Practice patterns among ophthalmic surgeons in treating concomitant oculoplastic conditions in preoperative period:A questionnaire-based study

BACKGROUND Addressing oculoplastic conditions in the preoperative period ensures both the safety and functional success of any ophthalmic procedure.Some oculoplastic conditions,like nasolacrimal duct obstruction,have been extensively studied,whereas others,like eyelid malposition and thyroid eye disease,have received minimal or no research.AIM To investigate the current practice patterns among ophthalmologists while treating concomitant oculoplastic conditions before any subspecialty ophthalmic intervention.METHODS A cross-sectional survey was disseminated among ophthalmologists all over India.The survey included questions related to pre-operative evaluation,anaesthetic and surgical techniques preferred,post-operative care,the use of adjunctive therapies,and patient follow-up patterns.RESULTS A total of 180 ophthalmologists responded to the survey.Most practitioners(89%)felt that the ROPLAS test was sufficient during pre-operative evaluation before any subspecialty surgery was advised.The most common surgical techniques employed were lacrimal drainage procedures(Dacryocystorhinostomy)(63.3%),eyelid malposition repair(36.9%),and ptosis repair(58.7%).Post-operatively,47.7%of respondents emphasized that at least a 4-week gap should be maintained after lacrimal drainage procedures and eyelid surgeries.Sixty-seven percent of ophthalmologists felt that topical anaesthetic procedures should be preferred while performing ocular surgeries in thyroid eye disease patients.CONCLUSION Approximately 50%of ophthalmologists handle prevalent oculoplastic issues themselves,seeking the expertise of an oculoplastic surgeon under particular conditions.Many ophthalmologists still favor using ROPLAS as a preliminary screening method before proceeding with cataract surgery.Eyelid conditions and thyroid eye disease are not as commonly addressed before subspecialty procedures compared to issues like nasolacrimal duct obstruction and periocular infections.

Pedestrian flow through exit:Study focused on evacuation pattern

Experiments are conducted on the evacuation rate of pedestrians through exits with queued evacuation pattern and random evacuation pattern. The experimental results show that the flow rate of pedestrians is larger with the random evacuation pattern than with the queued evacuation pattern. Therefore, the exit width calculated based on the minimum evacuation clear width for every 100 persons, which is on the assumption that the pedestrians pass through the exit in one queue or several queues, is conservative. The number of people crossing the exit simultaneously is greater in the random evacuation experiments than in the queued evacuation experiments, and the time interval between the front row and rear row of people is shortened in large-exit conditions when pedestrians evacuate randomly. The difference between the flow rate with a queued evacuation pattern and the flow rate with a random evacuation pattern is related to the surplus width of the exit, which is greater than the total width of all accommodated people streams. Two dimensionless quantities are defined to explore this relationship. It is found that the difference in flow rate between the two evacuation patterns is stable at a low level when the surplus width of the exit is no more than 45% of the width of a single pedestrian stream. There is a great difference between the flow rate with the queued evacuation pattern and the flow rate with the random evacuation pattern in a scenario with a larger surplus width of the exit. Meanwhile, the pedestrians crowd extraordinarily at the exit in these conditions as well, since the number of pedestrians who want to evacuate through exit simultaneously greatly exceeds the accommodated level. Therefore, the surplus width of exit should be limited especially in the narrow exit condition, and the relationship between the two dimensionless quantities mentioned above could provide the basis to some extent.

The forecasting efficiency under different selected regions by Pattern Informatics Method and seismic potential estimation in the North-South Seismic Zone

