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Molecular aromatic corrosion inhibitors are frequently applied to slow down the corrosion of iron, its alloys and numerous other metallic materials. This case study with three representative aromatic inhibitors and a pure iron electrode aims at the verification of the reported conclusions regarding these inhibitors and at the verification and comparison of electrochemical corrosion assessment methods with attention to differences between iron alloys (steels) and pure iron possibly related to the presence/absence of alloying elements and non-iron impurities.

Molecular inhibitors added to the corrosive medium attacking metallic materials are a well-established way of combating corrosion. The inhibitive action proceeds via adsorption of the inhibitor on the surface to be protected. Aromatic building blocks in the inhibitor play a major role in its protective action, and further details like substituents, heteroatoms, and molecular geometry contribute. An overview focused on aromatic inhibitors is provided, aiming at the identification of particularly promising inhibitors and their mode of action. Directions for further research and development are pointed out in the conclusion.

Abstract Background Although associations have been reported linking pretreatment thrombocytosis to cancer survival outcomes, the validity and strength of existing observational evidence have been contested. This study aimed to conduct an umbrella review to comprehensively appraise the strength, validity and credibility of these reported associations. Methods We searched Medline, Embase and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from inception to 8 April 2023 to retrieve meta-analyses of observational studies. Meta-analyses were re-performed using a random-effect model and the strength of evidence was graded as convincing, highly suggestive, suggestive and weak according to seven pre-defined quantitative criteria reflecting statistical significance, amount of data, heterogeneity, and evidence of bias. The quality of review was appraised using the AMSTAR2 checklist. The umbrella review was reported adhering to the PRISMA guideline and was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023455391). Results A total of 21 unique meta-analyses investigating ten cancer subtypes were included. All meta-analyses reported inferior survival outcome in cancer patients with pretreatment thrombocytosis, and 18 of them (85.7%) yielded statistically significant results (P 300 or 400 × 109 /L) to define thrombocytosis. Although evidence appraisal did not identify convincing evidence (Class I), the associations of thrombocytosis with inferior overall survival of lung, gastric, colorectal cancer and malignant mesothelioma were classified as highly suggestive evidence (Class II). According to AMSTAR2 ratings, no meta-analysis was identified with high or moderate quality. Conclusions Our findings consolidated the association between pretreatment thrombocytosis and poor survival outcomes in various cancers. Nonetheless, the absence of convincing associations indicates a need for further large-scale, high-quality evidence to confirm whether platelets can serve as a prognostic predictor or a therapeutic target.

