Liver tumor is one of the most dangerous diseases that cause death, so fast and accurate detecting of tumors represents a vital task. The accurate diagnosis depends upon the robust methods that implemented to detect tumors and other abnormalities regions in the tested medical images like: MRI, CT scan and other types of medical images. In this work, hard and soft schemes of clustering and GLCM methods as well as two hybrid techniques are proposed to extract tumors and other abnormalities in MRI and CT scan images of liver. The results showed that all the proposed segmentation techniques succeeded adequately to detect, isolate and extract the abnormalities and tumors in the adopted medical images according to the consultation of the two radiologists. As well as, the results are in good agreement with the radiologist delineation with relative difference ranged from 0.013 to 0.072 percent.

The microscopy techniques are important tools in petrology to analyze rock textures (microstructures) and compositions by two- or three-dimensional visualization, fully quantifying several rock properties. With the advent of serial sectioning techniques, X-ray tomography and micro-computed tomography analysis and advanced image analysis, it is becoming increasingly easy to carry out a three-dimensional reconstruction of the textural (microstructural) features and the chemical composition of rocks. An exciting consequence is the potential to reconstruct particle size distributions in three dimensions and relate their distribution to the rock bulk-chemistry. This work highlights the important factors and potential problems in the use of serial thin sections and imaging in the analysis of rocks.

The studies are aimed at increasing the wear resistance of packaging knives made of Cr12 stainless steel used in wrapping machines of MC1DT-T type by thin TiN and CrN coatings obtained by vacuum-arc evaporation with RF discharge. The results of the complex analysis of degradation processes occurred in metal knife structure during operation were used to determine optimal parameters for further tool hardening technology. The surface morphology and elemental composition of initial and coated sample were studied by SEM with EDX. The quantity, size, volume of the carbide phase, as well as its distribution on the tool surface were calculated and analyzed using Thixomet Pro program. The maximum nanohardness of CrN coating comprised 31.46 GPa, whereas for TiN it was 34.31 GPa. It was revealed, that PVD coatings allowed to stabilize the working surface layer under deformation, and to hamper the development of diffusion processes. It was established, that the service-life of cutting knives is increased by 2–3 times.

The morphology and kinetics of dendrites growth at the electron-beam crystallization of amorphous HfO₂ films have been studied with transmission electron microscopy using video recording. Amorphous films were obtained by pulsed laser sputtering of Hf in an oxygen atmosphere. Studies have shown that dendrite polymorph crystallization takes place. It can be either one-stage or two-stage in nature. In first case, four trunk non-crystallographic dendrite branches of the first order grow from one center. Their lateral surfaces (basal surfaces), bordering with amorphous phase, are places of formation of dendrite branches of the second order, which in turn can form branches of the third order. Branches are formed from a number of randomly oriented crystals in the process of geometric selection. The direction of its highest growth rate forms an acute angle with the basal surface. In the second case, the size-phase effect takes place, consisting in the fact, that when the disk-shaped HfO₂ crystal of the orthorhombic modification reaches a critical size (∼0.2 μm), it splits into domains, containing monoclinic crystal lattices. Subsequently they form non-crystallographic branches of the dendrite. After transformation the growth rate of dendrite sharply increases (∼4 times) in comparison with the growth rate of the disk-shaped crystal and remain constant at a fixed electron flux density through the sample. The analogy between Stranski–Krastanov growth mode of a crystal from the vapor phase and dendrite polymorphic crystallization of amorphous HfO₂ phase is looked through.

In the present review we describe the inflammatory reaction surrounding hemorrhagic and perihematomal brain parenchyma in traumatic head injuries complicated with subdural or extradural hematoma or hygroma. Perivascular cells, ameboid phagocytic microglial cells, and infiltrated macrophage/monocyte system are observed surrounding perivascular and intraparenchymal hemorrhagic foci. They show phagocytic activity of degenerated nerve cell processes, and organized proteinaceous edema fluid present in the enlarged extracellular space. Endocytosis by means of clathrin-coated vesicles also is observed. Facultative and professional phagocytes exhibit a full repertoire of lysosomes, phagosomes containing nerve cell debris, lipid droplets, and lipofuscin granules. Phagocytic pericytes remaining within the capillary basement membrane are also observed around perivascular hemorrhages. The inflammatory process developed according to the intensity of traumatic insult, patient age, associated hematoma or hygroma, severity of vasogenic and cytotoxic edema, and anoxic-ischemic conditions of brain parenchyma.

The diatom frustules are variously perforated and heavily ornamented due to regular deposition of siliceous material in different patterns. These species-specific patterning on the silica cell wall of diatoms forms a base for their identification as well as taxonomic classification. The cleaned frustules were observed under SEM to confirm the size of the porous silica. In the present investigation, Nitzschia, Cymbella, Encyonema, Pinnularia, Navicula, Planothidium, Frustulia, Eunotia, Surirella and Achnanthidium showed excellent porous silica in nanometer scale under SEM observation. SEM-EDS analysis showed two distinct peaks of silicon (Si) and oxygen (O) which confirmed that frustule is composed of amorphous silica in the form of SiO₂. Based on the present findings, it can be concluded that few freshwater diatoms obtained from these study areas possess excellent silica nanoporous structures which could be exploited in new emerging fields like nanoscience and technology.

