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The First Large Absorption Survey in H i (FLASH) is a large-area radio survey for neutral hydrogen in and around galaxies in the intermediate redshift range $0.4\lt z\lt1.0$, using the 21-cm H i absorption line as a probe of cold neutral gas. The survey uses the ASKAP radio telescope and will cover 24,000 deg$^2$ of sky over the next five years. FLASH breaks new ground in two ways – it is the first large H i absorption survey to be carried out without any optical preselection of targets, and we use an automated Bayesian line-finding tool to search through large datasets and assign a statistical significance to potential line detections. Two Pilot Surveys, covering around 3000 deg$^2$ of sky, were carried out in 2019-22 to test and verify the strategy for the full FLASH survey. The processed data products from these Pilot Surveys (spectral-line cubes, continuum images, and catalogues) are public and available online. In this paper, we describe the FLASH spectral-line and continuum data products and discuss the quality of the H i spectra and the completeness of our automated line search. Finally, we present a set of 30 new H i absorption lines that were robustly detected in the Pilot Surveys, almost doubling the number of known H i absorption systems at $0.4\lt z\lt1$. The detected lines span a wide range in H i optical depth, including three lines with a peak optical depth $\tau\gt1$, and appear to be a mixture of intervening and associated systems. Interestingly, around two-thirds of the lines found in this untargeted sample are detected against sources with a peaked-spectrum radio continuum, which are only a minor (5–20%) fraction of the overall radio-source population. The detection rate for H i absorption lines in the Pilot Surveys (0.3 to 0.5 lines per 40 deg$^2$ ASKAP field) is a factor of two below the expected value. One possible reason for this is the presence of a range of spectral-line artefacts in the Pilot Survey data that have now been mitigated and are not expected to recur in the full FLASH survey. A future paper in this series will discuss the host galaxies of the H i absorption systems identified here.
Research on nutraceutical and dietary interventions in psychiatry has grown substantially, but progress is hindered by methodological inconsistencies and limited reporting standards. To address this, the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research presents the first guidelines on clinical trial design, conduct, and reporting for future clinical trials in this area. Recommendations were developed using a Delphi process including eighteen researchers with considerable clinical trial expertise and experience in either methodology, nutraceutical, or dietary interventions in psychiatry. These guidelines provide forty-nine recommendations for clinical trial design and outcomes, five for trial reporting, and seven for future research priorities. The recommendations included in these guidelines are designed to inform both nutraceutical and dietary clinical trial interventions in Nutritional Psychiatry. Common themes include an emphasis on the importance of a multidisciplinary research team and integration of co-design processes into the conduct and design of clinical research, methods to improve transparency and replicability of trial outcomes, and measures to address common biases in nutrition trials. Furthermore, we provide recommendations for future research including examining a greater variety of nutraceutical and dietary interventions, scalable delivery models, effectiveness and implementation studies, and the need to investigate these interventions in the prevention and management of less studied psychiatric conditions (e.g. schizophrenia and bipolar disorder). Recommendations included within these guidelines are intended to improve the rigor and clinical relevance of ongoing and future clinical trials in Nutritional Psychiatry.
Background: The fragility index (FI) is the minimum number of patients whose status would have to change from a nonevent to an event to turn a statistically significant result to a non-significant result. We used this to measure the robustness of trials comparing carotid endarterectomy (CEA) to carotid artery stenting (CAS). Methods: A search was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, and PubMed on RCTs comparing CEA to CAS. The trials need to have statistically significant results and dichotomous primary endpoints to be included. Results: Our literature search identified 10 RCTs which included 9382 patients (4734 CEA, 4648 CAS). The primary end points of all included trials favoured CEA over CAS. The median FI was 9.5 (interquartile range 2.25 - 21.25). All of the studies that reported lost-to-follow-up (LTFU) had LTFU greater than its fragility index, which raises concern that the missing data could change the results of the trial from statistically significant to statistically insignificant. Conclusions: A small number of events (FI, median 9.5) were required to render the results of carotid artery stenosis RCTs comparing CEA to CAS statistically insignificant. All of the studies that reported LTFU had LTFU greater than its fragility index.