Abstract In this paper, we investigate the quasi-two-body decays $$B_c \rightarrow K_0^{*}(1430,1950) D_{(s)} \rightarrow K \pi D_{(s)}$$ B c → K 0 ∗ ( 1430 , 1950 ) D ( s ) → K π D ( s ) within the perturbative QCD (PQCD) framework. The S-wave two-meson distribution amplitudes (DAs) are introduced to describe the final state interactions of the $$K\pi $$ K π pair, which involve the time-like form factors and the Gegenbauer polynomials. In the calculations, we adopt two kinds of parameterization schemes to describe the time-like form factors: one is the relativistic Breit–Wigner (RBW) formula, which is usually more suitable for the narrow resonances, and the other is the LASS line shape proposed by the LASS Collaboration, which includes both the resonant and nonresonant components. We find that the branching ratios and the direct CP violations for the decays $$B_c \rightarrow K_0^{*}(1430) D_{(s)}$$ B c → K 0 ∗ ( 1430 ) D ( s ) obtained from those of the quasi-two-body decays $$B_c \rightarrow K_0^{*}(1430) D_{(s)} \rightarrow K \pi D_{(s)}$$ B c → K 0 ∗ ( 1430 ) D ( s ) → K π D ( s ) under the narrow width approximation (NWA) can be consistent well with the previous PQCD results calculated in the two-body framework by assuming that $$K^*_0(1430)$$ K 0 ∗ ( 1430 ) is the lowest lying $$\bar{q} s$$ q ¯ s state, which is the so-called scenario II (SII). We conclude that the LASS parameterization is more suitable to describe the $$K_0^{*}(1430)$$ K 0 ∗ ( 1430 ) than the RBW formula, and the nonresonant components play an important role in the branching ratios of the decays $$B_c \rightarrow K_0^{*}(1430) D_{(s)} \rightarrow K \pi D_{(s)}$$ B c → K 0 ∗ ( 1430 ) D ( s ) → K π D ( s ) . In view of the large difference between the decay width measurements for the $$K_0^{*}(1950)$$ K 0 ∗ ( 1950 ) given by BaBar and LASS collaborations, we calculate the branching ratios and the CP violations for the quasi-two-body decays $$B_c \rightarrow K_0^{*}(1950) D_{(s)} \rightarrow K \pi D_{(s)}$$ B c → K 0 ∗ ( 1950 ) D ( s ) → K π D ( s ) by using two values, $$\Gamma _{K^*_0(1950)}=0.100\pm 0.04$$ Γ K 0 ∗ ( 1950 ) = 0.100 ± 0.04 GeV and $$\Gamma _{K^*_0(1950)}=0.201\pm 0.034$$ Γ K 0 ∗ ( 1950 ) = 0.201 ± 0.034 GeV, besides the two kinds of parameterizations for the resonance $$K^*_0(1950)$$ K 0 ∗ ( 1950 ) . We find that the branching ratios and the direct CP violations for the decays $$B_c \rightarrow K_0^{*}(1950) D_{(s)} \rightarrow K \pi D_{(s)}$$ B c → K 0 ∗ ( 1950 ) D ( s ) → K π D ( s ) have not as large difference between the two parameterizations as the case of decays involving the $$K^*_0(1430)$$ K 0 ∗ ( 1430 ) , especially for the results with $$\Gamma _{K^*_0(1950)}=0.201\pm 0.034$$ Γ K 0 ∗ ( 1950 ) = 0.201 ± 0.034 GeV. The effect of the nonresonant component in the $$K^*_0(1950)$$ K 0 ∗ ( 1950 ) may be not so serious as that in the $$K^*_0(1430)$$ K 0 ∗ ( 1430 ) . The quasi-two-body decays $$B^+_c \rightarrow K^{*+}_0(1430) D^{0} \rightarrow K^0 \pi ^+ D^{0}$$ B c + → K 0 ∗ + ( 1430 ) D 0 → K 0 π + D 0 and $$B^+_c \rightarrow K^{*0}_0(1430) D^{+} \rightarrow K^+ \pi ^- D^{+}$$ B c + → K 0 ∗ 0 ( 1430 ) D + → K + π - D + have large branching ratios, which can reach to the order of $$10^{-4}$$ 10 - 4 and are most likely to be observed in the future LHCb experiments. Furthermore, the branching ratios of the quasi-two-body decays $$B_c \rightarrow K_0^{*}(1950) D_{(s)} \rightarrow K \pi D_{(s)}$$ B c → K 0 ∗ ( 1950 ) D ( s ) → K π D ( s ) are about one order smaller than those of the corresponding decays $$B_c \rightarrow K_0^{*}(1430) D_{(s)} \rightarrow K \pi D_{(s)}$$ B c → K 0 ∗ ( 1430 ) D ( s ) → K π D ( s ) .

Background: Influenza contributes to the surge in winter infections and the consequent winter pressures on the health service. Molecular point-of-care testing (POCT) for influenza may improve patient management by providing rapid and accurate clinical diagnosis to inform the timely initiation of antiviral therapy and reduce unnecessary admissions and antibiotics use. Aim: To explore factors that influence the adoption or non-adoption of POCT in English general practices and provide insights to enable its integration into routine practice workflows. Design & setting: A qualitative implementation evaluation was conducted in 10 general practices within the English national sentinel network (Oxford RCGP Research and Surveillance Centre), from April–July 2023. Method: Using the Non-adoption, Abandonment, Scale-up, Spread, and Sustainability (NASSS) framework, data collection and analysis were conducted across 10 practices. We made ethnographic observations of the POCT workflow and surveyed the practice staff for their perspectives on POCT implementation. Data were analysed using a mix of descriptive statistics, graphical modelling techniques, and framework analysis. Results: Ethnographic observations identified the following two modes of POCT integration into practice workflow: (1) clinician POCT workflow, which typically involved batch testing owing to time constraints; and (2) research nurse or healthcare assistant POCT workflow, which was characterised by immediate testing of individual patients. Survey data indicated that most primary care staff considered the POCT training offered was sufficient and these practices were ready for change. Some participants agreed that there was the capacity and resources to integrate POCT into workflows. It was uncertain as to whether POCT required changes to organisational routines and processes. Conclusion: General practices should demonstrate flexibility in the workflow and workforce they deploy to integrate POCT into routine clinical workflow.

