One-year results for myopia control of orthokeratology with different back optic zone diameters: a randomized trial using a novel multispectral-based topographer

AIM:To present the 1-year results of a prospective cohort study investigating the efficacy,potential mechanism,and safety of orthokeratology(ortho-k)with different back optic zone diameters(BOZD)for myopia control in children.METHODS:This randomized clinical study was performed between Dec.2020 and Dec.2021.Participants were randomly assigned to three groups wearing ortho-k:5 mm BOZD(5-MM group),5.5 mm BOZD(5.5-MM group),and 6 mm BOZD(6-MM group).The 1-year data were recorded,including axial length,relative peripheral refraction(RPR,measured by multispectral refractive topography,MRT),and visual quality.The contrast sensitivity(CS)was evaluated by CSV-1000 instrument with spatial frequencies of 3,6,12,and 18 cycles/degree(c/d);the corneal higher-order aberrations(HOAs)were measured by iTrace aberration analyzer.The one-way ANOVA was performed to assess the differences between the three groups.The correlation between the change in AL and RPR was calculated by Pearson’s correlation coefficient.RESULTS:The 1-year results of 20,21,and 21 subjects in the 5-MM,5.5-MM,and 6-MM groups,respectively,were presented.There were no statistical differences in baseline age,sex,or ocular parameters between the three groups(all P>0.05).At the 1-year visit,the 5-MM group had lower axial elongation than the 6-MM group(0.07±0.09 vs 0.18±0.11 mm,P=0.001).The 5-MM group had more myopic total RPR(TRPR,P=0.014),with RPR in the 15°–30°(RPR 15–30,P=0.015),30°–45°(RPR 30–45,P=0.011),temporal(RPR-T,P=0.008),and nasal area(RPR-N,P<0.001)than the 6-MM group.RPR 15–30 in the 5.5-MM group was more myopic than that in the 6-MM group(P=0.002),and RPR-N in the 5-MM group was more myopic than that in the 5.5-MM group(P<0.001).There were positive correlations between the axial elongation and the change in TRPR(r=0.756,P<0.001),RPR 15–30(r=0.364,P=0.004),RPR 30–45(r=0.306,P=0.016),and RPR-N(r=0.253,P=0.047).The CS decreased at 3 c/d(P<0.001),and the corneal HOAs increased in the 5-MM group(P=0.030).CONCLUSION:Ortho-k with 5 mm BOZD can control myopia progression more effectively.The mechanism may be associated with greater myopic shifts in RPR.

Added value of ratio of cross diameters of the appendix in ultrasound diagnosis of acute appendicitis

BACKGROUND The maximum outer diameter(MOD)of the appendix is an essential parameter for diagnosing acute appendicitis,but there is space for improvement in ultrasound(US)diagnostic performance.AIM To investigate whether combining the ratio of the cross diameters(RATIO)of the appendix with MOD of the appendix can enhance the diagnostic performance of acute appendicitis.METHODS A retrospective study was conducted,and medical records of 233 patients with acute appendicitis and 112 patients with a normal appendix were reviewed.The MOD and RATIO of the appendix were calculated and tested for their diagnostic performance of acute appendicitis,both individually and in combination.RESULTS The RATIO for a normal appendix was 1.32±0.16,while for acute appendicitis it was 1.09±0.07.The cut-off value for RATIO was determined to be≤1.18.The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC)for diagnosing acute appendicitis using RATIO≤1.18 and MOD>6 mm was 0.870 and 0.652,respectively.There was a significant difference in AUC between RATIO≤1.18 and MOD>6 mm(P<0.0001).When comparing the combination of RATIO≤1.18 and MOD>6 mm with MOD>6 mm alone,the combination showed increased specificity,positive predictive value(PPV),and AUC.However,the sensitivity and negative predictive value decreased.CONCLUSION Combining RATIO of the appendix≤1.18 and MOD>6 mm can significantly improve the specificity,PPV,and AUC in the US diagnosis of acute appendicitis.

