Metal Surface Energy: Persistent Cancellation of Short-Range Correlation Effects beyond the Random-Phase Approximation

The role that non-local short-range correlation plays at metal surfaces is investigated by analyzing the correlation surface energy into contributions from dynamical density fluctuations of various two-dimensional wave vectors. Although short-range correlation is known to yield considerable correction to the ground-state energy of both uniform and non-uniform systems, short-range correlation effects on intermediate and short-wavelength contributions to the surface formation energy are found to compensate one another. As a result, our calculated surface energies, which are based on a non-local exchange-correlation kernel that provides accurate total energies of a uniform electron gas, are found to be very close to those obtained in the random-phase approximation and support the conclusion that the error introduced by the local-density approximation is small.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Primary bilateral guttural pouch empyema in a two-month-old foal

The present report describes a 2-month-old foal which signs of respiratory infectious disease, bilateral retropharyngeal swelling and nasal mucopurulent discharge, suggesting guttural pouch empyema. The owners reported that the foal lived in a herd that experienced an outbreak of strangles. Foals younger than 3 months are usually protected against infectious diseases, however in this case, the foal was exposed to an environment heavily populated by Streptococcus equi equi during the outbreak of strangles. Although uncommon in such young animals, the foal was infected and developed a primary bilateral guttural pouch empyema, without signs of lymph nodes alterationO presente trabalho descreve o caso de um potro de dois meses de idade com sinais de infecção respiratória, distensão bilateral da região retrofaríngea e secreção nasal mucopurulenta, sugerindo empiema de bolsa gutural. Os proprietários relataram que o potro pertencia a uma tropa que havia sido acometida por garrotilho recentemente. Potros com menos de 3 meses de idade são normalmente protegidos contra as doenças infecciosas, no entanto, este potro foi exposto a um ambiente altamente contaminado por Streptococcus equi equi durante o surto de garrotilho. Embora incomum em animais tão jovens, o potro foi infectado e desenvolveu um empiema primário de bolsa gutural, não havendo sinais de acometimento dos linfonodosUniversidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia VeterináriaUniversidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinári

Intraoperative fluorescence angiography with indocyanine green to prevent anastomotic leak in rectal cancer surgery (IntAct): an unblinded randomised controlled trial

Background Data are mixed on whether indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence angiography can reduce the high rate of anastomotic leaks in patients undergoing surgery for rectal cancer. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of ICG fluorescence angiography in reducing the rate of clinical anastomotic leaks in these patients. Methods IntAct was an unblinded randomised controlled trial conducted at 28 specialist rectal cancer centres across eight European countries. Adults (≥18 years) with rectal cancer (lower margin of cancer ≤15 cm from the anal verge) medically fit for elective, curative, laparoscopic or robotic high or low anterior resection were eligible. Patients not undergoing colorectal or anal anastomosis and those with synchronous colonic tumours or recurrent or locally advanced rectal cancer requiring extended or multi-visceral excision were excluded. Eligible participants were randomly assigned (1:1) by use of minimisation with a random element to undergo surgery with or without ICG (standard care). Resections and anastomoses were done per surgeon preference. In the ICG group, surgeons first marked proximal transection levels via standard white-light laparoscopy and then administered an intravenous bolus of 0·1 mg/kg of ICG for perfusion assessment. A second 0·1 mg/kg ICG assessment was done following anastomosis. In the standard care group, only a white-light assessment of bowel perfusion was performed. The primary endpoint was the rate of clinical anastomotic leak (grades B or C, per the International Study Group of Rectal Cancer) within 90 postoperative days. Analyses were done in the intention-to-treat population for complete cases. This trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN13334746) and is now complete. Findings Between Oct 20, 2017, and Aug 15, 2023, 2534 patients were assessed for eligibility and 766 participants were randomly assigned (383 to the ICG group and 383 to the standard care group). 501 (65%) of 766 participants were male, 726 (95%) were of White ethnicity, and the median age was 64·0 years (IQR 56·0–72·0). 343 patients in the ICG group and 355 in the standard care group were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. The rates of anastomotic leak were 11 (3%) of 343 in the ICG group and 20 (6%) in the standard care group for grade A, 11 (3%) and 31 (9%) for grade B, and 25 (7%) and 23 (6%) for grade C. Within 90 days, a clinical anastomotic leak occurred in 90 (13%) of 698 participants: 36 (10%) of 343 in the ICG group and 54 (15%) of 355 in the standard care group (adjusted odds ratio 0·667 [95% CI 0·419–1·060]; p=0·087). There were no serious adverse events related to ICG. Interpretation Although IntAct did not show a significant benefit for ICG fluorescence angiography, a signal towards a reduction in clinical anastomotic leak rate was observed. The benefit of ICG could be in preventing grade A or B leaks, given similar rates of grade C leaks between groups. Future research is needed to standardise ICG fluorescence assessment and understand its relevance to anastomotic leak