Observing poultry activity is crucial for assessing their health status; however, the inspection process is often time-consuming and labor-intensive, particularly in cases involving large numbers of chickens. Inexperienced breeders may also misjudge their activity levels, potentially missing opportunities for prevention and treatment. This study integrates traditional video surveillance with an advanced monitoring system to identify various broiler behaviors in a breeding environment. A two-stage deep learning approach is employed: in the first stage, the broilers are detected, and in the second stage, five key body points (head, abdomen, two legs, and tail) are identified. A skeleton-based model is then developed centered around the abdomen, with six angles calculated using trigonometric methods. These angles are analyzed by a long short-term memory network to estimate behaviors such as “Standing”, “Walking”, “Resting”, “Eating”, “Preening”, and “Flapping”, selecting the behavior with the highest probability. Dual-layer fuzzy logic inference systems were used to evaluate the proportion of time broilers spent in static versus dynamic states, providing a robust determination of their activity levels. Validated in a mixed-sex breeding environment, the proposed system achieved accuracies of at least 85.2% for identifying broiler type, 79.2% for identifying body parts, and 50.8% for identifying behaviors. The activity level evaluation results were consistent with those conducted by experienced poultry experts.

Hexafluoroisobutylene (HFIB) is an important compound widely used in semiconductor lithography materials, refrigerants, fluorine coatings, and pharmaceutical intermediates in the fluorination industry. Owing to its toxicity, the occupational exposure in the workplace, especially for pregnant woman is the concern and there is still lack of the data of HFIB toxicity on pregnancy and fetal development. Here, for the first time, we investigated the effects of HFIB on pregnant rats and fetal development. The pregnant rats were exposed to different doses of HFIB (0 ppm, 27.2 ppm, 53.5 ppm, 105.6 ppm) via whole-body inhalation for the period of organogenesis, which from implantation (gestation day 5) to the day prior to scheduled caesarean section (gestation day 19). The results showed that the pregnant rats exposed to 105.6 ppm HFIB displayed systemic toxicity, including a decrease in body weight and food consumption, as well as tracheal inflammation, pulmonary interstitial inflammation and renal tubular swelling. Moreover, reduced fetal and placental weights, delayed ossification, and a reduced number of ossification centers were observed in fetuses delivered by pregnant rats exposed to 105.6 ppm. These effects were attributed to severe maternal weight loss. In addition, it would be useful to note that no whole-body, visceral or skeletal congenital malformations were observed. However, HFIB exposure at 53.5 ppm showed no significant adverse effects on pregnant rats and fetuses. These findings demonstrate that 105.6 ppm HFIB is a toxic concentration, while 53.5 ppm HFIB is the no-observed-adverse-effect concentration (NOAEC) for both pregnancy and fetal development. This study for the first time to provide evidence for the health risk of HFIB exposure on pregnancy and fetal development.