Optic nerve sheath diameters in nontraumatic brain injury:A scoping review and role in the intensive care unit

BACKGROUND Neuromonitoring in medical intensive care units is challenging as most patients are unfit for invasive intracranial pressure(ICP)modalities or unstable to transport for imaging.Ultrasonography-based optic nerve sheath diameter(ONSD)is an attractive option as it is reliable,repeatable and easily performed at the bedside.It has been sufficiently validated in traumatic brain injury(TBI)to be incorporated into the guidelines.However,currently the data for non-TBI patients is inconsistent for a scientific recommendation to be made.AIM To compile the existing evidence for understanding the scope of ONSD in measuring ICP in adult non-traumatic neuro-critical patients.METHODS PubMed,Google Scholar and research citation analysis databases were searched for studies in adult patients with non-traumatic causes of raised ICP.Studies from 2010 to 2024 in English languages were included.RESULTS We found 37 articles relevant to our search.The cutoff for ONSD in predicting ICP varied from 4.1 to 6.3 mm.Most of the articles used cerebrospinal fluid opening pressure followed by raised ICP on computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging as the comparator parameter.ONSD was also found to be a reliable outcome measure in cases of acute ischaemic stroke,intracerebral bleeding and intracranial infection.However,ONSD is of doubtful utility in septic metabolic encephalopathy,dysnatremias and aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage.CONCLUSION ONSD is a useful tool for the diagnosis of raised ICP in non-traumatic neuro-critically ill patients and may also have a role in the prognostication of a subset of patients.

Measuring tree stem diameters and straightness with depth-image computer vision

Current techniques of forest inventory rely on manual measurements and are slow and labor intensive.Recent developments in computer vision and depth sensing can produce accurate measurement data at significantly reduced time and labor costs.We developed the ForSense system to measure the diameters of trees at various points along the stem as well as stem straightness.Time use,mean absolute error(MAE),and root mean squared error(RMSE)metrics were used to compare the system against manual methods,and to compare the system against itself(reproducibility).Depth-derived diameter measurements of the stems at the heights of 0.3,1.4,and 2.7 m achieved RMSE of 1.7,1.5,and 2.7 cm,respectively.The ForSense system produced straightness measurement data that was highly correlated with straightness ratings by trained foresters.The ForSense system was also consistent,achieving sub-centimeter diameter difference with subsequent measures and less than 4%difference in straightness value between runs.This method of forest inventory,which is based on depth-image computer vision,is time efficient compared to manual methods and less computationally and technologically intensive compared to Structure-from-Motion(SFM)photogrammetry and ground-based LiDAR or terrestrial laser scanning(TLS).

Experimental Study on the Flow Around Two Tandem Cylinders with Unequal Diameters

In this paper, flow around two circular cylinders in tandem arrangement with unequal diameters has been investigated using the particle image velocimetry technique(PIV) in a water channel. The upstream to downstream diameter ratio was kept constant at d/D = 2/3, the centre-to-centre distance was varied from 1.2D to 5D and the Reynolds number was varied from 1200 to 4800. The flow characteristics were analyzed through ensemble-averaged patterns of velocity, vorticity, normalized Reynolds stress contours and streamlines. Based on ensemble-averaged and instantaneous flow fields, different flow patterns, including single-wakeshedding at small spacing ratio, bi-stable flow behavior(alternating behavior of reattachment and vortex shedding) at intermediate spacing ratio and co-shedding pattern at large spacing ratio were observed. The effects of Reynolds number and the centre-to-centre spacing ratio on flow patterns and turbulent characteristics were also investigated. It was found that the diameter ratio appears to have a certain effect on the flow patterns at intermediate spacing ratios, where the reattachment of shear layer depends on the lateral width of the wake flow in the lee of the upstream cylinder. Extensive discussion on the distributions of Reynolds stress and turbulent kinetic energy was presented.

