Surgical Costs of Enucleation Versus Plaque Brachytherapy for Intraocular Malignancy: A Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing Approach.

Objective: To compare costs between enucleation and plaque brachytherapy procedures for the treatment of intraocular malignancies.

Design: Retrospective economic analysis using a time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) methodology.

Subjects: Patients undergoing plaque brachytherapy and enucleation procedures for the treatment of intraocular malignancy performed at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center from 2021-2022.

Evaluating the impact of metabolic surgery on patients with prior opioid use.

Background: Metabolic surgery is the most effective treatment for obesity and may improve obesity-related pain syndromes. However, the effect of surgery on the persistent use of opioids in patients with a history of prior opioid use remains unclear.

Objective: To determine the effect of metabolic surgery on opioid use behaviors in patients with prior opioid use.

International Mixed Reality Immersive Experience: Approach via Surgical Grand Rounds.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 created unintended but significant experiential barriers for surgical learners to interact at the bedside for teaching/case presentations. We hypothesized that an international grand rounds using the Microsoft HoloLens 2 extended reality (XR) headset would create an improved bedside-learning experience compared to traditional grand rounds formats.

Study Design: From December 2020 to March 2021, the world's first 2 international mixed reality grand rounds events using the HoloLens 2 headset were held, broadcasting transatlantically (between the University of Michigan and the Imperial College of London) bedside rounding experiences on 5 complex surgical patients to an international audience of 325 faculty, residents, and medical trainees.

Multiple Wetting-Dewetting States of a Water Droplet on Dual-Scale Hierarchical Structured Surfaces.

Surfaces with microscale roughness can entail dual-scale hierarchical structures such as the recently reported nano/microstructured surfaces produced in the laboratory (Wang et al. Nature2020, 582, 55-57). However, how the dual-scale hierarchical structured surface affects the apparent wetting/dewetting states of a water droplet, and the transitions between the states are still largely unexplored.

Correction: Assessment of the Effectiveness of Identity-Based Public Health Announcements in Increasing the Likelihood of Complying With COVID-19 Guidelines: Randomized Controlled Cross-sectional Web-Based Study.

[This corrects the article DOI: .].

Assessment of the Effectiveness of Identity-Based Public Health Announcements in Increasing the Likelihood of Complying With COVID-19 Guidelines: Randomized Controlled Cross-sectional Web-Based Study.

Background: Public health campaigns aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 are important in reducing disease transmission, but traditional information-based campaigns have received unexpectedly extreme backlash.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether customizing of public service announcements (PSAs) providing health guidelines to match individuals' identities increases their compliance.

Methods: We conducted a within- and between-subjects, randomized controlled cross-sectional, web-based study in July 2020.

A European snapshot of psychosocial characteristics and patients' perspectives of faecal incontinence-do they correlate with current scoring systems?

Purpose: To compare the current clinical scoring systems used to quantify the severity of symptoms of faecal incontinence (FI) to patients' subjective scoring of parameters of psychosocial well-being.

Methods: Patients referred to six European centres for investigation or treatment of symptoms of FI between June 2017 and September 2019 completed a questionnaire that captured patient demographics, incontinence symptoms using St. Mark's Incontinence score (SMIS) and ICIQ-B, psychological well-being (HADS, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and social interaction (a three-item loneliness scale).

Turning a Superhydrophilic Surface Weakly Hydrophilic: Topological Wetting States.

For water droplets placed on a rough or structured surface, two distinct wetting states commonly observed are either the Wenzel state (droplets wet the surface without showing air pockets beneath the droplets) or the Cassie state (droplets reside on top of the structure with air pockets trapped beneath the droplets). Herein, we show molecular dynamics (MD) simulation evidence of a previously unreported wetting behavior, i.e.

Investigation of femtosecond laser induced ripple formation on copper for varying incident angle.

The hydrodynamic mechanisms associated with the formation of femtosecond laser induced ripples on copper for two angles of incidence are reported. Laser pulse length used for this work is 35 fs. A revised two-temperature model is presented that comprises transient changes of optical characteristics during the irradiation with femtosecond pulses to model relaxation processes and thermal response in bulk copper.

Effects of Femtosecond Laser Surface Processed Nanoparticle Layers on Pool Boiling Heat Transfer Performance.