The rheological behavior of propellant slurries is crucial for ensuring the feasibility of the 3D printing process, controlling print quality, regulating performance, and simulating predictions. However, there have been relatively few prior studies on the rheological properties of composite solid propellant slurries at low temperatures, which hinders the application of 3D printing propellant technology under extreme temperature conditions. In addition, the use of 3D printing technology to manufacture propellants at low temperatures is advantageous for improving safety. This paper investigates the rheological properties of monodisperse systems with aluminum powder as a solid filler and end-hydroxy polybutadiene (HTPB) as the dispersed phase at low temperatures (−15∼10 °C). It explores the effects of solid content, temperature, and particle size on their rheological properties. Results show that the viscosity of the system in the range of −15∼10 °C increases exponentially with the decrease in temperature, and the viscosity at −15 °C increases by 616.90 % compared with that at 10 °C when the volume fraction (φ) of Al-1 is 35.8 %; the larger size of the particles the larger the viscosity is when the temperature and φ are the same, which is interpretes in terms of interfacial properties between the systems. The low-temperature correction factor is introduced into the Einstein-Roscoe equation to obtain the modified viscosity-volume fraction equation, and the correction factor is 0.0173, as evidenced by its excellent agreement with the experimental data.

Assembly of AgStBu and PhCOOH ligands with the assistance of soluble silver salt CH3COOAg/CF3SO3Ag in methanol, N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and dichloromethane solution, yielded two Ag20 cage isomers co-constructed by thiol and carboxylate/sulfonate ligands encapsulating a CO32– anion template, [(CO32–)@Ag20(StBu)10(PhCOO)4(CH3COO)4(DMF)4] (1) and [(CO32–)@Ag20(StBu)10(PhCOO)6(CF3SO3)2(DMF)4]·2DMF (2). The CO32– anion template was generated in situ by fixing atmospheric CO2. The precise structures of 1 and 2 were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffractometry (SCXRD). The thermal stability of compounds 1 and 2 was proved by thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, and their solution stability was characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance hydrogen spectroscopy (1H NMR). The absorption spectra, photocurrent responses, and luminescence of compounds 1 and 2 were investigated. In addition, the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) and cyclic voltammetry characteristic curves of 1 and 2 were also studied.

In vertebrates, maternally supplied yolk is typically used in one of two ways: either intracellularly by endodermal cells or extracellularly via the yolk sac. This study delves into the distinctive gut development in sturgeons, which are among the most ancient extant fish groups, contrasting it with that of other vertebrates. Our observations indicate that while sturgeon endodermal cells form the archenteron (i.e., the primitive gut) dorsally, the floor of the archenteron is uniquely composed of extraembryonic yolk cells (YCs). As development progresses, during neurulation, the archenteric cavity inflates, expands laterally, and roofs a semicircle of YCs. By the pharyngula stage, the cavity fully encompasses the YC mass, which begins to be digested at the hatching stage. This suggests a notable deviation in sturgeon gut development from that in other vertebrates, as their digestive tract initiates its function by processing endogenous nutrition even before external feeding begins. Our findings highlight the evolutionary diversity of gut development strategies among vertebrates and provide new insights into the developmental biology of sturgeons.

To meet the growing demands of higher data rates and larger bandwidth in the future wireless communications, several methods including the optimization of reference phase, multiple frequency matching, and dispersion engineering method have been investigated to design millimeter wave (mm-wave) antennas. However, the optimization process in these methods necessitate complex calculation and experience. In this study, we proposed a novel approach that optimizes reference phases and transmission magnitudes at multiple frequencies assisting with deep learning method to design an ultra-wideband mm-wave circularly polarization antenna. The first neural network intelligently provides the required geometric parameters of the unit cells, while the second neural network validates the phase shifts and predicts the transmission magnitudes based on inputs from the first neural network. The particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is also utilized to optimizes the reference phases at multiple frequencies to minimize the matching errors. To validate the design, a 3-D printed compact CP antenna is fabricated and the measured results show that this antenna achieves a 1-dB gain bandwidth of 31.4%, and the 3-dB axis ratio (AR) covers the full W-band from 75 GHz to 110 GHz. The results show that our proposed method is more intelligent and faster than alternative approaches.