Retinal vessel diameters and their correlation with retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome

AIM: To compare retinal artery-vein diameters(RAVDs)of patients with pseudoexfoliation(PSX) syndrome with healthy controls and investigate the correlations between retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL) thickness parameters and RAVDs.METHODS: Seventeen eyes with PSX and 17 eyes of age-matched controls were included in the study. All participants underwent routine ophthalmological examination, Humphrey visual field and RNFL examination by using Stratus OCT. Retinal images were obtained by using a retinal camera(Topcon 501X).RAVDs were measured from inferior nasal, inferior temporal, superior nasal and superior temporal arcuates by using IMAGEnet software. Superior, inferior, nasal,temporal and average RNFL thicknesses were recorded.RAVDs and RNFL parameters in groups and correlations were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U and Spearmann correlation tests.RESULTS: Only inferior quadrant and average RNFL thickness were detected thinner in the PSX group compared with control group(P =0.009, P =0.038,respectively). No statistically significant difference regarding RAVDs was found between two groups.CONCLUSION: RAVDs seems to be comparable in the PSX and control group. RNFL is thinner in the inferior quadrant in the PSX group. RNFL thickness and RAVDs show significant correlations in both groups. This correlation doesn’t seem to be specific to PSX.

Collision efficiency of two nanoparticles with different diameters in Brownian coagulation

The collision efficiency of two nanoparticles with different diameters in the Brownian coagulation is investigated. The collision equations are solved to obtain the collision efficiency for the dioctyl phthalate nanoparticle with the diameter changing from 100 nm to 750 nm in the presence of the van der Waals force and the elastic deformation force. It is found that the collision efficiency decreases as a whole with the increase of both the particle diameter and the radius ratio of two particles. There exists an abrupt increase in the collision efficiency when the particle diameter is equal to 550 nm. Finally, a new expression is presented for the collision efficiency of two nanoparticles with different diameters.

SPECIATION OF Cu、Pb、Zn、Cr IN DUST OF DIFFERENT ORIGINS AND DIAMETERS

Various species of Cu.Pb,Zn and Cr in dust of different origins and diameters were studied using Tessler scheme,and the partition law was revealed, The results indicated that superior form of Cu、Pb、 Zn and Cr was bound to organic master,bound to Fe-Mn oxides,bound to Fe-Mn oxides and residual.So their activity order was Zn>Pb>Cu>Cr.The exchangeable metals bound to carbonates and Fe-Mn oxides of four heary metals in small particles were superior to those in large particles,which illustrated that heavy metals in small paticles were more active and harmful.

Diameters and form of skull base foramen ovale measured by three-dimensional spiral CT thin-slice scan in healthy adults

BACKGROUND： The accurate measurements of various data of the bone diameters of foramen ovale of living person can change the methods of puncturing trigeminal gasserian ganglion via foramen ovale for treating trifacial neuralgia from the experience of puncture operator only to puncture by taking the objective data of measurement as the evidence, which is good for improving the accuracy of puncturing trigeminal ganglion and reducing side effects. OBJECTIVE ： To observe the forms of foramen ovales in healthy adults displayed by volume rendering and multi-planar reconstruction after three-dimensional spiral CT thin-slice scan of skull base, and measure the longitudinal diameter and transverse diameter. DESIGN ： A repetitive observation and measurement SETTINGS ： Department of Neurosurgery and Department of Medical Imaging, Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. PARTICIPANTS： Fifty healthy adults （100 sides）, who were examined with three-dimensional spiral CT scan, were randomly selected from the Department of Medical Imaging, Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2005 to January 2006, including 26 males and 24 females, aged 25-68 years with an average of 48 years old. They were all informed and agreed with the examination. METHODS ： The subjects were examined with the Philips 16-slice spiral CT-Mx 8000 IDT CT apparatus （Philips Company, Holland）, the scanning ranged from 2 cm below the canthomeatal line to the level of suprasellar cistem. The width of collimator was 0.75 mm, pitch was 0.663; tube current was 350 mA, voltage was 120 kV, resolution was 512×512 matrix; slice thickness of reconstruction was 1 mm, and interval was 0.5 mm. After the three-dimensional spiral CT thin-slice scan of skull base, the image post-processing techniques including volume rendering and multi-planar reconstruction were applied to observe the forms of foramen ovales, and measure the size, longitudinal diameter and transverse diameter of the foramen ovales. The figures of the foramen ovales were drawn with mouse along the boundary of bone porous margin and soft tissue. According to the indications, the diameters were measured with computer to observe the forms of foramen ovales. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES ： The longitudinal diameter, transverse diameter and form of foramen ovales were observed. RESULTS： All the 50 healthy adults （100 sides） were involved in the analysis of results. （1） It was observed in the volume rendering images that foramen ovales had four forms of oval shape （77 sides）, kidney shape （12 sides）, round shape （7 sides）, ribbon shape （4 sides）. （2） The longitudinal diameters of left and right foramen ovales were （7.67±1.32） and （7.98±1.45） mm, and the transverse diameters were （4.04±0.83）, （4.09±1.07） mm; There was no obvious difference between left and right longitudinal diameters （t = 1.63, P = 0.11 ）, and left and right transverse diameters were close （t = 0.45, P= 0.65）. CONCLUSION ： The non-invasive techniques of volume rendering and multi-planar reconstruction after three-dimensional spiral CT thin-slice scan can clearly display the formand size of foramen ovale in healthy adults.