Background: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak is a common complication of minimally invasive tubular microdiscectomy (MIM). However, it is not known whether patients with CSF leak can be safely discharged home the same day. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of patients with incidental durotomy after MIM from January, 2009 to August, 2023. Patient demographic information, surgery information, CSF leak management, and postoperative outcomes were recorded. Results: There were 16 patients (53%) who were admitted to hospital and 14 (47%) patients discharged home the same day post CSF leak. There were no differences in patient demographics between the two groups at baseline. Twenty-nine out of 30 (97%) of the patients had onlay duraplasty, and one (3%) patient was repaired using sutures. The hospitalized group was kept on bed rest overnight or 24 hours. The discharge group was kept on best rest for 2 hours or mobilized immediately after surgery. The average length of admission for the hospitalized group was 2.4 ± 4.0 days. No patients in either group required readmission or revision surgery for CSF leak. Conclusions: Patients with CSF leak post minimally invasive tubular microdiscectomy can be safely discharged home the same day provided that duraplasty or primary repair was performed intraoperatively.
The purpose of this study was to investigate bonding mechanisms of representative inorganic anions and citrate with imogolite and allophane using electrophoresis. The electrophoretic mobility (EM) of synthetic imogolite and allophanes with Al/Si molar ratios of 2.02, 1.64, and 1.26 was determined in 0.001 and 0.01 M sodium solutions. The highest point of zero mobility (PZM) values for imogolite and the highest point of zero charge (PZC) values for allophane occurred in the presence of ClO4, NO3, Br, I, and Cl. Below the PZM and PZC, Cl and I lowered the EM relative to the other anions but did not shift the PZM and PZC significantly. This indicates that Cl and I formed more outer-sphere complexes than the other ions. The EM of imogolite and allophane was negative at pH < 6 in 0.001 and 0.01 M NaF probably due to a phase change. We observed the formation of cryolite (Na3AlF6) with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) in the NaF systems at low pH. Conversely, phosphate at 0.001 and 0.01 M concentrations lowered both the PZM and the EM in imogolite and both the PZC and the EM in allophane compared with ClO4. Phosphate-treated allophane had the same PZC as a synthetic amorphous aluminum phosphate. The PZM values of imogolite and allophane with 2:1 Al/Si in 0.0001 M Na-citrate were 10.9 and 5.9, respectively. At pH 7.3, Na-citrate lowered allophane EM more than it lowered imogolite EM relative to ClO4.
The EM in NaClO4 and Na2SO4 was reversible by forward- and back-titration with NaOH and HClO4, indicated that ClO4 and SO4 were not specifically adsorbed. Chloride likely formed more outer-sphere complexes than ClO4. Imogolite EM and allophane EM in dilute NaF and NaH2PO4 solutions were not reversible, indicating either surface inner-sphere complexes or surface precipitates of aluminum fluoride and amorphous aluminum phosphate-like materials on these minerals. Sulfate gave a lower EM than the monovalent anions, implying a greater tendency to form outer-sphere complexes. Citrate appeared to form inner-sphere complexes on both imogolite and allophane, but formation was concentration-dependent. The tendency of anions to form surface complexes with imogolite and allophane is consistent with the tendency of anions to form soluble aluminum complexes.
The surface excesses of Na and Cl on synthetic imogolite and allophanes with varying Al/Si molar ratios in 0.10 M and 0.01 M NaCl solutions were determined using 22Na and 36Cl as ion probes. The point of zero net charge (PZNC) values ranged from 4.1 to 8.4, increasing with the Al/Si molar ratio for the allophanes, and was highest for imogolite (Al/Si = 2.01). The PZNC values were significantly lower than the point of zero charge (PZC) values previously determined by microelectrophoresis for the same material, indicating that Na resided within the shear plane to a greater extent than Cl. The PZNC values of allophanes were lower than their PZSE values, indicating that permanent charge existed in allophanes, and increased as Al/Si decreased. Conversely, the PZNC of imogolite was higher than its point of zero salt effect (PZSE) determined by potentiometric titration. Adsorption of Cl on imogolite from 0.1 and 0.01 M NaCl solutions below pH 8.4 and of Na from 0.1 M NaCl solutions between pH 5 and 8.4 exceeded the proton charge determined by potentiometric titration. There was no direct evidence of permanent charge in imogolite and excess Cl adsorption could not be entirely explained by simultaneous intercalation of Na and Cl. Isomorphic substitution of Al in tetrahedral sites was shown to increase with decreasing Al/Si by 27Al high-resolution solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of allophanes, and was absent in imogolite. The chemical shifts of Al(4) and Al(6) were similar in allophanes (63.0–64.7 ppm and 6.1–7.8 ppm, respectively) and the chemical shift of Al(6) was 9.4 in imogolite.