An experimental investigation of the effects of layers of nanoparticles formed during femtosecond laser surface processing (FLSP) on pool boiling heat transfer performance has been conducted. Five different stainless steel 304 samples with slightly different surface features were fabricated through FLSP, and pool boiling heat transfer experiments were carried out to study the heat transfer characteristics of each surface. The experiments showed that the layer(s) of nanoparticles developed during the FLSP processes, which overlay FLSP self-organized microstructures, can either improve or degrade boiling heat transfer coefficients (HTC) depending on the overall thickness of the layer(s).

Formation of aggregated nanoparticle spheres through femtosecond laser surface processing.

A detailed structural and chemical analysis of a class of self-organized surface structures, termed aggregated nanoparticle spheres (AN-spheres), created using femtosecond laser surface processing (FLSP) on silicon, silicon carbide, and aluminum is reported in this paper. AN-spheres are spherical microstructures that are 20-100 μm in diameter and are composed entirely of nanoparticles produced during femtosecond laser ablation of material. AN-spheres have an onion-like layered morphology resulting from the build-up of nanoparticle layers over multiple passes of the laser beam.

Epidemiological Risk Factors for Animal Influenza A Viruses Overcoming Species Barriers.

Drivers and risk factors for Influenza A virus transmission across species barriers are poorly understood, despite the ever present threat to human and animal health potentially on a pandemic scale. Here we review the published evidence for epidemiological risk factors associated with influenza viruses transmitting between animal species and from animals to humans. A total of 39 papers were found with evidence of epidemiological risk factors for influenza virus transmission from animals to humans; 18 of which had some statistical measure associated with the transmission of a virus.

Micro/nanostructures formation by femtosecond laser surface processing on amorphous and polycrystalline NiNb.

Femtosecond laser surface processing is a technology that can be used to functionalize many surfaces, imparting specialized properties such as increased broadband optical absorption or superhydrophilicity/superhydrophobicity. In this study, two unique classes of surface structures, below surface growth (BSG) and above surface growth (ASG) mounds, were formed by femtosecond laser surface processing on amorphous and polycrystalline NiNb with two different grain sizes. Cross sectional imaging of these mounds revealed thermal evidence of the unique formation processes for each class of surface structure.

Growth mechanisms of multiscale, mound-like surface structures on titanium by femtosecond laser processing.

Femtosecond laser surface processing (FLSP) can be used to functionalize many surfaces, imparting specialized properties such as increased broadband optical absorption or super-hydrophobicity/-hydrophilicity. In this study, the subsurface microstructure of a series of mound-like FLSP structures formed on commercially pure titanium using five combinations of laser fluence and cumulative pulse counts was studied. Using a dual beam Scanning Electron Microscope with a Focused Ion Beam, the subsurface microstructure for each FLSP structure type was revealed by cross-sectioning.

Experimental explanation of the formation mechanism of surface mound-structures by femtosecond laser on polycrystalline NiNb.

Femtosecond laser surface processing (FLSP) is an emerging technique for creating functionalized surfaces with specialized properties, such as broadband optical absorption or superhydrophobicity/superhydrophilicity. It has been demonstrated in the past that FLSP can be used to form two distinct classes of mound-like, self-organized micro/nanostructures on the surfaces of various metals. Here, the formation mechanisms of below surface growth (BSG) and above surface growth (ASG) mounds on polycrystalline NiNb are studied.

Enhanced pool-boiling heat transfer and critical heat flux on femtosecond laser processed stainless steel surfaces.

In this paper, we present an experimental investigation of pool boiling heat transfer on multiscale (micro/nano) functionalized metallic surfaces. Heat transfer enhancement in metallic surfaces is very important for large scale high heat flux applications like in the nuclear power industry. The multiscale structures were fabricated via a femtosecond laser surface process (FLSP) technique, which forms self-organized mound-like microstructures covered by layers of nanoparticles.

Self‑propelled droplets on heated surfaces with angled self‑assembled micro/nanostructures.

Directional and ratchet-like functionalized surfaces can induce liquid transport without the use of an external force. In this paper, we investigate the motion of liquid droplets near the Leidenfrost temperature on functionalized self-assembled asymmetric microstructured surfaces. The surfaces, which have angled microstructures, display unidirectional properties.