GPR based RTM imaging technology for estimating rhizome diameters and application in the western China mining area

The rhizome functions are of great significance to the ecological protection of the western China mining area,whose ecological management can be provided with technical support via accurate calculations of the rhizome biomass.The rhizome diameter is an important index parameter of rhizome biomass.In this study,we propose an estimation of rhizome diameters based on ground penetrating radar(GPR)-based reverse time migration(RTM)imaging technology.First,the spatial distribution of shallow rhizomes is simulated using the finite difference time domain method.The simulation data are examined via RTM imaging and single-channel rhizome analysis to obtain the rhizome index parameters:Δh,the width of the maximum positive peak amplitude measured at an amplitude of zero,andΔH,the distance between the zero-amplitude position above the largest positive peak in the shallow region and the zero-amplitude position below the largest positive peak in the deeper region.The experiments of physical models verify the effectiveness of the two parameters(Δh andΔH).and indicate that the values ofΔh andΔH are independent of the rhizome burial depth;instead,they are only related to the diameter of the rhizome.For both the numerical simulations and the physical model experiment,the estimation errors ofΔh andΔH for the rhizome diameters can be constrained to less than 6%and 5%,respectively,which shows that the estimation of the rhizome diameters using GPR based RTM imaging technology is reasonable and effective and its high estimation accuracy meets the technical requirements.

Evaluation of Venous Ammonia Level, Splenic Longitudinal Diameter, Portal Vein and Splenic Vein Diameters as Non-Invasive Indicators for the Presence of Portosystemic Collaterals in Egyptian Cirrhotic Patients

Introduction and Aim of the Work: The identification of cirrhotic patients with esophageal varices or other portosystemic collateral by non-invasive means is appealing in that it could decrease the necessity of endoscopic screening. This study was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of venous ammonia level with other ultrasonographic parameters as non-invasive markers for the presence of portosystemic shunts. Patients and methods: The study included 3 groups of Child Pugh class A and early B patients. Group (A): 25 patients with evidence of both esophageal varices and portosystemic collaterals;group (B) 25 patients with neither evidence of varices nor portosystemic collaterals and group (C): 25 patients with evidence of varices but no collaterals. Measurement of venous ammonia level was done for all patients. Results: serum ammonia level was significantly higher in group A (222.8 ± 54 μg/dL) than that in group B (85 ± 21.1 μg/dL) and group C (148.2 ± 19.6 μg/dL). The cut-off value of serum ammonia level 113 μg/dL was a good predictor for the presence of esophageal varices, while the cut-off value of serum ammonia level at 133 μg/dL was a good predictor for the presence of both esophageal varices and abdominal collaterals. Combination of portal vein diameter > 13mm + splenic vein diameter > 8.9mm + ammonia level > 133 μg/dL gives 100% of sensitivity and 96% of specificity for the prediction of the presence of portosystemic shunts. Conclusion: Determination of serum ammonia level, splenic, portal vein and splenic vein diameters are considered as good predictors for the presence of portosystemic shunts in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Estimating upper stem diameters and volume of Douglas-fir and Western hemlock trees in the Pacific northwest