In 2022,four earthquakes with M_(S)≥6.0 including the Menyuan M_(S)6.9 and Luding M_(S)6.8 earthquakes occurred in the North-South Seismic Zone(NSSZ),which demonstrated high and strong seismicity.Pattern Informatics(PI)method,as an effective long and medium term earthquake forecasting method,has been applied to the strong earthquake forecasting in Chinese mainland and results have shown the positive performance.The earthquake catalog with magnitude above M_(S)3.0 since 1970 provided by China Earthquake Networks Center was employed in this study and the Receiver Operating Characteristic(ROC)method was applied to test the forecasting efficiency of the PI method in each selected region related to the North-South Seismic Zone systematically.Based on this,we selected the area with the best ROC testing result and analyzed the evolution process of the PI hotspot map reflecting the small seismic activity pattern prior to the Menyuan M_(S)6.9 and Luding M_(S)6.8 earthquakes.A“forward”forecast for the area was carried out to assess seismic risk.The study shows the following.1)PI forecasting has higher forecasting efficiency in the selected study region where the difference of seismicity in any place of the region is smaller.2)In areas with smaller differences of seismicity,the activity pattern of small earthquakes prior to the Menyuan M_(S)6.9 and Luding M_(S)6.8 earthquakes can be obtained by analyzing the spatio-temporal evolution process of the PI hotspot map.3)The hotspot evolution in and around the southern Tazang fault in the study area is similar to that prior to the strong earthquakes,which suggests the possible seismic hazard in the future.This study could provide some ideas to the seismic hazard assessment in other regions with high seismicity,such as Japan,Californi,Turkey,and Indonesia.

A related degree-based frequent pattern mining algorithm for railway fault data

It is of great significance to improve the efficiency of railway production and operation by realizing the fault knowledge association through the efficient data mining algorithm.However,high utility quantitative frequent pattern mining algorithms in the field of data mining still suffer from the problems of low time-memory performance and are not easy to scale up.In the context of such needs,we propose a related degree-based frequent pattern mining algorithm,named Related High Utility Quantitative Item set Mining(RHUQI-Miner),to enable the effective mining of railway fault data.The algorithm constructs the item-related degree structure of fault data and gives a pruning optimization strategy to find frequent patterns with higher related degrees,reducing redundancy and invalid frequent patterns.Subsequently,it uses the fixed pattern length strategy to modify the utility information of the item in the mining process so that the algorithm can control the length of the output frequent pattern according to the actual data situation and further improve the performance and practicability of the algorithm.The experimental results on the real fault dataset show that RHUQI-Miner can effectively reduce the time and memory consumption in the mining process,thus providing data support for differentiated and precise maintenance strategies.

A Comparative Study of 3D Virtual Pattern and Traditional Pattern Making

Pattern making plays a key role in the aspect of fashion design and garment production, as it serves as the transformative process that turns a simple drawing into a consistent accumulation of garments. The process of creating conventional or manual patterns requires a significant amount of time and a specialized skill set in various areas such as grading, marker planning, and fabric utilization. This study examines the potential of 3D technology and virtual fashion designing software in optimizing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of pattern production processes. The proposed methodology is characterized by a higher level of comprehensiveness and reliability, resulting in time efficiency and providing a diverse range of design options. The user is not expected to possess comprehensive knowledge of traditional pattern creation procedures prior to engaging in the task. The software offers a range of capabilities including draping, 3D-to-2D and 2D-to-3D unfolding, fabric drivability analysis, ease allowance calculation, add-fullness manipulation, style development, grading, and virtual garment try-on. The strategy will cause a shift in the viewpoints and methodologies of business professionals when it comes to the use of 3D fashion design software. Upon recognizing the potential time, financial, and resource-saving benefits associated with the integration of 3D technology into their design development process, individuals will be motivated to select for its utilization over conventional pattern making methods. Individuals will possess the capacity to transfer their cognitive processes and engage in introspection regarding their professional endeavors and current activities through the utilization of 3D virtual pattern-making and fashion design technologies. To enhance the efficacy and ecological sustainability of designs, designers have the potential to integrate 3D technology with virtual fashion software, thereby compliant advantages for both commercial enterprises and the environment.

A new metallization method of modified tannic acid photoresist patterning

Metal patterning from a modified tannic acid(TA-Boc-MA)photoresist and the processes are designed using protection of hydroxyl groups in tannic acid,formulation into a photoresist,an exposure and pattern treatment process,and metallization by electroless Ag deposition with silver ion solution.

