Preferred <100> Surface and In-Plane Orientations in Self-Assembled Poly-Si by Multiple Excimer Laser Irradiation

Clear preference of - orientation in self-assembled poly- Si is observed for the first time not only in surface, but also in-plane orientations. This textured poly-Si can be used for TFT active channel, expecting a high performance with an excellent uniformity; or can be used as a seed layer for orientation controlling.Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Scienc

Edge Enhancement Optimization in Flexible Endoscopic Images to the Perception of Ear, Nose and Throat Professionals

Objectives: Digital endoscopes are connected to a video processor that applies various operations to process the image. One of those operations is edge enhancement that sharpens the image. The purpose of this study was to (1) quantify the level of edge enhancement, (2) measure the effect on sharpness and image noise, and (3) study the influence of edge enhancement on image quality perceived by ENT professionals. Methods: Three digital flexible endoscopic systems were included. The level of edge enhancement and the influence on sharpness and noise were measured in vitro, while systematically varying the levels of edge enhancement. In vivo images were captured at identical levels of one healthy larynx. Each series of in vivo images was presented to 39 ENT professionals according to a forced pairwise comparison test, to select the image with the best image quality for diagnostic purposes. The numbers of votes were converted to a psychometric scale of just noticeable differences (JND) according to the Thurstone V model. Results: The maximum level of edge enhancement varied per endoscopic system and ranged from 0.8 to 1.2. Edge enhancement increased sharpness and noise. Images with edge enhancement were unanimously preferred to images without edge enhancement. The quality difference with respect to zero edge enhancement reaches an optimum at levels between 0.7 and 0.9. Conclusion: Edge enhancement has a major impact on sharpness, noise, and the resulting perceived image quality. We conclude that ENT professionals benefit from this video processing and should verify if their equipment is optimally configured. Level of Evidence: N/A Laryngoscope, 2023.ImPhys/Computational ImagingImPhys/Rieger grou

Differential characterization of emerging skin diseases of rainbow trout

Farmed and wild salmonids are affected by a variety of skin conditions, some of which have significant economic and welfare implications. In many cases, the causes are not well understood, and one example is cold water strawberry disease of rainbow trout, also called red mark syndrome, which has been recorded in the UK since 2003. To date, there are no internationally agreed methods for describing these conditions, which has caused confusion for farmers and health professionals, who are often unclear as to whether they are dealing with a new or a previously described condition. This has resulted, inevitably, in delays to both accurate diagnosis and effective treatment regimes. Here, we provide a standardized methodology for the description of skin conditions of rainbow trout of uncertain aetiology. We demonstrate how the approach can be used to develop case definitions, using coldwater strawberry disease as an example