The effect of explantation on systemic disease symptoms and quality of life in patients with breast implant illness: a prospective cohort study.

Silicone breast implants (SBIs) have been subject to scientific scrutiny since the 1960's because of their potential link with systemic disease symptoms. Breast implant illness (BII) is a cluster of over 56 (systemic) symptoms attributed by patients to their SBIs. BII remains an unofficial medical diagnosis, although its symptoms include but are not limited to the clinical manifestations of autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA). The aim of this study was to prospectively analyse the effect of explantation on clinical manifestations of ASIA/BII symptoms, as well as to compare (breast-surgery specific) QoL in patients pre- and postoperatively while recording relevant perioperative/patient data. A prospective cohort study was conducted on 140 patients consulting a single surgeon for explantation of SBIs at a single clinic from 2019 to 2021 via their general practitioner, a medical specialist or self-referral. Of all patients, medical (implant) history, lifestyle factors and biometric data were obtained. Patients filled out a novel ASIA/BII symptom-survey termed the ASIA-scale, three domains of the SF-36 and the augmentation module of the BREAST-Q before and four months after the operation. A total of 109 patients completed both the pre- and postoperative survey with a mean follow-up duration of 205 days. There was a significant decrease in all individual symptom scores as well as ASIA-scale summary scores after explantation (p < .001). All SF-36 subdomains showed significant improvement postoperatively (p < .001). The BREAST-Q subdomain 'satisfaction with breasts' improved significantly after explantation (p = .036). No statistically significant association was found between any clinical parameters (such as age, capsulectomy, rupture etc.) and the recovery of symptom scores. This is the largest prospective cohort study on SBI explantation to date showing significant improvement of the most common systemic complaints in SBI patients as well as improvement of satisfaction with breasts and overall quality of life.

A charge-transfer complex of benzene with a highly twisted perylene derivative.

2C6H6.C26H6Cl8N2O4, benzene-1,2,5,6,7,8-11,12-octachloro-N,N'-dimethylperylene-3 ,4:9,10-bis- (dicarboximide) (Cl8DMP) (2/1), Mr = 850.20, orthorhombic, Pna2(1), a = 23.076 (2), b = 7.2492 (6), c = 20.277 (2) A, V = 3392.0 (8) A3, Z = 4, Dm = 1.69 (1), Dx = 1.665 g cm-3, mu (Mo K alpha, lambda = 0.71073 A) = 7.1 cm-1, F(000) = 1712, T = 297 (1) K, RF = 0.061 for 2134 observed reflections. The structure contains alternating benzene and Cl8DMP molecules stacked along b to form a 2:1 donor-acceptor complex. The Cl8DMP molecule is highly twisted as a result of short intramolecular bay Cl...Cl contacts [3.109 (3), 3.136 (3) A]. The central ring of the perylene fragment is substantially distorted from planarity; internal torsion angles range from 16 (1) to 32 (1) degrees.

The Efficency of Radiation Detection by Photographic Films: State-of-the-Art and Methods of Improvement.

The performance of photographic films as radiation detectors has rested at a state-of-the-art platean for some time. In terms of detective quantum efficiency (abbreviated DQE) this plateau is at about 1% for the best films, which 1% should be compared with 100% for an ideal photon counter. The physical causes for the 100-fold discrepancy between reality and ideal performance are examined in detail: incomplete light absorption; a small inefficiency in convertihg photons into photoelectrons; a large loss due to recombination. of electrons with holes; a small loss dictated by a four-atom threshold;. a small loss dictated by random grain position; a large loss from the use of a wide dispersion of grain sizes. These factors account quantitatively for substantially all of the discrepancy between reality and ideal performance. We show that the recombination loss is a necessity that must ordinarily be tolerated in order to secure a good shelf life for films. Part of the loss may be recouped by the well-known method of latensification. Films with a wide dispersion of grain sizes will have a higher DQE if the grains operate at a threshold of two processed photons instead of four. Latensification permits one to approach the two-atom threshold condition.