Clinical manifestation,lifestyle,and treatment patterns of chronic erosive gastritis:A multicenter real-world study in China

BACKGROUND Although chronic erosive gastritis(CEG)is common,its clinical characteristics have not been fully elucidated.The lack of consensus regarding its treatment has resulted in varied treatment regimens.AIM To explore the clinical characteristics,treatment patterns,and short-term outcomes in CEG patients in China.METHODS We recruited patients with chronic non-atrophic or mild-to-moderate atrophic gastritis with erosion based on endoscopy and pathology.Patients and treating physicians completed a questionnaire regarding history,endoscopic findings,and treatment plans as well as a follow-up questionnaire to investigate changes in symptoms after 4 wk of treatment.RESULTS Three thousand five hundred sixty-three patients from 42 centers across 24 cities in China were included.Epigastric pain(68.0%),abdominal distension(62.6%),and postprandial fullness(47.5%)were the most common presenting symptoms.Gastritis was classified as chronic non-atrophic in 69.9%of patients.Among those with erosive lesions,72.1%of patients had lesions in the antrum,51.0%had multiple lesions,and 67.3%had superficial flat lesions.In patients with epigastric pain,the combination of a mucosal protective agent(MPA)and proton pump inhibitor was more effective.For those with postprandial fullness,acid regurgitation,early satiety,or nausea,a MPA appeared more promising.CONCLUSION CEG is a multifactorial disease which is common in Asian patients and has non-specific symptoms.Gastroscopy may play a major role in its detection and diagnosis.Treatment should be individualized based on symptom profile.

Surface Patterning of Metal Zinc Electrode with an In‑Region Zincophilic Interface for High‑Rate and Long‑Cycle‑Life Zinc Metal Anode

The undesirable dendrite growth induced by non-planar zinc(Zn)deposition and low Coulombic efficiency resulting from severe side reactions have been long-standing challenges for metallic Zn anodes and substantially impede the practical application of rechargeable aqueous Zn metal batteries(ZMBs).Herein,we present a strategy for achieving a high-rate and long-cycle-life Zn metal anode by patterning Zn foil surfaces and endowing a Zn-Indium(Zn-In)interface in the microchannels.The accumulation of electrons in the microchannel and the zincophilicity of the Zn-In interface promote preferential heteroepitaxial Zn deposition in the microchannel region and enhance the tolerance of the electrode at high current densities.Meanwhile,electron aggregation accelerates the dissolution of non-(002)plane Zn atoms on the array surface,thereby directing the subsequent homoepitaxial Zn deposition on the array surface.Consequently,the planar dendrite-free Zn deposition and long-term cycling stability are achieved(5,050 h at 10.0 mA cm^(−2) and 27,000 cycles at 20.0 mA cm^(−2)).Furthermore,a Zn/I_(2) full cell assembled by pairing with such an anode can maintain good stability for 3,500 cycles at 5.0 C,demonstrating the application potential of the as-prepared ZnIn anode for high-performance aqueous ZMBs.

Plant-based dietary patterns and risk of esophageal cancer:A prospective cohort study spanning 17 years

Objective: Plant-based diets have multiple health benefits for cancers;however, little is known about the association between plant-based dietary patterns and esophageal cancer(EC).This study presents an investigation of the prospective associations among three predefined indices of plant-based dietary patterns and the risk of EC.Methods: We performed endoscopic screening for 15,709 participants aged 40-69 years from two high-risk areas of China from January 2005 to December 2009 and followed the cohort until December 31, 2022. The overall plant-based diet index(PDI), healthful plant-based diet index(h PDI), and unhealthful plant-based diet index(u PDI), were calculated using survey responses to assess dietary patterns. We applied Cox proportional hazard regression to estimate the multivariable hazard ratios(HRs) and 95% confidence intervals(95% CIs) of EC across 3plant-based diet indices and further stratified the analysis by subgroups.Results: The final study sample included 15,184 participants in the cohort. During a follow-up of 219,365person-years, 176 patients with EC were identified. When the highest quartile was compared with the lowest quartile, the pooled multivariable-adjusted HR of EC was 0.50(95% CI, 0.32-0.77) for h PDI. In addition, the HR per 10-point increase in the h PDI score was 0.42(95% CI, 0.27-0.66) for ECs. Conversely, u PDI was positively associated with the risk of EC, and the HR was 1.80(95% CI, 1.16-2.82). The HR per 10-point increase in the u PDI score was 1.90(95% CI, 1.26-2.88) for ECs. The associations between these scores and the risk of EC were consistent in most subgroups. These results remained robust in sensitivity analyses.Conclusions: A healthy plant-based dietary pattern was associated with a reduced risk of EC. Emphasizing the healthiness and quality of plant-based diets may be important for preventing the development of EC.

