Outcomes of a non-diffractive extended depth of focus intraocular lens in patients with well-controlled glaucoma and ocular hypertension

AIM:To assess visual outcomes and satisfaction of a non-diffractive extended depth of focus(EDOF)intraocular lens(IOL)in individuals with ocular hypertension(OHT)and well-controlled mild glaucoma undergoing cataract surgery.METHODS:An investigator-initiated,single-center,prospective,interventional,noncomparative study conducted in Montreal,Canada.The study enrolled 31 patients(55 eyes)with OHT or mild glaucoma who received a non-diffractive EDOF IOL(Acrysof IQ Vivity).Participants underwent sequential cataract surgery with the Vivity IOL.Follow-up evaluations occurred at 1d,1,and 3mo postoperatively,assessing uncorrected distance,intermediate,and near visual acuity.Questionnaires(QUVID:Questionnaire for visual disturbances and IOLSAT:Intraocular lens satisfaction)were administered pre and post-operatively to measure visual disturbances and spectacle independence in various lighting.Safety parameters included intraocular pressure(IOP),glaucoma medications,spherical equivalence,mean deviation and pattern standard deviation or square root of lost variance on Octopus visual field.RESULTS:At 1 and 3mo postoperatively,significant improvements were observed in uncorrected distance and intermediate visual acuity.Spectacle independence was enhanced for distance and intermediate vision,especially in bright light settings.Spectacle-free intermediate vision was improved even in dim lighting.Visual disturbances,particularly glare symptoms,were reduced,and there was a notable decrease in IOP and glaucoma medication burden at 3mo.There was more hazy vision postoperatively with no impact on visual acuity and visual satisfaction.CONCLUSION:The non-diffractive EDOF lens improves distance and intermediate spectacle-free visual function in patients with OHT and well-controlled glaucoma.The findings highlight significant improvements in visual acuity,reduced glare,enhanced spectacle independence,and improved visual performance in different lighting conditions.

FOCUS夫妻干预在中青年妇科恶性肿瘤患者中的应用效果

目的探讨FOCUS夫妻干预对中青年妇科恶性肿瘤患者心理弹性、二元应对、自我感受负担和生活质量的影响。方法将2022年11月~2023年10月收治的112例中青年妇科恶性肿瘤患者随机分为对照组和观察组,各56例。对照组患者予以常规干预,观察组患者在对照组基础上予以FOCUS夫妻干预。干预前后,采用中文版心理弹性量表(CD-RISC)、二元应对量表(DCI)、自我感受负担量表(SPBS)、世界卫生组织生存质量测定量表简表(WHOQOL-BREF)评估两组患者心理弹性、二元应对、自我感受负担、生存质量水平。结果干预后,两组患者CDRISC各维度评分、WHOQOL-BREF各维度评分、DCI评分较干预前升高,且观察组高于对照组(P<0.01);两组患者SPBS各维度评分较干预前降低,且观察组低于对照组(P<0.01)。结论FOCUS夫妻干预在中青年妇科恶性肿瘤患者中的应用效果良好,值得临床推广。

Riemann-Hilbert Problem and Multiple High-order Poles Solutions of the Focusing mKdV Equation with Nonzero Boundary Conditions

The focusing modified Korteweg-de Vries(mKdV)equation with multiple high-order poles under the nonzero boundary conditions is first investigated via developing a Riemann-Hilbert(RH)approach.We begin with the asymptotic property,symmetry and analyticity of the Jost solutions,and successfully construct the RH problem of the focusing mKdV equation.We solve the RH problem when 1/S_(11)(k)has a single highorder pole and multiple high-order poles.Furthermore,we derive the soliton solutions of the focusing mKdV equation which corresponding with a single high-order pole and multiple high-order poles,respectively.Finally,the dynamics of one-and two-soliton solutions are graphically discussed.