Exploring the neural basis related to different mood states is a critical issue for understanding the pathophysiology underlying mood switching in bipolar disorder (BD), but research has been scarce and inconsistent.
Methods
Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from 162 patients with BD: 33 (hypo)manic, 64 euthymic, and 65 depressive, and 80 healthy controls (HCs). The differences of large-scale brain network functional connectivity (FC) between the four groups were compared and correlated with clinical characteristics. To validate the generalizability of our findings, we recruited a small longitudinal independent sample of BD patients (n = 11). In addition, we examined topological nodal properties across four groups as exploratory analysis.
Results
A specific strengthened pattern of network FC, predominantly involving the default mode network (DMN), was observed in (hypo)manic patients when compared with HCs and bipolar patients in other mood states. Longitudinal observation revealed an increase in several network FCs in patients during (hypo)manic episode. Both samples evidenced an increase in the FC between the DMN and ventral attention network, and between the DMN and limbic network (LN) related to (hypo)mania. The altered network connections were correlated with mania severity and positive affect. Bipolar depressive patients exhibited decreased FC within the LN compared with HCs. The exploratory analysis also revealed an increase in degree in (hypo)manic patients.
Conclusions
Our findings identify a distributed pattern of large-scale network disturbances in the unique context of (hypo)mania and thus provide new evidence for our understanding of the neural mechanism of BD.
Knowledge graphs have become a common approach for knowledge representation. Yet, the application of graph methodology is elusive due to the sheer number and complexity of knowledge sources. In addition, semantic incompatibilities hinder efforts to harmonize and integrate across these diverse sources. As part of The Biomedical Translator Consortium, we have developed a knowledge graph–based question-answering system designed to augment human reasoning and accelerate translational scientific discovery: the Translator system. We have applied the Translator system to answer biomedical questions in the context of a broad array of diseases and syndromes, including Fanconi anemia, primary ciliary dyskinesia, multiple sclerosis, and others. A variety of collaborative approaches have been used to research and develop the Translator system. One recent approach involved the establishment of a monthly “Question-of-the-Month (QotM) Challenge” series. Herein, we describe the structure of the QotM Challenge; the six challenges that have been conducted to date on drug-induced liver injury, cannabidiol toxicity, coronavirus infection, diabetes, psoriatic arthritis, and ATP1A3-related phenotypes; the scientific insights that have been gleaned during the challenges; and the technical issues that were identified over the course of the challenges and that can now be addressed to foster further development of the prototype Translator system. We close with a discussion on Large Language Models such as ChatGPT and highlight differences between those models and the Translator system.
The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) represents a major public health challenge and a serious threat to sustainable social development. A consideration of animal welfare is clearly justified, given the potential contribution of animals to the spread of the disease. The present study, therefore, sought to investigate the concern the Chinese people have for animal welfare (PCAW) and how their ‘ethical ideology’ (idealism and relativism) determines PCAW after COVID-19, through comparison with the same study, carried out in China in 2015. Our results demonstrated a significant improvement in Chinese PCAW after COVID-19. The adverse impact of COVID-19 may have resulted in a lowered idealism score and this decreased score served to neutralise significant correlations between idealism and PCAW, compared to the 2015 results. The global pandemic did not increase people's relativism score and a significant correlation was found between relativism and PCAW. Gender, age, educational level, public perception of animals after COVID-19, zoo and aquarium visiting were all shown to be predictor variables for PCAW. This study is one of the first to investigate Chinese PCAW after COVID-19 and can therefore provide knowledge that will potentially increase Chinese PCAW.