In order to analyze the effects of tea saponin (TS) on soy hydrolyzed peptide (SHP) structure and functional properties in SHP-TS complex, comparative analysis SHP and TS were 1:0, 1:0.5, 1:1, 1:2 (w/w) respectively. The Fourier transformed infrared spectrum, fluorescence spectrum and UV-visible absorption spectrum were used to characterize the spatial structural changes of the protein in the SHP-TS complex and to clarify the relationship between SHP conformational changes and functional properties in the complex. The results showed that the addition of TS could change the secondary structure of SHP, and the hydrogen bond was involved in the formation of the SHP-TS complex. SHP strongly interacted with TS and the spatial conformation changes. In addition, the more TS content increased, the more emulsifying and antioxidant properties of the complex were enhanced, the mean of particle size first decreased and then increased, and the absolute value of the ζ-potential first increased and then decreased. When the SHP:TS ratio was 1:1 (w/w), an excellent comprehensive SHP-TS complex was obtained. Compared with the single SHP system, the emulsion stability coefficient of the complex was the highest at this time. The mean particle size of the emulsion was the smallest and the absolute value of the ζ-potential was the highest. This study would provide a theoretical basis for the development of new emulsifiers in the food industry.

Abstract Obesity, a worldwide epidemic in recent years, is mainly due to the uncontrolled development of adipose tissues, which includes adipocyte hypertrophy and hyperplasia. Adipocyte differentiation is a process involving multiple transcription factor cascades, and the exact mechanism has not yet been defined. As a bHLH transcription factor, Twist1 exerts its activity by forming homo- or heterodimers with other factors. In this study, we showed Twist1 restricts adipogenesis through PPARγ. Expression of various differentiation markers (including PPARγ and adiponectin) and triglyceride-containing lipid droplets were decreased with overexpression of Twist1. Pathway enrichment analysis of RNA-seq data showed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) caused by Twist1 overexpression were significantly related to lipolysis and PPARγ signaling. This implicates that Twist1 plays important regulatory roles in these processes. ChIP and dual luciferase assays showed that Twist1 could bind either PPARγ or adiponectin promoter to repress their respective transcription or directly to PPARγ protein to regulate its transcriptional activity. Furthermore, Twist1 directly interacted RXRα, which usually forms heterodimer with PPARγ to regulate adipogenesis. Taken together, our results suggest that Twist1 is an inhibitory modulator of adipogenesis and its function is likely through direct interaction with PPARγ protein or its gene promoter.

Abstract Background Routine data are increasingly used in randomised controlled trials evaluating healthcare interventions. They can aid participant identification, outcome assessment, and intervention delivery. Randomised implementation trials evaluate the effect of implementation strategies on implementation outcomes. Implementation strategies, such as reminders, are used to increase the uptake of evidence-based interventions into practice, while implementation outcomes, such as adoption, are key measures of the implementation process. The use of routine data in effectiveness trials has been explored; however, there are no reviews on implementation trials. We therefore aimed to describe how routine data have been used in randomised implementation trials and the design characteristics of these trials. Methods We searched MEDLINE (Ovid) and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from Jan 2000 to Dec 2021 and manually searched protocols from trial registers. We included implementation trials and type II and type III hybrid effectiveness-implementation trials conducted using routine data. We extracted quantitative and qualitative data and narratively synthesised findings. Results From 4206 titles, we included 80 trials, of which 22.5% targeted implementation of evidence-based clinical guidelines. Multicomponent implementation strategies were more commonly evaluated (70.0%) than single strategies. Most trials assessed adoption as the primary outcome (65.0%). The majority of trials extracted data from electronic health records (EHRs) (62.5%), and 91.3% used routine data for outcome ascertainment. Reported reasons for using routine data were increasing efficiency, assessing outcomes, reducing research burden, improving quality of care, identifying study samples, confirming findings, and assessing representativeness. Data quality, the EHR system, research governance, and external factors such as government policy could act either as facilitators or barriers. Conclusions Adherence to guidance on designing and reporting implementation studies, and specifically to harmonise the language used in describing implementation strategies and implementation outcomes, would aid identification of studies and data extraction. Routine healthcare data are widely used for participant identification, outcome assessment and intervention delivery. Researchers should familiarise themselves with the barriers and facilitators to using routine data, and efforts could be made to improve data quality to overcome some of the barriers. Registration PROSPERO CRD42022292321.