The distinctive synaptic degenerative changes induced by congenital hydrocephalus, brain trauma and brain tumors are reviewed. The hydrocephalic or interstitial clear edema, the hematogenous edema fluid in traumatic brain injuries, and the proteinaceous edema fluid in brain tumors accumulated in the dilated extracellular space of cerebral cortex neuropil induce swelling and shrinkage of pre- and postsynaptic structures, increased amount of presynaptic axoplasmic granular substance, and clumping, enlargement and depletion of synaptic vesicles. In most human cases examined, the clear and dark types of degeneration are observed in both pre and/or postsynaptic structures. Filamentous hypertrophy of presynaptic endings also is observed in some cases. Osmiophylic bodies, necrotic membranes, lipid inclusions and glycogen granules are seen in the synaptic terminal matrix. Disappearance of synaptic densities is evident in some cases. In severe brain edema, swollen and shrunken presynaptic endings with discontinuous limiting plasma appear separated from the postsynaptic structures and detached from the glial ensheathment expressing synaptic disassembly. Phagocytosis of isolated presynaptic endings, and of the entire synaptic contacts by astrocytes, microglial cells, and by non-nervous invading cells, such as monocytes and macrophages, are frequently observed. The biochemical events underlying synaptic degeneration and the neurodegenerative diseases exhibiting synaptic degeneration are analyzed.

Aluminium matrix composites with multiple reinforcements are finding more applications because of its improved mechanical and tribological properties than single reinforced composites. This article addresses an approach based Grey-Taguchi method for optimizing the triblogical behavior of Al6061 reinforced with Silicon carbide and boron carbide. Applied Load, sliding distance, and sliding velocity are selected as the variables, and the wear rate and coefficient of friction are selected as response variables to investigate the dry sliding performance. As per Taguchi's L9 orthogonal array, the prepared hybrid composite is subjected to dry sliding wear tests using pin-on-disc apparatus to determine the wear and coefficient of friction. Initially, Grey relational analysis (GRA) is used to optimize the dry sliding performance of the MMCs. Based on the grey relational grade, optimum levels of parameters have been identified and significant contribution of parameters is determined by ANOVA. Confirmation test is conducted to validate the test result. Experimental results have shown that the sliding velocity is the most effective factor among the control parameters on dry sliding wear, followed by the sliding distance, and load. Finally, the micro structural investigation on the worn surfaces is performed by Scanning Electron Microscope.

Cisplatin, an antineoplastic drug is known nephrotoxic in both rodents and human. The efficacy is driven by adduct formation with nuclear and mitochondrial DNA and the cytotoxicity by formation of phospholipids adducts to RNA and thiol bearing proteins accumulation in tubular epithelial cells at the corticomedullary zone of kidneys. Changes in both serum renal specific markers and histology of kidneys is reported due to cisplatin administration in rats. However, scanty reports available demonstrating early and late changes of cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity evaluation using scanning electron microscope and its diagnostic importance. In this study, cisplatin was administered at 2.5 and 5 mg/kg (single dose, intraperitoneal) to male Sprague Dawley rats. On day 4 and 8 post treatment, serum samples were analyzed for clinical chemistry parameters and kidneys were observed for histology and scanning electron microscopy. Changes in serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine were minimal on day 4 and less than 3 fold increase on day 8. Histological changes seen on day 4 and 8 were of minimal to mild and moderate to severe in nature at both doses, respectively. Scanning electron microscopic evaluations revealed increased periglomerular space, shrunken glomeruli, wrinkled surface of tubules and presence of minimal cast at 2.5 mg/kg; edematous and degenerated glomeruli with increased periglomerular space, wrinkled surface area, presence of granular material and degenerated tubules at 5.0 mg/kg on Day 4. On day 8, the changes seen were tubular degeneration, increased periglomerular area, shrunken tubules, inflammatory cell infiltration, presence of cellular debris at 2.5 mg/kg; severe tubular degeneration, increased periglomerular area, glomerular degeneration, diffuse presence of cellular debris and cast at 5.0 mg/kg. In conclusion, scanning electron microscopic changes have better diagnostic importance in evaluating changes in certain anatomic structures (e.g., glomeruli) at an early damage to kidneys caused by low dose of cisplatin, which was not detected through traditional serum biomarkers or histology. Scanning electron microscopy is comparable to traditional serum markers or histology in late stage damage induced by cisplatin in rats at the tested dose levels in this study.

Histogram equalization is a pixel based enhancement technique in spatial domain. In this work, this technique employed to achieve segmentation process for different modalities of medical images: mammography of breast, MRI and CT scan images of brain and liver in order to detect tumors and other abnormalities like Haemorrhage in MRI brain images. In addition, a hybrid method based on clustering and histogram equalization was proposed to improve the performance of K-means clustering and histogram equalization for isolating and extracting tumors in the adopted experimental images. The results showed that the proposed histogram equalization method, succeeded adequately to segment, detect and extract tumors and abnormality regions, so it could be used as segmentation technique beside its function in images enhancement to improve their appearance. As well as, the hybrid technique succeeded to isolate and extract tumors and abnormality regions in the tested medical images according to the consultation of the radiologist. The results of the proposed methods were encouraging and in good agreement with the radiologist delineation. The percent relative difference of the calculated surface area it was found ranging from (0.01508 to 0.32281)%.