Enhanced thermoelectric property and stability of NiCr–NiSi thin film thermocouple on superalloy substrate

Thin film thermocouples（TFTCs） can provide fast and accurate surface temperature measurement with minimal impact on the physical characteristics of the supporting components. In this study, NiCr and NiSi films were prepared with radio frequency（RF） magnetron sputtering and the influences of vacuum annealing on the resistivity of the films were investigated. Afterward, NiCr-NiSi films were deposited on Ni-based superalloy substrates to form TFTCs. The overall dimension of the thermocouple is 64 mm in length, 8 mm in width and 30 lm in thickness. Compared with those of as-deposited sample, the thermoelectric property and stability of the TFTC are significantly improved by vacuum annealing of NiCr and NiSi films. The variation of the Seebeck coefficient of TFTC was discussed based on the size effect of NiCr and NiSi films. And a lower Seebeck coefficient of TFTC of 38.4 μV·℃^-1 is obtained.

Clinical practice guidelines for post-mastectomy breast reconstruction: Chinese Society of Breast Surgery (CSBrS) practice guidelines 2021

To promote the standardization of post-mastectomy breast reconstruction in China,the Chinese Society of Breast Surgery(CSBrS)determined the key issues in post-mastectomy breast reconstruction in clinical practice through a literature review and expert discussions,and then developed the CSBrS Clinical Practice Guidelines for Post-mastectomy Breast Reconstruction(2021 version)by systematically assessing relevant published evidence according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment,Development,and Evaluation recommendations and based on the accessibility of clinical practice in China.This guideline provides a reference for Chinese breast surgeons.

Accuracy for cytological evaluation in the detection of breast cancer among patients with pathologic nipple discharge:a PRISMA-compliant meta-analysis

Background:Nipple discharge cytology is a simple non-invasive method that may provide valuable information for detecting underlying malignancy.Several studies have investigated the diagnostic value of cytology in breast cancer patients with pathological nipple discharge,but the results have been highly variable.Herein we presented a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies pertaining to the diagnostic capacity of nipple discharge cytology in patients with breast cancer.Methods:A systematic literature search was performed(Medline/PubMed,Embase,Cochrane Library databases,and Google Scholar)to identify studies that investigated the diagnostic capacity of cytology with regard to breast cancer in patients with pathologic nipple discharge.Two independent researchers identified articles that assessed the sensitivity and specificity of cytological evaluation for breast cancer detection in patients with pathologic nipple discharge published between January 2000 and October 2018.Articles were only included in the meta-analysis if they met predetermined criteria.The characteristics of each study and the data they yielded were summarized.Quality assessment of all articles included was performed using the Methodological Index for Non-randomized Studies Criteria(MINORS)and the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Study 2(QUADAS-2).Heterogeneity was tested via Cochran Q test and the I2 statistic using Stata 12.0 and Meta-DiSc 1.4 software,and meta-analysis was performed.Results:A total of 286 articles were identified,of which 12 articles including a total of 1476 patients were deemed eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis.A random-effects model assessing the capacity of nipple discharge cytology to predict breast cancer yielded pooled sensitivity 63%(95%confidence interval[CI]:53%-72%),specificity 95%(95%CI:87%-98%),positive likelihood ratio 12.35(95%CI:4.87-31.34),and negative likelihood ratio 0.39(95%CI:0.30-0.50).The diagnostic odds ratio was 31.88(95%CI:11.30-89.98).The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.79(95%CI:0.75-0.82).Conclusion:The current meta-analysis suggests that nipple discharge cytology is a useful diagnostic modality for detection of breast cancer in patients with pathological nipple discharge,with moderate sensitivity and high specificity.

Fabrication and characterization of NiO films for energetic nano-multilayers by direct current reactive sputtering

NiO films were fabricated by reactive direct current magnetron sputtering on glass and alumina substrates for the application in energetic nano-multilayers. The structural and thermal properties of the films were investigated with the volume ratio of oxygen to argon ranging from 1：9 to 3：2, and the optimized ratio value is obtained as 1：3, which was confirmed by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, atomic force microscopy and ultrafast measure- ment system. The effect of the film thickness, varying from 150 to 900 nm, on the structural properties was characterized by XRD and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. XRD analysis reveals that the （111） lattice plane is the preferred orientation. The intensities of preferential peaks and the grain sizes increase as the film thicknesses increase.