Abstract An important challenge in genetics, evolution and biotechnology is to understand and predict how mutations combine to alter phenotypes, including molecular activities, fitness and disease. In diploids, mutations in a gene can combine on the same chromosome or on different chromosomes as a “heteroallelic combination”. However, a direct comparison of the extent, sign, and stability of the genetic interactions between variants within and between alleles is lacking. Here we use thermodynamic models of protein folding and ligand-binding to show that interactions between mutations within and between alleles are expected in even very simple biophysical systems. Protein folding alone generates within-allele interactions and a single molecular interaction is sufficient to cause between-allele interactions and dominance. These interactions change differently, quantitatively and qualitatively as a system becomes more complex. Altering the concentration of a ligand can, for example, switch alleles from dominant to recessive. Our results show that intra-molecular epistasis and dominance should be widely expected in even the simplest biological systems but also reinforce the view that they are plastic system properties and so a formidable challenge to predict. Accurate prediction of both intra-molecular epistasis and dominance will require either detailed mechanistic understanding and experimental parameterization or brute-force measurement and learning.

Summary: Background: Molecular diagnosis is crucial for biomarker-assisted glioma resection and management. However, some limitations of current molecular diagnostic techniques prevent their widespread use intraoperatively. With the unique advantages of ultrasound, this study developed a rapid intraoperative molecular diagnostic method based on ultrasound radio-frequency signals. Methods: We built a brain tumor ultrasound bank with 169 cases enrolled since July 2020, of which 43483 RF signal patches from 67 cases with a pathological diagnosis of glioma were a retrospective cohort for model training and validation. IDH1 and TERT promoter (TERTp) mutations and 1p/19q co-deletion were detected by next-generation sequencing. We designed a spatial–temporal integration model (STIM) to diagnose the three molecular biomarkers, thus establishing a rapid intraoperative molecular diagnostic system for glioma, and further analysed its consistency with the fifth edition of the WHO Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System (WHO CNS5). We tested STIM in 16-case prospective cohorts, which contained a total of 10384 RF signal patches. Two other RF-based classical models were used for comparison. Further, we included 20 cases additional prospective data for robustness test (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05656053). Findings: In the retrospective cohort, STIM achieved a mean accuracy and AUC of 0.9190 and 0.9650 (95% CI, 0.94–0.99) respectively for the three molecular biomarkers, with a total time of 3 s and a 96% match to WHO CNS5. In the prospective cohort, the diagnostic accuracy of STIM is 0.85 ± 0.04 (mean ± SD) for IDH1, 0.84 ± 0.05 for TERTp, and 0.88 ± 0.04 for 1p/19q. The AUC is 0.89 ± 0.02 (95% CI, 0.84–0.94) for IDH1, 0.80 ± 0.04 (95% CI, 0.71–0.89) for TERTp, and 0.85 ± 0.06 (95% CI, 0.73–0.98) for 1p/19q. Compared to the second best available method based on RF signal, the diagnostic accuracy of STIM is improved by 16.70% and the AUC is improved by 19.23% on average. Interpretation: STIM is a rapid, cost-effective, and easy-to-manipulate AI method to perform real-time intraoperative molecular diagnosis. In the future, it may help neurosurgeons designate personalized surgical plans and predict survival outcomes. Funding: A full list of funding bodies that contributed to this study can be found in the Acknowledgements section.

Lens antennas, which can transform the incident spherical wavefronts to planar above the radiating aperture, have attracted increasing attention due to their simple structure and high gain performance. Nevertheless, conventional lens antennas face with the problem of dispersion effects, which hinders their applications in large bandwidth and multi-channel communications. In this article, we propose a millimeter-wave achromatic metalens antenna using three-dimensional (3D) printing technology to reduce the dispersion effect and enlarge its bandwidth. The proposed ultra-wideband achromatic metalens antenna consists of a convex-liked metalens (VLM) and a concave-liked metalens (CLM) integrated as a metalens group. The VLM is designed on the basis of dielectric posts with different heights. The calculated transmission phase (from 0 to $2\pi$ ) of VLM can be realized by changing the height of dielectric posts. The CLM consists of discrete variable-width dielectric posts with two different heights to achieve desired transmission phase. Measured results demonstrate that the maximum realized gain is 23.27 dBi, and the return loss is smaller than −15 dB within the whole operating bandwidth. More importantly, a broad 3-dB gain bandwidth of more than 68.4% has been achieved to cover nearly the entire V and W bands, ranging from 50 to 102 GHz.