Background: Volume and taper equations are essential for obtaining estimates of total and merchantable stem volume. Taper functions provide advantages to merchantable volume equations because they estimate diameter inside or outside bark at specific heights on the stem, enabling the estimation of total and merchantable stem volume, volume of individual logs, and a height at a given diameter.Methods: Using data collected from 1218 trees(1093 Douglas-fir(Pseudotsuga menziesii(Mirbel) Franco) and 125 western hemlock(Tsuga heterophylla)), we evaluated the performance of one simple polynomial function and four variable-exponent taper functions in predicting upper stem diameter. Sample trees were collected from different parts of the states of Oregon, Washington, and California. We compared inside-bark volume estimates obtained from the selected taper equation with estimates obtained from a simple logarithmic volume equation for the data obtained in this study and the equations used by the Forest Inventory and Analysis program in the Pacific Northwest(FIA-PNW) in the state of California and western half of the states of Oregon and Washington.Results: Variable exponent taper equations were generally better than the simple polynomial taper equations.The FIA-PNW volume equations performed fairly well but volume equations with fewer parameters fitted in this study provided comparable results. The RMSE obtained from taper-based volume estimates were also comparable with the RMSE of the FIA-PNW volume equations for Douglas-fir and western hemlock trees respectively.Conclusions: The taper equations fitted in this study provide added benefit to the users over the FIA-PNW volume equations by enabling the users to predict diameter at any height, height to a given diameter, and merchantable volume in addition to cubic volume including top and stump(CVTS) of Douglas-fir and western hemlock trees in the Pacific Northwest. The findings of this study also give more confidence to the users of FIA-PNW volume equations.

Changes in retinal vessel diameters in migraine patients during attack-free period

AIM：To evaluate the retinal vessel diameters in patients with migraine by optical coherence tomography（OCT）.METHODS：In this cross-sectional study,124 eyes of 62 patients with a diagnosis of unilateral migraine during attack-free period and 42 age-and sex-matched control subjects were included. Migraine patients were divided into the ≤2 migraine attacks per month group and the ≥5 migraine attacks per month group. All subjects underwent complete ophthalmological and neurological examinations before measurements. Retinal vessel diameters and choroidal thickness were examined with the Spectralis OCT.RESULTS：The mean diameters of the arteries in the eyes on the headache side of control group,≥5 migraine attacks per month and ≤2 migraine attacks per month group at 480 μm from the optic disk（Raster 3）were 119.54±46.69,136.68±25.93 and 119.34±31.75 μm respectively with a steady decline to 105.57±32.15,118.18±31.87 and 108.05±38.77 μm at 1440 μm（Raster 7）,the last measurement point,respectively. The retinal artery diameter measurements were significantly increased in ≥5 migraine attacks per month patients at four out of five measured points compared to control group（P〈0.05）. There were no statistical differences at any of the points of vein measurements. The choroidal thickness measurements were significantly decreased in ≥5 migraine attacks per month patients at all measured points compared to control group（P〈0.05）.CONCLUSION：The retinal artery diameter is found to increase significantly and the choroidal thickness is found to decrease in the eyes on the headache side in ≥5 migraine attacks per month patients compared to control group.

Self-Weight Penetration Characteristics of the Suction Foundation with Different Diameters in Sand

During the self-weight penetration process of the suction foundation on the dense sand seabed,due to the shallow penetration depth,the excess seepage seawater from the outside to the inside of the foundation may cause the negative pressure penetration process failure.Increasing the self-weight penetration depth has become an important problem for the safe construction of the suction foundation.The new suction anchor foundation has been proposed,and the self-weight penetration characteristics of the traditional suction foundation and the new suction anchor foundation are studied and compared through laboratory experiments and analysis.For the above two foundation types,by considering five foundation diameters and two bottom shapes,20 models are tested with the same penetration energy.The effects of different foundation diameters on the penetration depth,the soil plug characteristics,and the surrounding sand layer are studied.The results show that the penetration depth of the new suction foundation is smaller than that of the traditional suction foundation.With the same penetration energy,the penetration depth of the suction foundation becomes shallower as the diameter increases.The smaller the diameter of the suction foundation,the more likely it is to be fully plugged,and the smaller the height of the soil plug will be.In the stage of self-weight penetration,the impact cavity appears around the foundation,which may affect the stability of the suction foundation.