FOCUS-PDCA在降低在新生儿院内尿布性皮炎发生率的应用研究

探讨FOCUS -PDCA在新生儿院内尿布性皮炎管理的应用效果。方法 选取2023年6月1日至2023年9月30日入住新生儿患儿 379例,按入院时间先后顺序分为对照组(2023年6月1号-2023年7月31号)和试验组(2023年8月1号-2023年9月31号)。对照组采取常规护理方案,试验组采取运用FOCUS -PDCA进行修订相关流程、护理常规、开展针对性培训、加强督查与干预等循环管理。比较2组新生儿院内尿布性皮炎发生率。结果 试验组院内尿布性皮炎发生率为9.2‰,低于对照组的25.2 ‰(χ2=4.410578,P<0.05);且2023年8月、9月新生儿院内尿布性皮炎的发生率分别为15.8‰、11.8‰,整体呈一个下降的趋势。结论 采用FOCUS -PDCA进行循环管理,实施培训、督查与干预用于新生儿住院患者管理,可降低其院内尿布性皮炎的发生率。

Properties of focused Laguerre–Gaussian beam propagating in anisotropic ocean turbulence

We analyze the properties of a focused Laguerre–Gaussian(LG)beam propagating through anisotropic ocean turbulence based on the Huygens–Fresnel principle.Under the Rytov approximation theory,we derive the analytical formula of the channel capacity of the focused LG beam in the anisotropic ocean turbulence,and analyze the relationship between the capacity and the light source parameters as well as the turbulent ocean parameters.It is found that the focusing mirror can greatly enhance the channel capacity of the system at the geometric focal plane in oceanic turbulence.The results also demonstrate that the communication link can obtain high channel capacity by adopting longer beam wavelength,greater initial beam waist radius,and larger number of transmission channels.Further,the capacity of the system increases with the decrease of the mean squared temperature dissipation rate,temperature-salinity contribution ratio and turbulence outer scale factor,and with the increase of the kinetic energy dissipation rate per unit mass of fluid,turbulence inner scale factor and anisotropy factor.Compared to a Hankel–Bessel beam with diffraction-free characteristics and unfocused LG beam,the focused LG beam shows superior anti-turbulence interference properties,which provide a theoretical reference for research and development of underwater optical communication links using focused LG beams.

Awareness and Perception of Genetic Modification among Science and Technical Vocational Teachers in Guyana： Focusing on Genetically Modified Foods

A study was conducted to determine the awareness and perception of biotechnology focusing on genetically modified foods among public secondary school science and technical vocational teachers in Guyana. A questionnaire was administered to 228 randomly selected teachers of 42 schools in six administrative regions of Guyana, representing about 90% of the population. The results revealed that there was a low level of awareness among the teachers： those who were knowledgeable about the subject were mainly Biology, Agricultural Science and Integrated Science teachers. Most teachers （almost 90%） indicated that the public is not receiving adequate information about genetically-modified foods and opined that the television should be the main medium to provide information. The study also revealed that teachers felt that ethical, religious and social issues should be considered when applying the technology. This view did not vary based on qualifications, years in the profession or subjects taught. Genetic modification was more acceptable to plant-based than animal-based foods, although they seemed ambivalent as to whether genetically modified foods can be harmful to their health. The implications of these findings are that more teachers in various subject areas should be informed about emerging issues in sciences to enable them to better analyze the subject matter, transfer information to the students, and form attitudes and opinions based on facts.

Co-doped BaFe_(2)As_(2) Josephson junction fabricated with a focused helium ion beam

Josephson junction plays a key role not only in studying the basic physics of unconventional iron-based superconductors but also in realizing practical application of thin-film based devices,therefore the preparation of high-quality iron pnictide Josephson junctions is of great importance.In this work,we have successfully fabricated Josephson junctions from Co-doped BaFe_(2)As_(2)thin films using a direct junction fabrication technique which utilizes high energy focused helium ion beam(FHIB).The electrical transport properties were investigated for junctions fabricated with various He^(+)irradiation doses.The junctions show sharp superconducting transition around 24 K with a narrow transition width of 2.5 K,and a dose correlated foot-structure resistance which corresponds to the effective tuning of junction properties by He^(+)irradiation.Significant J_c suppression by more than two orders of magnitude can be achieved by increasing the He^(+)irradiation dose,which is advantageous for the realization of low noise ion pnictide thin film devices.Clear Shapiro steps are observed under 10 GHz microwave irradiation.The above results demonstrate the successful fabrication of high quality and controllable Co-doped BaFe_(2)As_(2)Josephson junction with high reproducibility using the FHIB technique,laying the foundation for future investigating the mechanism of iron-based superconductors,and also the further implementation in various superconducting electronic devices.