With the development of refractive cataract surgery,Toric intraocular lens(Toric IOL)has been widely used as a functional IOL in the clinical practice. The implantation of Toric IOL in cataract patients can effectively correct preoperative corneal astigmatism and reduce postoperative residual astigmatism, thus obtaining better uncorrected visual acuity and visual quality. Mild decentration, tilt and rotation of Toric IOL do not cause significant subjective discomfort in patients. However, a certain degree of decentration, tilt and rotation of Toric IOL can increase astigmatism and higher-order aberration, resulting in decreased visual acuity and visual quality. Based on relevant results at home and abroad, this article reviewed the influence of the decentration, tilt and rotation of Toric IOL on visual quality at both basic and clinical levels and discussed the existing problems and prospects.

BackgroundPoint-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can guide umbilical vein catheter placement in real time and monitor catheter tip position, allowing avoidance of severe complications due to catheter malposition. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of POCUS in guiding venous catheter insertion and monitoring complications.MethodsSixty-eight neonates with ultrasound-guided venous catheter insertion at the Neonatal Department of Dongguan Children's Hospital between December 2020 and February 2022 were included. POCUS was applied to monitor catheter tip location daily until catheter removal. A displacement range exceeding the intersection of the inferior vena cava and right atrium by ±0.5 cm was considered misalignment.ResultsSixty-four neonates had a displaced catheter tip (94.1%, 64/68), with a median displacement distance of 0.4 cm (minimum −0.2 cm, maximum 1.2 cm). Ten neonates had a misalignment (14.7%, 10/68) caused by displacement. Displacement usually occurs within 2–4 days after placement, with displacement rates of 94.1% (64/68), 90.6% (58/64), and 98.3% (59/60) on days 2, 3, and 4, respectively, and could still occur on day 9 post-placement. In addition, misalignment mainly occurs on the second day after placement. During the monitoring process, 58 neonates had catheter tip displacement ≥2 times, resulting in 252 displacement and 22 misalignment incidents. Among them, the catheter tip migrated outward from the inferior vena cava seven times, all of which were removed in time. Ultrasound was used for positioning 486 times, and x-ray was indirectly avoided 486 times.ConclusionThe catheter tip is prone to displacement and misalignment after umbilical vein catheterization, which most commonly occurs on days 2–4. POCUS is recommended for daily monitoring of the tip location during umbilical vein catheterization until catheter removal.

BackgroundMolecular point-of-care testing (POCT) used in primary care can inform whether a patient presenting with an acute respiratory infection has influenza. A confirmed clinical diagnosis, particularly early in the disease, could inform better antimicrobial stewardship. Social distancing and lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic have disturbed previous patterns of influenza infections in 2021. However, data from samples taken in the last quarter of 2022 suggest that influenza represents 36% of sentinel network positive virology, compared with 24% for respiratory syncytial virus. Problems with integration into the clinical workflow is a known barrier to incorporating technology into routine care. ObjectiveThis study aims to report the impact of POCT for influenza on antimicrobial prescribing in primary care. We will additionally describe severe outcomes of infection (hospitalization and mortality) and how POCT is integrated into primary care workflows. MethodsThe impact of POCT for influenza on antimicrobial stewardship (PIAMS) in UK primary care is an observational study being conducted between December 2022 and May 2023 and involving 10 practices that contribute data to the English sentinel network. Up to 1000 people who present to participating practices with respiratory symptoms will be swabbed and tested with a rapid molecular POCT analyzer in the practice. Antimicrobial prescribing and other study outcomes will be collected by linking information from the POCT analyzer with data from the patient’s computerized medical record. We will collect data on how POCT is incorporated into practice using data flow diagrams, unified modeling language use case diagrams, and Business Process Modeling Notation. ResultsWe will present the crude and adjusted odds of antimicrobial prescribing (all antibiotics and antivirals) given a POCT diagnosis of influenza, stratifying by whether individuals have a respiratory or other relevant diagnosis (eg, bronchiectasis). We will also present the rates of hospital referrals and deaths related to influenza infection in PIAMS study practices compared with a set of matched practices in the sentinel network and the rest of the network. We will describe any difference in implementation models in terms of staff involved and workflow. ConclusionsThis study will generate data on the impact of POCT testing for influenza in primary care as well as help to inform about the feasibility of incorporating POCT into primary care workflows. It will inform the design of future larger studies about the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of POCT to improve antimicrobial stewardship and any impact on severe outcomes. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/46938

