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Effect of visual cognition on the measurement of particle size using im-agej software

Abstract:

Background: Nanoparticles are structures up to 100 nm in size. Estimation of their size is usually determined by assessing of images obtained from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and/or transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. Studies on the effect of visual cognition on the analysis of these types of images are limited. Objective: The aim of the research was to determine whether students’ visual cognition influ-ences the identification, analysis, and measurement of nanoparticle size through SEM and TEM imaging using ImageJ software. Methods: The visual cognition of each participant was evaluated by recognizing individual na-noparticles and measuring their diameter using ImageJ software. Finally, the Kruskal Wallis test was performed for statistical analysis. Results: Participants applied or not four main identification criteria in order to identify individual nanoparticles: shape, high contrast, defined edges, and presence/absence of agglomerates, being “shape” the predominant parameter taken into account to measure the diameter using Im-ageJ. Average diameters, number of measured nanoparticles, and standard errors of measurements varied between groups in all analyzed images, evidencing the influence of visual cognition on the measurements. Conclusion: We conclude that there is an effect of visual cognition in the identification of na-noparticles and their diameter estimation. The user’s training, background, experience, perspec-tive, and operational conditions of SEM/TEM play a fundamental role in estimating the size of nanoparticles measured in microphotographs using ImageJ.