The present work shows an application of the Chan-Vese algorithm for the semi-automatic segmentation of anatomical structures of interest (lungs and lung tumor) in 4DCT images of the thorax, as well as their three-dimensional reconstruction. The segmentation and reconstruction were performed on 10 CT images, which make up an inspiration-expiration cycle. The maximum displacement was calculated for the case of the lung tumor using the reconstructions of the onset of inspiration, the onset of expiration, and the voxel information. The proposed method achieves appropriate segmentation of the studied structures regardless of their size and shape. The three-dimensional reconstruction allows us to visualize the dynamics of the structures of interest throughout the respiratory cycle. In the future, it is expected to have more evidence of the good performance of the proposed method and to have the feedback of the clinical expert, since the knowledge of the characteristics of anatomical structures, such as their dimension and spatial position, helps in the planning of Radiotherapy (RT) treatments, optimizing the radiation dose to cancer cells and minimizing it in healthy organs. Therefore, the information found in this work may be of interest for the planning of RT treatments.
In order to maximize the potential energy utilization of agricultural and forestry waste and sludge, the experimental research on co-pyrolysis was carried out for two kinds of sludge (urban industrial sludge, paper sludge) and a typical biomass straw. The results show that adding biomass can effectively improve sludge pyrolysis characteristics; biomass straw and sludge, there are complex interactive effects between components in the co-pyrolysis process, and the characteristic parameters show nonlinear changes. When industrial sludge is mixed with straw, with the increase of straw content, the initial temperature of pyrolysis gradually decreases, the termination temperature increases, the peak of pyrolysis reaction rate and the corresponding temperature gradually increase, and the pyrolysis index gradually increases; when paper sludge is mixed with straw, with the increase of straw content, the initial temperature of pyrolysis gradually decreases, the termination temperature increases, the peak of pyrolysis reaction rate gradually increases, while the peak corresponding temperature gradually decreases, and the pyrolysis index gradually decreases. Combined with characteristic parameters and reaction kinetics analysis, it is suggested that the straw mixing proportion should be controlled at about 25% during the co-pyrolysis of industrial sludge and straw. During the co-pyrolysis of paper sludge and straw, it is suggested to control the straw blending ratio at about 75%.
This systematic literature review examines the convergence of entrepreneurship and information technology between 2005 and 2024. It investigates how the emergence of information technologies such as social networks, smart devices, big data, and cloud computing have transformed business operations and entrepreneurial approaches. The study use technologies such as Bibliometrix to analyze academic literature and identify research trends, knowledge structures, and their evolutionary routes. During the specified time frame, a grand total of 292 articles were published by 777 writers. These publications have played a key role in redirecting academic focus from traditional entrepreneurship to the field of digital entrepreneurship and the applications of information technology. A thematic analysis uncovers a shift from theoretical investigation to practical implementations and multidisciplinary research, while a co-citation analysis highlights important contributors and influential works. This study emphasizes the crucial importance of information technology in influencing entrepreneurial behaviors and strategic business decisions. It also offers valuable insights for future research and entrepreneurial practice in the information age.
Seawater desalination has been studied with interest due to the scarcity of fresh water for human consumption. Solar distillation is an old method; the productivity, energy consumption of the process and the cost of the desalinated water thus obtained depend on the efficiency achieved in each of the stages of these systems. The limited capacity to absorb solar radiation and transform it into useful heat for evaporation, interaction with the surrounding medium, and heat losses restrict the overall efficiency of the thermal process and productivity. Since the energy comes from solar radiation, the maximum productivity of this process will be constrained by the magnitude of the total solar radiation available in an area of the planet due to its geographic location, time of year and local climatic conditions. The processes of this energy will be thermodynamically limited by the heat transfer coefficients achieved in the equipment, the maximum value that the evaporation heat can reach, as long as the losses to the environment by convection and radiation are minimal. Comparative analyses of several proposed models, reported data of distillers, reported data of solar radiation that reach average values of up to 7.2–7.4 kwh/m2 in some regions of the planet are presented and estimates are made for productivity of these equipments that they reach between 6.7 and 6.9 kg/m2 day with a theoretical maximum efficiency of about 0.16 of the total solar radiation.
Given the importance of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in stimulating stock market development, many researchers have investigated their influences on the developed markets and high-income economies. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of ICT diffusion on stock market development for a panel of 17 selected emerging countries over the period 1990–2020 and employed the system-generalized method of moments (S-GMM) to test its objective. Three stock market development indicators are also used, namely: stock market capitalization (SMC), stock market total value traded (SMTT), and stock market turnover (SMT). Three ICT indicators are also employed, namely: Fixed telephone subscriptions (FTS), Individuals using the Internet (IUI), and Mobile cellular subscriptions (MCS). Three financial development indicators (deposit money among bank assets (DMB), liquid liabilities (LLB), and private credit by deposit money bank (PCM)) were employed as control variables. In its findings, all selected ICT dynamics positively affect stock market development and its constituents. Secondly, no proof was confirmed in relation to the impact of fixed telephone and stock market development with its elements. Thirdly, evidence of a positive relationship is sparingly apparent in financial development and its components. Fourthly, compared with fixed telephone, internet users more positively and significantly affect stock market development indicators. Policy implications are discussed.
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