In this article, current research findings of local scour at offshore windfarm monopile foundations are presented. The scour mechanisms and scour depth prediction formulas under different hydrodynamic conditions are summarized, including the current-only condition, wave-only condition, combined wave-current condition, and complex dynamic condition. Furthermore, this article analyzes the influencing factors on the basis of classical equations for predicting the equilibrium scour depth under specific conditions. The weakness of existing researches and future prospects are also discussed. It is suggested that future research shall focus on physical experiments under unsteady tidal currents or other complex loadings. The computational fluid dynamics-discrete element method and artificial intelligence technique are suggested being adopted to study the scour at offshore windfarm foundations.

Abstract Vortex electromagnetic waves (VEMWs) carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) are promising to benefit the higher degree of freedom for inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging on account of their helical wavefront. For high‐speed targets, the ‘stop and go’ hypothesis is no longer valid. Thus, the intrapulse movement of the target will cause the broadening and shift of the one‐dimensional range profile and the blurring of the OAM eigenvalues coupling azimuth. This contribution proposes a high‐speed target imaging method for the VEMW ISAR. First, an OAM‐based ISAR imaging model for high‐speed targets is derived and the echo characteristics are analysed. Subsequently, in order to effectively estimate the ratio of the echo to correct the imaging result, an estimation method that takes into account the calculation speed and accuracy is proposed. On this basis, the target velocity distribution obtained under multiple echoes is analysed to improve the accuracy of the results. Finally, the range profile and azimuthal profile are reconstructed. Compared with the existing vortex electromagnetic imaging algorithm, the proposed method can effectively eliminate the influence of high‐speed motion on the range and azimuth profile. This work provides suggestions for the development of EM vortex ISAR imaging technology.

BackgroundDifferent intratumoral microbiotaexist in different tumors and play a crucial function in carcinogenesis. However, whether they impact clinical outcomes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and their mechanism remain unclear.Methods16S rDNA amplicon sequencing was performed on surgically resected samples from 98 ESCC patients to analyze intratumoral microbiome abundance and composition. Multiplex fluorescent immunohistochemistry staining was used to profile the phenotypes of immune infiltrates in the tumor microenvironment (TME).ResultsPatients with higher intratumoral Shannon index had significantly worse surgical outcomes. When patients were divided into short-term survivors and long-term survivors based on the median survival time, both intratumoral alpha-diversity and beta-diversity were found to be significantly inconsistent, and the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Leptotrichia emerged as the two microorganisms that probably influenced the survival of ESCC patients. Only Lactobacillus in ESCC was validated to significantly worsen patients’ prognoses and to be positively correlated with the Shannon index. Multivariate analysis revealed that the intratumoral Shannon index, the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, and the pathologic tumor–node–metastasis (pTNM) stage were independently associated with patients’ overall survival. Furthermore, the relative abundance of both Lactobacillus and Shannon index was positively correlated with the proportions of PD-L1+ epithelial cells (ECs) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). The Shannon index was negatively correlated with the proportions of natural killer (NK) cells in the TME.ConclusionsA high abundance of intratumoral Lactobacillus and bacterial alpha-diversity was associated with the formation of the immunosuppressive TME and predicted poor long-term survival in ESCC patients.