Corrigendum to“Migration pattern of a population of Barn Swallows(Hirundo rustica)breeding in East Asian tropical region”[Avian Res.15(2024)100192]

The authors regret that the caption of Fig.4 should be replaced as below.

Acute effect of foot strike patterns on in vivo tibiotalar and subtalar joint kinematics during barefoot running

Background:Foot kinematics,such as excessive eversion and malalignment of the hindfoot,are believed to be associated with running-related injuries.The maj ority of studies to date show that different foot strike patterns influence these specific foot and ankle kinematics.However,technical deficiencies in traditional motion capture approaches limit knowledge of in vivo joint kinematics with respect to rearfoot and forefoot strike patterns(RFS and FFS,respectively).This study uses a high-speed dual fluoroscopic imaging system(DFIS)to determine the effects of different foot strike patterns on 3D in vivo tibiotalar and subtalar joints kinematics.Methods:Fifteen healthy male recreational runners underwent foot computed tomography scanning for the construction of 3-dimensional models.A high-speed DFIS(100 Hz)was used to collect 6 degrees of freedom kinematics for participants’tibiotalar and subtalar joints when they adopted RFS and FFS in barefoot condition.Results:Compared with RFS,FFS exhibited greater internal rotation at 0%-20%of the stance phase in the tibiotalar joint.The peak internal rotation angle of the tibiotalar joint under FFS was greater than under RFS(p<0.001,Cohen’s d=0.92).RFS showed more dorsiflexion at 0%-20%of the stance phase in the tibiotalar joint than FFS.RFS also presented a larger anterior translation(p<0.001,Cohen’s d=1.28)in the subtalar joint at i nitial contact than FFS.Conclusion:Running with acute barefoot FFS increases the internal rotation of the tibiotalar joint in the early stance.The use of high-speed DFIS to quantify the movement of the tibiotalar and subtalar joint was critical to revealing the effects of RF S and FFS during running.

Surface crack evolution patterns in freeze-thaw damage of fissured rock bodies

To explore the effects of freeze‒thaw cycles on the mechanical properties and crack evolution of fissured sandstone,biaxial compression experiments were carried out on sandstone subjected to freeze‒thaw cycles to characterize the changes in the physical and mechanical properties of fissured sandstone caused by freeze‒thaw cycles.The crack evolution and crack change process on the surface of the fissured sandstone were recorded and analysed in detail via digital image technology(DIC).Numerical simulation was used to reveal the expansion process and damage mode of fine-scale cracks under the action of freeze‒thaw cycles,and the simulation results were compared and analysed with the experimental data to verify the reliability of the numerical model.The results show that the mass loss,porosity,peak stress and elastic modulus all increase with increasing number of freeze‒thaw cycles.With an increase in the number of freeze‒thaw cycles,a substantial change in displacement occurs around the prefabricated cracks,and a stress concentration appears at the crack tip.As new cracks continue to sprout at the tips of the prefabricated cracks until the microcracks gradually penetrate into the main cracks,the displacement cloud becomes obviously discontinuous,and the contours of the displacement field in the crack fracture damage area simply intersect with the prefabricated cracks to form an obvious fracture.The damage patterns of the fractured sandstone after freeze‒thaw cycles clearly differ,forming a symmetrical"L"-shaped damage pattern at zero freeze‒thaw cycles,a symmetrical"V"-shaped damage pattern at 10 freeze‒thaw cycles,and a"V"-shaped damage pattern at 20 freeze‒thaw cycles.After 20 freeze‒thaw cycles,a"V"-shaped destruction pattern and"L"-shaped destruction pattern are formed;after 30 freeze‒thaw cycles,an"N"-shaped destruction pattern is formed.This shows that the failure mode of fractured sandstone gradually becomes more complicated with an increasing number of freeze‒thaw cycles.The effects of freeze‒thaw cycles on the direction and rate of crack propagation are revealed through a temperature‒load coupled model,which provides an important reference for an in-depth understanding of the freeze‒thaw failure mechanisms of fractured rock masses.