The relationship between public attitudes toward animals and human demographics has been well documented during the last few decades, but the influence of human ethical ideologies on public attitudes toward animals and animal welfare has been rarely investigated, especially in developing countries, such as China. The present study introduced two scales (Animal Issue Scale [AIS] and Animal Attitude Scale [AAS]) to investigate the Chinese people's attitudes toward animals and the manner in which their outlook related to ethical ideologies (idealism and relativism), which classified people into four ethical positions: situationists, subjectivists, absolutists and exceptionists. Moreover, it also showed how ethical ideologies and their interaction with human demographics influence respondents’ attitudes toward animals. The results of an online questionnaire (n = 504) distributed throughout China suggest that compared with middle-aged and old respondents, the young demonstrated significantly more positive attitudes toward animals. Absolutists showed the most positive attitudes toward animals, while subjectivists showed the least. People's attitudes toward animals were positively affected by idealism, which confirms previous findings in developed countries. However, people's attitudes toward animals were negatively affected by relativism, which is inconsistent with findings in developed countries, showing that ethical relativism failed to influence attitudes toward animals. Our results indicate that the same mechanisms underlying the effect of ethical idealism on attitudes toward animals might work in different countries to increase awareness on animal welfare. However, the manner in which ethical relativism influences attitudes toward animals may differ between developed and developing countries.
ABSTRACT IMPACT: Our results reveal a limited amount of breast cancer survivorship print materials as both understandable and actionable, and indicate a need to supplement material with personalized teaching. OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Using educational print material for young women breast cancer survivors (YBCS) is considered a best practice in patient teaching. Little is known about how well YBCS understand or act upon the material. The purpose of this study was to assess the understandability and actionability of commonly distributed breast cancer survivorship print materials. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We used an environmental scan approach to obtain breast cancer survivorship print materials available in eight outpatient oncology clinics and one electronic medical record used in a Midwestern state. Print materials were included if they were freely available to patients, were specific to breast cancer, provided detailed information about survivorship, and were directly given to patients by physicians or nurses. Print materials were excluded if topics were related to treatment, diagnosis, or prevention. All brochures, drug advertisements, and advertisements for support services were excluded. The understandability and actionability analyses of the breast cancer survivorship print materials were analyzed using Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Printable Materials (PEMAT-P). RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The environmental scan resulted in 82 individual print materials. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, eight breast cancer survivorship print materials were included in the final sample. The final sample included two books, two patient education handouts from the electronic medical record, two multi-page booklets, and two pamphlets. The overall mean understandability score of the print materials was 68.9% ? 11.3 with a range of 47% to 80%. Five materials scored above the recommended 70% in understandability. The overall mean actionability score of the print materials was much higher at 81.3% ? 21.6 with a range of 67% to 100%. Five materials scored above 70% in actionability. However, only three of the eight materials scored above the recommended 70% in both understandability and actionability. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF FINDINGS: Limited breast cancer survivorship print materials exist as both understandable and actionable. Personalized instruction provided by oncology team members may be indicated to supplement the material. This additional teaching may help ensure survivors comprehend messages and act upon specific tasks as indicated in survivorship print material.
To investigate the value of narrow-band imaging training for differentiating between benign and malignant vocal fold leukoplakia.
Method
Thirty cases of vocal fold leukoplakia were selected.
Results
Narrow-band imaging endoscopy training had a significant positive effect on the specificity of the differential diagnosis of vocal fold leukoplakia. In addition, the consistency of diagnostic typing of vocal fold leukoplakia by narrow-band imaging improved to ‘moderate agreement’ following the combination of types I and II and the combination of types IV, V and VI in the typing of vocal fold leukoplakia.
Conclusion
The narrow-band imaging training course may improve the ability of laryngologists to diagnose vocal fold leukoplakia. The new endoscopic diagnostic classification by narrow-band imaging needs to be further simplified to facilitate clinical application.
To assess the role of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus, WTD) in the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis, we conducted a national survey of WTD across the USA for Toxoplasma gondii infection. To do this, we combined serology with parasite isolation to evaluate the prevalence and genetic diversity of T. gondii in this game species. From October 2012 to March 2019, serum and tissues were collected from 914 WTD across the USA. Serum samples were screened for antibodies to T. gondii, and then the tissues of seropositive WTD were bioassayed in mice. Antibodies were detected in 329 (36%) of 914 WTD tested by the modified agglutination test (positive reaction at 1:25 or higher). Viable T. gondii was isolated from the heart of 36 WTD from 11 states. Three of the 36 isolates were pathogenic but not highly virulent to outbred Swiss Webster mice and all 36 isolates could be propagated further in cell culture and were genotyped. For genotyping, DNA extracted from cell culture-derived tachyzoites was characterized by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) using the genetic markers SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1 and Apico. Genotyping revealed seven ToxoDB PCR-RFLP genotypes, including 24 isolates for genotype #5 (haplogroup 12), four isolates for #2 (type III, haplogroup 3), three isolates for genotypes #1 (type II, haplogroup 2), two isolates for genotypes #3 (type II, haplogroup 2) and one isolate each for #39, #221 and #224. Genotype #5 was the most frequently isolated, accounting for 66.6% (24 of 36) of the isolates. Combining the 36 isolates from this study with previously reported 69 isolates from WTD, 15 genotypes have been identified. Among these, 50.4% (53/105) isolates belong to genotype #5. Our results indicate moderate genetic diversity of T. gondii in WTD. The results also indicate that undercooked venison should not be consumed by humans or fed to cats.