INFLUENCE OF ROLL DIAMETERS ON DEFORMATION BEHAVIOUR OF HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTING TAPE

During plastic process, the material flow is strongly influenced by the contact area between deformed workpiece and die. In rolling process, difference of roll diameter makes the contact area between roll and deformed tape different, which leads to different material flow and the distribution of powder density. A numerical modelling of the first rolling process for 61-filament high temperature superconducting tape is constructed and the influences of roll diameters on deformation behavior of the tape are discussed. It can be found that the BiSrCaCuO （BSCCO） powder in the center of the tape has higher relative density than those in the periphery of the tape during rolling process. With the increase of roll diameter, the length of the contact arc in the roll gap expands which lead to the increasing of transversal strain and the decreasing of the related longitudinal strain. It makes the value of longitudinal strain ratio decrease gradually, which decreases the possibility of occurrence of the transversal shear band, simultaneously it increases the risk of occurrence of longitudinal crack.

The Correlation between Different Fruiting Branch Diameters of Actinidia chinensis and Fruit Quality Change in Post-ripening Period

he research aimed to explore the correlation between fruiting branch diameter of A. chinensis and fruit quality change during the post-ripening period and the mechanism,which could provide theoretical basis for making scientific management measures during A. chinensis fruit post-ripening period. In this paper,correlation analysis between fruiting branch diameter of A. chinensis and fruit quality change during post-ripening period during 2013- 2015 was conducted. Results were as below:(i) correlation coefficient analysis showed that fruiting branch diameter was highly positive correlation with number of fruit ventricle,significantly positive correlation with single fruit weight when picking and the indexes after the fruit ripening single(single fruit weight,loss rate of single fruit weight,longitudinal diameter of fruit and width of fruit core),lowly positive correlation with sugar content of fruit juice,and positive correlation with thick transverse diameter of fruit after ripening.(ii) Standard errors of regression analysis between fruiting branch diameter and single fruit weight,longitudinal diameter of fruit,wide transverse diameter of fruit,thick transverse diameter of fruit,fruit core length and sugar content of fruit juice were 12. 4248,4. 2731,2. 6452,2. 0260,0. 1337 and 1. 0035 respectively; significance F values of variance analysis were 0. 0743,0. 0658,0. 1950,0. 5733,0. 2600 and 0. 1517 respectively. It showed that fruiting branch diameter had a significant difference with thick transverse diameter of fruit and insignificant differences with other indicators; quadratic curve regression equation and linear regression equation of residual curve,observed value curve,forecast value curve and normal probability curve of were analyzed,and the results were all in line with the law of quadratic curve.(iii)The larger the fruiting branch diameter,the greater the indexes after post-ripening(single fruit weight,longitudinal diameter of fruit,wide transverse diameter of fruit,thick transverse diameter of fruit and sugar content of fruit juice),the better the fruit quality. It was clear that fruiting branch diameter could be as one of important bases of fruit quality change during post-ripening period. Through investigating fruiting branch diameter and the regression equation,it could predict single fruit weight,longitudinal and transverse diameters of fruit,and sugar content of fruit juice index after the ripening.

Evaluation of Probability Distribution Functions for Modeling Forest Tree Diameters on Agricultural Landscapes in Ogun State, Nigeria

The use of probability distribution functions for describing tree diameter at breast height provides useful information for forest resource evaluation and quantification. A series of probability distribution functions have been widely developed and applied for managing forest trees in conventional forest reserves without much consideration for trees outside forest reserves. The aim of this study is to evaluate and propose a suitable probability distribution function for trees in Agricultural landscapes. The study examined 3-parameter lognormal, Lognormal, 3-parameter Gamma, Gamma, 3-parameter Weibull and Weibull distribution functions, using the Maximum Likelihood method for fitting tree diameter at breast height. Three hundred and thirty-two temporary farmlands were randomly selected from which stem diameter of all living trees, with diameter ≥ 10.0 cm, were measured. Results of the statistical analysis showed that the 3-parameter lognormal distribution gave a superior description of the stem diameter with the least values of Anderson Darling (1.627) and Akaike Information Criterion (5962.0) statistics. Hence, the 3-parameter lognormal distribution function was found suitable for the stem diameter of trees in Agricultural landscapes in the study area.