参仙升脉口服液化学成分的UHPLC-Q Exactive Focus MS/MS快速分析

目的探究参仙升脉口服液的化学物质基础。方法利用超高效液相色谱-四极杆/静电场轨道阱高分辨质谱(UHPLC-Q Exactive Focus MS/MS)对参仙升脉口服液的化学成分进行整体、系统辨识。采用Thermo Accucore aQ C_(18)色谱柱(150 mm×2.1 mm,2.6μm),流动相0.1%甲酸水溶液(A)-甲醇(B)梯度洗脱,洗脱程序为0-13 min,5%-60%B;13-27 min,60%-95%B;27-30 min,95%B,流速0.3 mL·min^(-1),柱温30°C;质谱分析离子化方式为加热电喷雾离子化(H-ESI),扫描模式为正、负离子切换,扫描范围m/z 120-1800,碰撞能量30 eV、50 eV、70 eV。结果共鉴定出160个化学成分,包括29个黄酮类成分,24个有机酸类成分,21个生物碱类成分,19个萜类成分,15个苯丙素类成分,12个皂苷类成分和40个其他类成分;其中6个化学成分(芦丁、补骨脂苷、异补骨脂苷、补骨脂素、异补骨脂素和补骨脂酚)经对照品比对确认。结论该研究借助UHPLC-Q Exactive Focus MS/MS技术实现了参仙升脉口服液化学成分准确、快速、系统的分析和鉴定,为其化学物质基础的阐明和质量控制提供了重要依据。

Focusing on the tetra-partite synapse in Parkinson’s disease research using human patient-derived neurons

Parkinson’s disease(PD)was first described as a neurological disease by Dr.James Parkinson in 1817 as a“shaking palsy”.Since that time,much more is known about the pathophysiology of PD yet the disease is still uncurable.The hallmark of the disease is often considered Lewy body neural inclusions in the substantia nigra pars compacta and other brain areas,although not all patients have these inclusions.The patients exhibit massive neuronal cell loss in the substantia nigra pars compacta,which is associated with the motor symptoms of tremor,bradykinesia,rigidity,and postural instability.PD is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease with a prevalence of around 1%of individuals over the age of 60.

FOCUS-PDCA模式对老年肌少症病人日常生活能力和生活质量影响的Meta分析

目的:系统评价FOCUS-PDCA模式对老年肌少症病人日常生活能力和生活质量的影响。方法:检索PubMed、Web of Science、the Cochrane Library、中国知网、万方数据库、维普数据库、中国生物医学文献数据库中关于FOCUS-PDCA模式对老年肌少症病人日常生活能力和生活质量影响的随机对照试验,检索时限从建库至2022年12月31日。采用RevMan 5.4软件进行Meta分析。结果:共纳入5篇文献,涉及534例病人。Meta分析结果显示,使用FOCUS-PDCA模式干预可有效改善病人的生活质量[SMD=2.52,95%CI(1.50,3.54),P<0.000 01],提高日常活动能力[MD=23.94,95%CI(14.96,32.96),P<0.000 01]。结论:现有证据表明,FOCUS-PDCA模式可提高老年肌少症病人的日常生活能力,改善其生活质量。

Focus on pet diseases

Pets become vital companions in human life.Tey ofer companionship and emotional support,and contribute signifcantly to physical and mental health,as well as social activities.Living with pets can stimulate human bodies to release more“afnity hormones”such as serotonin,dopamine,and oxytocin,which helps alleviate negative emotions.Te human-animal bond can enhance the human body’s ability to eliminate toxins,reduce the risk of illnesses,strengthen the immune system,and alleviate depressive symptoms.Moreover,pet-related social activities can facilitate the making of new friends and the establishment of social connections,serving as a bridge for those who struggle with social interactions.