Studies suggest that alcohol consumption and alcohol use disorders have distinct genetic backgrounds.
Methods
We examined whether polygenic risk scores (PRS) for consumption and problem subscales of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C, AUDIT-P) in the UK Biobank (UKB; N = 121 630) correlate with alcohol outcomes in four independent samples: an ascertained cohort, the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA; N = 6850), and population-based cohorts: Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC; N = 5911), Generation Scotland (GS; N = 17 461), and an independent subset of UKB (N = 245 947). Regression models and survival analyses tested whether the PRS were associated with the alcohol-related outcomes.
Results
In COGA, AUDIT-P PRS was associated with alcohol dependence, AUD symptom count, maximum drinks (R2 = 0.47–0.68%, p = 2.0 × 10−8–1.0 × 10−10), and increased likelihood of onset of alcohol dependence (hazard ratio = 1.15, p = 4.7 × 10−8); AUDIT-C PRS was not an independent predictor of any phenotype. In ALSPAC, the AUDIT-C PRS was associated with alcohol dependence (R2 = 0.96%, p = 4.8 × 10−6). In GS, AUDIT-C PRS was a better predictor of weekly alcohol use (R2 = 0.27%, p = 5.5 × 10−11), while AUDIT-P PRS was more associated with problem drinking (R2 = 0.40%, p = 9.0 × 10−7). Lastly, AUDIT-P PRS was associated with ICD-based alcohol-related disorders in the UKB subset (R2 = 0.18%, p < 2.0 × 10−16).
Conclusions
AUDIT-P PRS was associated with a range of alcohol-related phenotypes across population-based and ascertained cohorts, while AUDIT-C PRS showed less utility in the ascertained cohort. We show that AUDIT-P is genetically correlated with both use and misuse and demonstrate the influence of ascertainment schemes on PRS analyses.
The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) is an open access telescope dedicated to studying the low-frequency (80–300 MHz) southern sky. Since beginning operations in mid-2013, the MWA has opened a new observational window in the southern hemisphere enabling many science areas. The driving science objectives of the original design were to observe 21 cm radiation from the Epoch of Reionisation (EoR), explore the radio time domain, perform Galactic and extragalactic surveys, and monitor solar, heliospheric, and ionospheric phenomena. All together $60+$ programs recorded 20 000 h producing 146 papers to date. In 2016, the telescope underwent a major upgrade resulting in alternating compact and extended configurations. Other upgrades, including digital back-ends and a rapid-response triggering system, have been developed since the original array was commissioned. In this paper, we review the major results from the prior operation of the MWA and then discuss the new science paths enabled by the improved capabilities. We group these science opportunities by the four original science themes but also include ideas for directions outside these categories.