Seedless Synthesis of Gold Nanorods with 5–10 nm in Diameters:a Comprehensive Study

Small gold nanorods(AuNRs),namely AuNRs with less than 10 nm in diameter,possess a high absorption-to-scattering ratio,a large surface area-to-volume ratio,as well as high cellular uptake behaviors.In this study,we systematically investigate seedless synthesis of AuNRs with diameters ranging from 5 nm to 10 nm.It has been found that several experimental conditions,including the chain length of the used cationic surfactants,and the concentrations of ascorbic acid,NaBH4,and AgNO_(3)can profoundly affect the obtained products.Under optimal conditions,the production yields of the obtained several AuNRs with different diameters can exceed 90%and even reach almost 100%.The conversion of gold precursors to AuNRs was estimated to be 70%–77%as measured by absorption spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

The transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt: Smaller stent diameters are required to optimize pressure response

Background and aims:The present treatment goal of the transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)is a portosystemic pressure gradient of
12 mmHg or its reduction by>50%.This study relates the stent diameter to the reduction of the pressure gradient and attempts to predict the appropriate stent diameter necessary to reach the treatment goal.Methods:Pressure response,super response,and poor response were investigated in 208 de-novo TIPS patients and defined as post-TIPS gradients between>6 and 12 mmHg,
6 mmHg,or not reaching the goal(>12 mmHg,reduction<50%),respectively.Pressures were related to the smallest stent diameters measured by planimetry of the radiographic image.Results:Responders(65%),super responders(26%),or poor responders(9%)had comparable stent diameters of 7.21.0 mm,but different post-TIPS gradients(9.71.9 mmHg,4.51.5 mmHg,and 14.21.4 mmHg,p<0.001),relative reduction of pre-TIPS gradients(51.711.4%,73.611.1%,and 34.09.1%,p<0.001),and specific reduction per mm of stent diameter(7.52.0%/mm,10.12.0%/mm,and 4.81.4%/mm,p<0.001).Prediction of the stent diameter required to reach response was not possible.Only two super responders had a stent diameter of<6 mm.Super and poor responders differed by the increase in the right atrial pressure(+5.0 mmHg vs.+3.1 mmHg,p=0.026)and reduction in the portal vein pressure(-8.6 mmHg vs.-4.6 mmHg,p<0.001).Conclusion:Most patients reached the treatment goal with stent diameters of<8 mm.Overtreatment(super response,gradient ≤6 mmHg)can be prevented by stent diameters as small as 6 mm.The individual response was not related to the stent diameter and not predictable.Cardiac dysfunction may play an important role by its effect on the right atrial(preload)and portal pressure(afterload).

Influence of deformation zone length on bending radius of SS304 tubes with small diameters manufactured via free bending-based active motion

In three and six-axis free-bending equipment,the deformation zone length(A)is a fixed mechanical structure parameter modified when the relevant structure is redesigned and manufactured.In this study,a six degree of freedom(6-DOF)parallel mechanism was used as the control mechanism of the bending die,and a new method of changing the deformation zone length(A)was proposed.Firstly,an idealized geometric model of free bending-based active motion was established.Then,the influence of the deformation zone length(A)on the bending moment and the bending radius of the tube was analyzed.In addition,the finite element simulation and a kinematic model of free bending-based active motion controlled by the 6-DOF parallel mechanism were established,and bending processes of the SS304 tube with different deformation zone lengths were investigated.Afterwards,the impact of the deformation zone length(A)on the bending radius,bending moment,wall thickness,and motion of the parallel mechanism were analyzed.Finally,experiments were carried out on the free-bending equipment based on the 6-DOF parallel mechanism.Experiments verified the rules in the theoretical analysis,finite element simulation,and kinematic simulation.