Prevalence, Awareness and Risk Factors for Hypertension in Adults Attending a Tertiary Hospital in South-East Nigeria

Hypertension, a non-communicable disease, is considered a major public health challenge because of its widespread prevalence globally coupled with its huge morbidity and mortality burden, which is largely preventable if early detection and prompt initiation of management are done. Hypertension prevalence is increasing especially in the developing world, despite this, its awareness among the general population is low. This study aimed at determining the prevalence of hypertension among adult attendees of the General Outpatient Clinic of the Federal University Teaching Hospital (FUTH), Owerri, with an assessment of the proportion of hypertensives who were aware of their hypertensive status, and identifying risk factors of hypertension in the study participants. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted between October and November 2022 at the General Outpatient Clinic of the FUTH, Owerri. A total of 257 consenting and eligible adult patients made up of 135 males and 122 females, aged 18 years and above, were selected by systematic random sampling method. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 34.6%. The prevalence was higher in females than in males (37.7% vs 31.9%, P = 0.325). Among the hypertensive subjects 56.2% had awareness of their hypertensive status. Following a multiple regression analysis, hypertension was independently associated with age, family history of hypertension, occupation (retirees, traders, farmers and the unemployed), and marital status (being widowed). Hypertension is prevalent in our environment;the prevalence rate from this study is higher than in most studies in our environment, suggesting possibly, a rising burden. The results from the study underscore the need for increased and sustained advocacy for implementation of policies and programs directed at increased detection and management of hypertension in the different population groups such as annual wellness check for employees in the formal sector, largescale dietary and lifestyle adjustments, and know your numbers (an approach to population driven blood pressure check for all adults). Also, health workers should use any opportunity of contact with a patient to screen for hypertension.

Depressive semantic awareness from vlog facial and vocal streams via spatio-temporal transformer

With the rapid growth of information transmission via the Internet,efforts have been made to reduce network load to promote efficiency.One such application is semantic computing,which can extract and process semantic communication.Social media has enabled users to share their current emotions,opinions,and life events through their mobile devices.Notably,people suffering from mental health problems are more willing to share their feelings on social networks.Therefore,it is necessary to extract semantic information from social media(vlog data)to identify abnormal emotional states to facilitate early identification and intervention.Most studies do not consider spatio-temporal information when fusing multimodal information to identify abnormal emotional states such as depression.To solve this problem,this paper proposes a spatio-temporal squeeze transformer method for the extraction of semantic features of depression.First,a module with spatio-temporal data is embedded into the transformer encoder,which is utilized to obtain a representation of spatio-temporal features.Second,a classifier with a voting mechanism is designed to encourage the model to classify depression and non-depression effec-tively.Experiments are conducted on the D-Vlog dataset.The results show that the method is effective,and the accuracy rate can reach 70.70%.This work provides scaffolding for future work in the detection of affect recognition in semantic communication based on social media vlog data.

Awareness of Diabetic Retinopathy in Diabetic Individuals Based on Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice in Cameroon: A Multicentre Study

Introduction: Diabetic retinopathy accounts for 5% of all causes of blindness. We set out to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice patterns in patients with diabetes regarding diabetic retinopathy (DR) and identify barriers that may exist in this context. Material and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study by consecutively enrolling patients with diabetes consulting at four hospitals in Cameroon between November 2021 and March 2023. We surveyed participants about their understanding of diabetic retinopathy (DR), their approach to it, and their visits to eye specialists by means of a single-investigator-interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data was anonymously analysed using STATA/BE 17 and presented in frequencies and Spearman’s correlation coefficient. The error margin was 5% and all results with p-value Results: We enrolled 152 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, with a mean age of 60.30 years and a male-to-female ratio of 0.9. Out of the 152 patients enrolled, 138 (90.59%) agreed that the eyes could be damaged by diabetes. Meanwhile, only 21 (15.79%) associated diabetes with DR. Of the 41.18% who were occasionally sent for an eye exam by their consulting physicians, 91.72% made it to the consultations. Spearman’s correlation showed no significant relationship between the knowledge of eye involvement in diabetes and visits to eye specialists, regardless of blood sugar levels (p = 0.30). Conclusion: We were able to show that there is a lack of sensitization of patients with diabetes on diabetic retinopathy and referral to ophthalmologists.