Venous Doppler flow patterns,venous congestion,heart disease and renal dysfunction:A complex liaison

The World Journal of Cardiology published an article written by Kuwahara et al that we take the pleasure to comment on.We focused our attention on venous congestion.In intensive care settings,it is now widely accepted that venous congestion is an important clinical feature worthy of investigation.Evaluating venous Doppler profile abnormalities at multiple sites could suggest adequate treatment and monitor its efficacy.Renal dysfunction could trigger or worsen fluid overload in heart disease,and cardio-renal syndrome is a well-characterized spectrum of disorders describing the complex interactions between heart and kidney diseases.Fluid overload and venous congestion,including renal venous hypertension,are major determinants of acute and chronic renal dysfunction arising in heart disease.Organ congestion from venous hypertension could be involved in the development of organ injury in several clinical situations,such as critical diseases,congestive heart failure,and chronic kidney disease.Ultrasonography and abnormal Doppler flow patterns diagnose clinically significant systemic venous congestion.Cardiologists and nephrologists might use this valuable,noninvasive,bedside diagnostic tool to establish fluid status and guide clinical choices.

A divergent pattern in functional connectivity: a transdiagnostic perspective

Functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI)is a popular tool used to investigate not only how the brain responds to specific stimuli during sensorimotor or cognitive tasks,but also brain activity at rest.The physics beyond this approach is based on the analysis of the blood oxygenation level-dependent signal.

Memristors-coupled neuron models with multiple firing patterns and homogeneous and heterogeneous multistability

Memristors are extensively used to estimate the external electromagnetic stimulation and synapses for neurons.In this paper,two distinct scenarios,i.e.,an ideal memristor serves as external electromagnetic stimulation and a locally active memristor serves as a synapse,are formulated to investigate the impact of a memristor on a two-dimensional Hindmarsh-Rose neuron model.Numerical simulations show that the neuronal models in different scenarios have multiple burst firing patterns.The introduction of the memristor makes the neuronal model exhibit complex dynamical behaviors.Finally,the simulation circuit and DSP hardware implementation results validate the physical mechanism,as well as the reliability of the biological neuron model.

Recent Advances in Patterning Strategies for Full‑Color Perovskite Light‑Emitting Diodes

Metal halide perovskites have emerged as promising light-emitting materials for next-generation displays owing to their remarkable material characteristics including broad color tunability,pure color emission with remarkably narrow bandwidths,high quantum yield,and solution processability.Despite recent advances have pushed the luminance efficiency of monochromic perovskite light-emitting diodes(PeLEDs)to their theoretical limits,their current fabrication using the spincoating process poses limitations for fabrication of full-color displays.To integrate PeLEDs into full-color display panels,it is crucial to pattern red–green–blue(RGB)perovskite pixels,while mitigating issues such as cross-contamination and reductions in luminous efficiency.Herein,we present state-of-the-art patterning technologies for the development of full-color PeLEDs.First,we highlight recent advances in the development of efficient PeLEDs.Second,we discuss various patterning techniques of MPHs(i.e.,photolithography,inkjet printing,electron beam lithography and laserassisted lithography,electrohydrodynamic jet printing,thermal evaporation,and transfer printing)for fabrication of RGB pixelated displays.These patterning techniques can be classified into two distinct approaches:in situ crystallization patterning using perovskite precursors and patterning of colloidal perovskite nanocrystals.This review highlights advancements and limitations in patterning techniques for PeLEDs,paving the way for integrating PeLEDs into full-color panels.