Feral swine are known reservoirs of various pathogens, including Toxoplasma gondii. Here, we report the first national survey of viable T. gondii in feral swine in the USA. We paired serological surveys with parasite isolation and bioassay to evaluate the prevalence and genetic diversity of these parasites. From 2012–2017, sera and tissues from 1517 feral swine across the USA were collected for the isolation of viable T. gondii. Serum samples were initially screened for antibodies to T. gondii, and then the tissues of seropositive feral swine were bioassayed in mice. Antibodies were detected in 27.7% of feral swine tested by the modified agglutination test (1:25 or higher). Antibody positive rates increased significantly with age, with 10.1% of juveniles, 16.0% of sub-adults and 38.4% of adults testing seropositive. Myocardium (50 g) from 232 seropositive feral swine was digested in pepsin and bioassayed in mice. Viable T. gondii was isolated from 78 feral swine from 21 states. Twelve of the 78 isolates were pathogenic to outbred Swiss Webster mice and 76 of the 78 isolates could be propagated further in cell culture and were genotyped. For genotyping, deoxyribonucleic acid extracted from cell culture-derived tachyzoites was characterized by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism using the genetic markers SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1 and Apico. Genotyping revealed 15 ToxoDB genotypes, including 43 isolates for genotype #5 (haplogroup 12), 11 isolates for #24, four isolates for #2 (haplogroup 3), two isolates for each of genotypes #3 (haplogroup 2), #4 (haplogroup 12), #216, #221, #289 and #297 and one isolate for each of genotypes #1 (haplogroup 2), #39, #66, #260, #261 and #299. Genotype #5 was the most frequently isolated, accounted for 57% (43/76) of the isolates, followed by #24, accounted for 14% (11/76). Genotypes #260, #289, #297 and #299 are new types. Genotype #289 was highly virulent to mice and originated from feral swine collected in Louisiana on the same day at the same location. Genotype #216 was previously demonstrated to be highly virulent to mice. Our results indicate moderate genetic diversity of T. gondii in feral swine in the USA, with the genotype #5 (haplogroup 12) dominant in the continental USA, whereas genotype #24 (10/14) was dominant in Hawaii, suggesting different population structures of the parasites among the two distinct geographical locations.
The East Kunlun Orogen (EKO) is the NW part of the Central China Orogenic Belt, which records the evolutionary history of the Proto- and Palaeo-Tethys Oceans from the Cambrian to the Triassic. An Early Palaeozoic eclogite belt has been recognized in recent years, which extends discontinuously for ∼500 km as three eclogite-bearing terranes. In this study, we report an integrated study of zircon grains from mica-schists accompanying the eclogites, in terms of mineral inclusions, U–Pb age systematics and P–T conditions. The presence of coesite is identified, as inclusions within the metamorphic domain of zircons, which provides unambiguous evidence for subducted terrigenous clastic rocks of the Proto-Tethys Ocean exhumed from coesite-forming depths. U–Pb dating of the metamorphic zircons yields a concordia age of 426.5 ± 0.88 Ma, which is likely to be the time of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism in the Kehete terrane. P–T calculations suggest that metapelite may have experienced a clockwise P–T path with peak P/T conditions of 685 ± 41 °C and >28 kbar, and equilibrated at 482–566 °C and 5.6–8.9 kbar during subsequent exhumation. The high-pressure – ultrahigh-pressure (HP-UHP) metamorphic belt within the EKO may have formed by collision between the Qaidam Block and the South Kunlun Block, as a consequence of the closure of the Proto-Tethys Ocean.
Monolithic large-aperture diffraction grating tiling is desired to increase the output capability of multi-kilojoule petawatt laser facilities. However, the wavefront errors of input pulse and gratings will degrade the focal spot quality and the compressibility of the output pulse. In this work, the effects of wavefront error of input pulse, deformation and wave aberration of the grating for the large-aperture tiled-grating compressor are investigated theoretically. A series of numerical simulations are presented to discuss the changing trends of focal spot energy caused by wavefront error of input pulse and obtain the error tolerance for specific goals. The influences of coating stress and the wave aberration of holographic exposure gratings on the diffraction wavefront are also discussed. Some advice is proposed for improving the performance of large-aperture tiled-grating. This work paves the way for the design of practical large-aperture tiled-grating compressor for ultrahigh intensity laser facilities in the future.
Background: Communicating with senior neurosurgical colleagues during residency necessitates a reliable and versatile smartphone. Smartphones and their apps are commonplace. They enhance communication with colleagues, provide the ability to access patient information and results, and allow access to medical reference applications. Patient data safety and compliance with the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA, 2004) in Canada remain a public concern that can significantly impact the way in which mobile smartphones are utilized by resident physicians Methods: Through the Canadian Neurosurgery Research Collaborative (CNRC), an online survey characterizing smartphone ownership and utilization of apps among Canadian neurosurgery residents and fellows was completed in April 2016. Results: Our study had a 47% response rate (80 surveys completed out of 171 eligible residents and fellows). Smartphone ownership was almost universal with a high rate of app utilization for learning and facilitating the care of patients. Utilization of smartphones to communicate and transfer urgent imaging with senior colleagues was common. Conclusions: Smartphone and app utilization is an essential part of neurosurgery resident workflow. In this study we characterize the smartphone and app usage within a specialized cohort of residents and suggest potential solutions to facilitate greater PHIPA adherence