Awareness of the Termination of Pregnancy Act of the Laws of Zambia among Women of Reproductive Age at Kanyama First Level Hospital in Lusaka District Zambia

Background: Termination of pregnancy (TOP) in Zambia is guided by the Termination of Pregnancy (TOP) Act of 1972 and as amended in 1994 of the laws of Zambia. However, despite provision of Comprehensive abortion care services with the liberal law, statistics at Kanyama First Level Hospital in relation to unsafe illegal abortions are alarming. This study sought to understand the Awareness on the TOP Act of the laws of Zambia among women of reproductive age 15 - 49 years at Kanyama First Level Hospital in Lusaka District. Purpose of the Study: To assess awareness on the TOP Act among women of reproductive age at Kanyama First Level Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. Methodology: A convergent parallel mixed method design was conducted using both survey and in-depth interviews among women of reproductive age at Kanyama First Level Hospital in Lusaka District. The study surveyed 370 randomly sampled women aged 15 to 49 years old while the in-depth interviews included eight women purposively sampled from the survey population. Survey data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics while qualitative data thematic analysis was used. Results: The study found that 37% of the participants were aware of the TOP Act while 63.8% viewed legalization of abortion for any reason as wrong. The study results also showed that widowed women were 8 times more likely to be aware of the TOP Act compared to single women (AOR: 8.262;95% CI: 1.105, 61.778). Women in business were significantly more likely to be aware of the TOP Act compared to those who reported having no occupation. (AOR: 2.61;95% CI: 1.246, 5.499). Limited access to information, the social stigma attached to abortion, health care providers’ attitudes, cultural norms, values and religious beliefs, restrictive legal requirements, and absence of a supportive network were some of the barriers affecting awareness and utilization of available safe abortion care services. Conclusions: The research findings concluded that a significant lack of awareness among women of reproductive age regarding the Termination of Pregnancy (TOP) Act. The majority of respondents held the view that abortion should only be legalized for medical reasons. Furthermore, there was a notable gap in knowledge concerning the penal code’s provisions on abortion.

Cascaded metasurfaces enabling adaptive aberration corrections for focus scanning

Scanning focused light with corrected aberrations holds great importance in high-precision optical systems.However,conventional optical systems,relying on additional dynamical correctors to eliminate scanning aberrations,inevitably result in undesired bulkiness and complexity.In this paper,we propose achieving adaptive aberration corrections coordinated with focus scanning by rotating only two cascaded transmissive metasurfaces.Each metasurface is carefully designed by searching for optimal phase-profile parameters of three coherently worked phase functions,allowing flexible control of both the longitudinal and lateral focal position to scan on any custom-designed curved surfaces.As proof-ofconcept,we engineer and fabricate two all-silicon terahertz meta-devices capable of scanning the focal spot with adaptively corrected aberrations.Experimental results demonstrate that the first one dynamically scans the focal spot on a planar surface,achieving an average scanning aberration of 1.18%within the scanning range of±30°.Meanwhile,the second meta-device scans two focal points on a planar surface and a conical surface with 2.5%and 4.6%scanning aberrations,respectively.Our work pioneers a breakthrough pathway enabling the development of high-precision yet compact optical devices across various practical domains.

Simulating the evolution of focused waves by a two-layer Boussinesq-type model

Accurate simulation of the evolution of freak waves by the wave phase focusing method requires accurate linear and nonlinear properties,especially in deep-water conditions.In this paper,we analyze the ability to simulate deep-water focused waves of a two-layer Boussinesq-type(BT)model,which has been shown to have excellent linear and nonlinear performance.To further improve the numerical accuracy and stability,the internal wavegenerated method is introduced into the two-layer Boussinesq-type model.Firstly,the sensitivity of the numerical results to the grid resolution is analyzed to verify the convergence of the model;secondly,the focused wave propagating in two opposite directions is simulated to prove the symmetry of the numerical results and the feasibility of the internal wave-generated method;thirdly,the limiting focused wave condition is simulated to compare and analyze the wave surface and the horizontal velocity of the profile at the focusing position,which is in good agreement with the measured values.Meanwhile the simulation of focused waves in very deep waters agrees well with the measured values,which further demonstrates the capability of the two-layer BT model in simulating focused waves in deep waters.