Dissolvable temporary barrier:a novel paradigm for flexible hydrogel patterning in organ-on-a-chip models

A combination of hydrogels and microfluidics allows the construction of biomimetic three-dimensional(3D)tissue models in vitro,which are also known as organ-on-a-chipmodels.The hydrogel patterningwith awell-controlled spatial distribution is typically achieved by embedding sophisticated microstructures to act as a boundary.However,these physical barriers inevitably expose cells/tissues to a less physiologically relevant microenvironment than in vivo conditions.Herein,we present a novel dissolvable temporary barrier(DTB)strategy that allows robust and flexible hydrogel patterning with great freedom of design and desirable flow stimuli for cellular hydrogels.The key aspect of this approach is the patterning of a water-soluble rigid barrier as a guiding path for the hydrogel using stencil printing technology,followed by a barrier-free medium perfusion after the dissolution of the DTB.Single and multiple tissue compartments with different geometries can be established using either straight or curved DTB structures.The effectiveness of this strategy is further validated by generating a 3D vascular network through vasculogenesis and angiogenesis using a vascularized microtumor model.As a new proof-of-concept in vasculature-on-a-chip,DTB enables seamless contact between the hydrogel and the culture medium in closed microdevices,which is an improved protocol for the fabrication ofmultiorgan chips.Therefore,we expect it to serve as a promising paradigm for organ-on-a-chip devices for the development of tumor vascularization and drug evaluation in the future preclinical studies.

Tuning the diffusion constant to optimize the readout of positional information of spatial concentration patterns

Positional information encoded in spatial concentration patterns is crucial for the development of multicellular organisms.However,it is still unclear how such information is affected by the physically dissipative diffusion process.Here we study one-dimensional patterning systems with analytical derivation and numerical simulations.We find that the diffusion constant of the patterning molecules exhibits a nonmonotonic effect on the readout of the positional information from the concentration patterns.Specifically,there exists an optimal diffusion constant that maximizes the positional information.Moreover,we find that the energy dissipation due to the physical diffusion imposes a fundamental upper limit on the positional information.

Spatiotemporal pattern of climate change in the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor from 1901 to 2018

The China-Myanmar Economic Corridor(CMEC) is an important part of China's Belt and Road Initiative and an important area for global ecology and biodiversity. In this study, the annual and seasonal spatiotemporal patterns of temperature and precipitation in the CMEC over the past century were investigated using linear tendency estimation, the Mann-Kendall mutation test, the T-test, and wavelet analysis based on the monthly mean climatic data from 1901 to 2018 released by the Climatic Research Unit(CRU) of the University of East Anglia, UK. The results show that the CMEC demonstrated a trend of warming and drying over the past 100 years, and the rate of change in Myanmar was stronger than that in Yunnan Province of China. The warming rate was 0.039 ℃/10a. Precipitation decreased at a rate of -6.1 mm/10a. From the perspective of spatial distribution, temperature was high in the central and southern, low in the north of the CMEC, and the high-temperature centers were mainly distributed in the southern plain and river valley. Precipitation decreased from west to east and from south to north of the CMEC. From the perspective of the rate of change, warming was stronger in central and northern CMEC than in southern and northeastern CMEC. The rate of precipitation decline was stronger in the central and western regions than in the eastern region. This study provides a scientific reference for the CMEC to address climate change and ensure sustainable social and economic development and ecological security.

Overcoming the Limits of Cross-Sensitivity:Pattern Recognition Methods for Chemiresistive Gas Sensor Array

As information acquisition terminals for artificial olfaction,chemiresistive gas sensors are often troubled by their cross-sensitivity,and reducing their cross-response to ambient gases has always been a difficult and important point in the gas sensing area.Pattern recognition based on sensor array is the most conspicuous way to overcome the cross-sensitivity of gas sensors.It is crucial to choose an appropriate pattern recognition method for enhancing data analysis,reducing errors and improving system reliability,obtaining better classification or gas concentration prediction results.In this review,we analyze the sensing mechanism of crosssensitivity for chemiresistive gas sensors.We further examine the types,working principles,characteristics,and applicable gas detection range of pattern recognition algorithms utilized in gas-sensing arrays.Additionally,we report,summarize,and evaluate the outstanding and novel advancements in pattern recognition methods for gas identification.At the same time,this work showcases the recent advancements in utilizing these methods for gas identification,particularly within three crucial domains:ensuring food safety,monitoring the environment,and aiding in medical diagnosis.In conclusion,this study anticipates future research prospects by considering the existing landscape and challenges.It is hoped that this work will make a positive contribution towards mitigating cross-sensitivity in gas-sensitive devices and offer valuable insights for algorithm selection in gas recognition applications.