A fundamental understanding of the dependence of the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) signal strength on the complex focusing dynamics of femtosecond laser pulses on either side of the focus.

We correlate the focusing dynamics of 50 femtosecond (fs) laser radiation as it interacts with a silicon sample to laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) signal strength. Presented are concentric ring-shaped variations in the electric field in the prefocus region due to lens aberrations and nonsymmetry between the prefocus and post-focus beam profile as a result of continuum generation, occurring around the focus. Experimental results show different signal trends for both atmospheric and vacuum conditions, attributed to the existence of a continuum for the former.

Inactivation of the infectivity of two highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses and a virulent Newcastle disease virus by ultraviolet radiation.

Exposure of a virulent isolate of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and two highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses, one of H7N1 subtype and the other H5N1 subtype, to a continuous ultraviolet B flux of approximately 90µW/cm(2), which models solar ultraviolet radiation, resulted in an exponential decline in infectivity with time. The time taken for a reduction in titre of 1 log10 median tissue culture infectious dose for each virus was: NDV, 69 min; H7N1 HPAI virus, 158 min; and H5N1 HPAI, virus 167 min.

Extraordinary shifts of the Leidenfrost temperature from multiscale micro/nanostructured surfaces.

In the present work, the effects of surface chemistry and micro/nanostructuring on the Leidenfrost temperature are experimentally investigated. The functional surfaces were fabricated on a 304 stainless steel surface via femtosecond laser surface processing (FLSP). The droplet lifetime experimental method was employed to determine the Leidenfrost temperature for both machine-polished and textured surfaces.

Formation of multiscale surface structures on nickel via above surface growth and below surface growth mechanisms using femtosecond laser pulses.

The formation of self-organized micro- and nano-structured surfaces on nickel via both above surface growth (ASG) and below surface growth (BSG) mechanisms using femtosecond laser pulse illumination is reported. Detailed stepped growth experiments demonstrate that conical mound-shaped surface structure development is characterized by a balance of growth mechanisms including scattering from surface structures and geometric effects causing preferential ablation of the valleys, flow of the surface melt, and redeposition of ablated material; all of which are influenced by the laser fluence and the number of laser shots on the sample. BSG-mound formation is dominated by scattering, while ASG-mound formation is dominated by material flow and redeposition.

The long view: a selective review of 40 years of Newcastle disease research.

This review is written for the series celebrating the 40th year since the first issue of Avian Pathology. The aim of the authors was to cover the developments in Newcastle disease (ND) research over the last 40 years that they considered significant. During those 40 years there have been several panzootics of this serious disease in poultry and for the last 30 years there has been a continuing panzootic in domestic pigeons, which has spread to wild birds and poultry.

Evaluation of two different swab transport systems in the detection of avian influenza virus excretion from infected Pekin ducks (Anas platyrhynchos).

The role of wild birds in the epidemiology and ecology of influenza A viruses has long been recognised (Alexander, 2007a). As a result of the emergence of a H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus and the apparent role of wild birds in its spread across Asia, Europe and Africa, avian influenza (AI) wild bird surveillance has been implemented in many countries including, since February 2006, a mandatory programme in the European Union (CEC, 2006a). In the present study the detection of virus excreted from Pekin ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) infected experimentally with A/mallard/England/2126/07 (H3N6) was investigated over a fourteen day period post-infection using cloacal and oropharyngeal swabs, with (wet) and without (dry) viral transport medium which were collected from each duck in alternating order.

Newcastle disease in the European Union 2000 to 2009.

Newcastle disease (ND) is a devastating disease of poultry that has to some extent been neglected by those working in the field in the past 10 to 15 years while attention has been focused on the emergence and spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza caused by a H5N1 subtype virus. During 2000 to 2009 in the European Union (EU) member states, ND viruses virulent for chickens have been detected in wild birds, domesticated pigeons and poultry. Based on these isolations it appears that the epizootic in racing pigeons caused by the variant viruses termed pigeon avian paramyxovirus type 1, which form the genetic group 4b(VIb) first seen in Europe in 1981, continued during 2000 to 2009, and the virus is probably enzootic in racing pigeons in some EU countries.