Promoting Sickle Cell Trait Awareness and Education: A Typology of Interventions in the United States to Inform Ongoing Efforts to Patients and Providers

Research Background: Sickle cell trait has no treatment or cure and predominantly affects people who are Black, but can affect anyone of any race or ethnicity. While commonly incorrectly considered benign by providers and the public, people with a sickle cell trait experience life-threatening outcomes that are exacerbated by extreme conditions. There is a severe lack of awareness and understanding of sickle cell trait and the associated health complications among sickle cell trait carriers and healthcare providers. Purpose/Aim: Interventions that aim to improve awareness of sickle cell trait differ in approaches and are not well documented in the literature. This typology aims to highlight current efforts to inform targeted interventions that raise awareness through consistent messaging, educate people and providers on sickle cell trait and the related health complications, and support the design and implementation of comprehensive sickle cell trait awareness initiatives. Methods: We conducted a scoping review of United States-based sickle cell trait interventions and performed a content analysis to identify the categories and characteristics of these efforts. We then organized the results into a typology according to established protocols. Results: Among 164 interventions, twenty-five (15%) met the typology inclusion criteria described above and were grouped into categories: Seven of twenty-five interventions were Educational Interventions (28%), three of twenty-five interventions (12%) were Combined Screening and Educational-Based Interventions, eight of twenty-five interventions (32%) were Policy and Guideline-Based Intervention, and six of twenty-five interventions (24%) were Sickle Cell Trait Organization-Led Interventions. Conclusions: There is a lack of consistency in messaging across interventions whether delivered by credible healthcare institutions or national organizations, which can result in lack of education and awareness and confusion around sickle cell trait. Categorizing interventions through a typology allows clarity and informs consistency in messaging, which should be at the forefront of future sickle cell trait efforts.

Awareness, Practice and Intention to Practice Testicular Self-Examination among Professional Working Males in Ghana

Background: The aetiology of Testicular Cancer (TC) is still unknown to researchers but many of the associated risk factors have been identified. These include family history, age, racial origin, cryptorchidism, urogenital malformations, testicular atrophy, and infertility. Given the lack of scientific data on the causes of the disease, it has been asserted in previous studies that the promotion of awareness and early detection are prerequisites to mitigating risks of metastasis as well as improving survival. This study is to assess the awareness, practice, and intention to practice testicular self-examination among professional working males in Accra. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional design with a structured research instrument was used to collect data from respondants. The purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used to collect data from 300 men at Accra in Ghana. The study was conducted at two (2) Universities and a Senior High school at Accra in Ghana. The data was then analysed using descriptive statistics, logistic regression, multiple linear regression, and structural equation modeling. Results: From the study findings, 37% of male participants rated their knowledge of testicular self-examination and related symptoms as good, 28% of participants practised testicular self-examination monthly, while 65% of respondents expressed their intention to practice monthly testicular self-examination. The findings from logistic regression demonstrated that level of education, age, and marital status of participants had a significant influence on testicular self-examination. Additionally, the multiple linear regression results revealed knowledge and self-efficacy significantly predict testicular self-examination intention. The path coefficient results from the structural equation model are consistent with results from the regression models. Conclusion: This research is the first to investigate testicular self-examination among men in Ghana. The findings revealed awareness and practice of TSE are low among participants. Therefore, the research findings would improve the expertise of physicians and nurses in providing counsel, intervention, and support for patients at risk of testicular cancer.

China’s Unprecedented Focus on Foreign Investment

The Communique of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China(CPC),which has just been concluded,mentions that it is necessary to steadily expand institutional opening-up,deepen foreign trade structural reform,further reform the management systems for inward and outward investment,improve planning for regional opening up,and refine the mechanisms for high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.