prior principle and aims at the prior information absent blurred image degradation situation. A lot of improvements have been made to estimate the transmission map of blurred images. Since the dark channel prior principle can effectively restore the blurred image at the cost of a large amount of computation, the total variation （TV） and image morphology transform （specifically top-hat transform and bottom- hat transform） have been introduced into the improved method. Compared with original transmission map estimation methods, the proposed method features both simplicity and accuracy. The es- timated transmission map together with the element can restore the image. Simulation results show that this method could inhibit the ill-posed problem during image restoration, meanwhile it can greatly improve the image quality and definition.

EFFECTS OF L-PHENYLALANINE ON THE RADIATION SYNTHESIS OF POLY(N,N'-METHYLENEBISACRYLAMIDE-co-4-VINYLPYRIDINE)(MICRO)GELS

The effects of L-phenylalanine （L-Phe） on the synthesis ofpoly（N,N＇-methylenebisacrylamide-co-4-vinylpyridine） （poly（Bis-co-4-VP）） （micro）gels by γ-ray irradiation were studied. The addition of L-Phe could not only decrease the gelation dose （Dg） of the synthesis obviously, but also transform the morphology of copolymer from microgel to gel. In addition, the swelling ability of the （micro）gels was also affected in the presence of L-Phe. The decrease of Dg was ascribed to the effect of pH, while the transformation of the morphology was ascribed to the effect of L-Phe on the stability of the poly（Bis-co-4-VP） microgel. Such an effect was confirmed further as compared with the effects of L-alanine, L-glutamic acid, L-arginine, sulfuric acid and aqueous ammonia.

A Rapid Visual Detection of Ascorbic Acid Through Morphology Transformation of Silver Triangular Nanoplates

A rapid and sensitive colorimetric detection of ascorbic acid(AA)through the morphology transformation of silver triangular nanoplates(Ag TNPs)is developed.By virtue of the redox reaction among silver nitrate and A A,the newly formed Ag atoms deposited on the surfaces of Ag TNPs.Subsequently,the morphology of Ag TNPs transforms from triangle to circle,resulting in a more than 160 nm blue shift of localized surface plasmon resonance absorption peak.The corresponding color of the solution converting from blue to yellow with the concentration of AA can be observed by naked eyes within 15 min.A linear relationship between the blue shift of absorption peak and the concentration of A A ranging from 0.2 to 6μM is obtained with a limit of detection(LOD)of 100 nM(3σ).Some potential species(e.g.,glucose,urea and various amino acids)coexisting in the system showed little or no interference.The proposed assay is successfully employed to determine the amount of A A in pharmaceutical products with recoveries from 96.9 to 106.5%and offers a sensitive,low-cost,rapid and simple assay of visual analysis of ascorbic acid.

Designing architectural continuity in a historic urban quarter of Dinajpur, Bangladesh

This research paper examines the morphological transformation of the historic urban quarters(HUQ)adjacent to Maldah Patti in Dinajpur and provides guidelines for maintaining architectural continuity in new constructions.The study employed a mixed-methods approach,including historical research,physical surveys,user interviews,design ethnography,and participant experiences.The identified factors contributing to architectural degradation in HUQ adjacent to Maldah Patti in Dinajpur include economy-focused considerations,lack of awareness,municipal regulations,community sense,owner preferences,bureaucracy,and the architect’s lack of knowledge.The study identified physical characteristics of historical structures in the HUQ,including location,ownership,present use,facade emphasis,style,and pedestrian experience.The study recommends balancing historical continuity and socioeconomic development,designing elements to evoke historical ambience,acknowledging functionality and spatial constraints,ensuring client participation,paying attention to detail,taking inspiration from historic structures,deriving vertical and horizontal emphasis in the fac¸ade,facing trade-offs and compromises,giving importance to communication,and paying attention to security issues to achieve architectural continuity in HUQ.

Growth behavior of CVD diamond films with enhanced electron field emission properties over a wide range of experimental parameters

In this study, diamond films were synthesized on silicon substrates by microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition（CVD） over a wide range of experimental parameters. The effects of the microwave power,CH;/H;ratio and gas pressure on the morphology, growth rate, composition, and quality of diamond films were investigated by means of scanning electron microscope（SEM）, X-ray diffraction（XRD）, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS）. A rise of microwave power can lead to an increasing pyrolysis of hydrogen and methane, so that the microcrystalline diamond film could be synthesized at low CH;/H;levels. Gas pressure has similar effect in changing the morphology of diamond films, and high gas pressure also results in dramatically increased grain size. However,diamond film is deteriorated at high CH;/H;ratio due to the abundant graphite content including in the films. Under an extreme condition of high microwave power of 10 kW and high CH;concentration, a hybrid film composed of diamond/graphite was successfully formed in the absence of N;or Ar,which is different from other reports. This composite structure has an excellent measured sheet resistance of 10-100 Ω/Sqr. which allows it to be utilized as field electron emitter. The diamond/graphite hybrid nanostructure displays excellent electron field emission（EFE） properties with a low turn-on field of 2.17 V/μm and β= 3160, therefore it could be a promising alternative in field emission applications.

Fe_3O_4 nano-whiskers by ultrasonic-aided reduction in concentrated NaOH solution

Fe3O4 nano-whiskers were synthesized via ultrasonic-aided reduction of FeCl2.4H2O with N2H4-H2O in concentrated NaOH solution. Phase identification and morphology observation were conducted by X-ray diffraction （XRD） analysis, transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and field emission scanning electron microscopy （FE-SEM）. Face scanning energy dispersive spectrum （face scanning EDS） and twodimensional fast Fourier transform （2DFFF） for element distribution were carried out for confirming composition homogeneity. From XRD and TEIVI, the synthesized Fe304 nano-whiskers are of cubic phase with average dimension of 20 nm~ 200 nm （average aspect ratio of 10）. FE-SEM shows that the nanowhiskers without dispersion are interconnected into a network at a scale of 20μm. 2DFFT of the distribution of Fe and O from face scanning EDS confirms the composition homogeneity of the synthesized Fe3O4. Hydrazine hydrate determines the formation of the nano-whiskers, while the possible mechanism is the preferred growth along certain orientation with the aid of ultrasonic treatment.