Complicated calcified alloplastic implants in the nasal dorsum: A clinical analysis.

BACKGROUND: In rhinoplasty, calcification around silicone implants is frequently observed in the tip dorsum (TD) area. Additionally, based on a review of various literature, it is presumed that calcification in silicone implants occurs due to both inflammatory chemical reactions and physical friction against the tissue. The calcification of nasal silicone implants not only results in the functional loss of the implants, but also leads to material deformation. However, there is a lack of research on calcification of nasal silicone implants in the current literature. AIM: To elucidate various clinical characteristics of calcification around nasal silicone implants, using histological and radiological analysis. METHODS: This study analyzed data from 16 patients of calcified nasal implants, who underwent revision rhinoplasty for various reasons after undergoing augmentation rhinoplasty with silicone implants. The collected data included information on implant duration, implant types, location of calcification, presence of inflammatory reactions, and computed tomography (CT) scans. RESULTS: The most common location of calcification, as visually analyzed, was in the TD area, accounting for 56%. Additionally, the analysis of CT scans revealed a trend of increasing Hounsfield Unit values for calcification with the duration of implantation, although this trend was not statistically significant (P = 0.139). CONCLUSION: Our study shows that reducing the frequency of calcification may be achievable by using softer silicone implants and by minimizing the damage to perioperative tissues.

Centrifugal-Gravity-Enforced Deposition of MXene Electrodes for High-Performance and Ultrastable Microsupercapacitors.

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides, known as MXenes, have captured much attention for their excellent electrical conductivity and electrochemical capability. However, the susceptibility of MXenes to oxidation, particularly Ti3C2Tx transforming into titanium dioxide upon exposure to ambient air, hinders their utilization for extended operational life cycles. This work introduces a simple and straightforward method for producing ultrathin MXene electrode films tailored for energy storage applications, employing centrifugal-gravity force. Our approach significantly suppresses the oxidation phenomenon that arises in MXene materials and also effectively prevents the recrystallization of potentially residual LiF during the film formation. Additionally, the utilization of this MXene electrode in an all-solid-state microsupercapacitor (MSC) with an interdigitated pattern demonstrates an exceptionally improved and stable electrochemical performance. This includes a high volumetric capacitance of approximately 467 F cm-3, an energy density of around 65 mWh cm-3, and impressive long-term cycle stability, retaining about 94% capacity after 10 000 cycles. Moreover, a downsized MSC device exhibits remarkable mechanical durability, retaining over 98% capacity even when folded and sustaining stability over extended periods. Therefore, we believe that this study provides valuable insights for advancing highly integrated energy storage devices, ensuring exceptional electrochemical efficiency and prolonged functionality in diverse environments, whether ambient or humid.

Tongue-in-Groove: A Novel Implant Design for a Blow-Out Fracture.

Background: During blow-out fracture surgery, restoration of the orbital volume and rigid implant fixation are essential. The migration of an implant is a concern of most surgeons. The purpose of this study was to introduce a simple idea of molding and fixing an orbital implant. Methods: In the tongue-in-groove method, an incision of about 2 mm was made on the edge of the implant and it was bent to form a slot. A hole was made in the center of the implant for fitting a bone hook, and the implant was firmly fit into the remaining intact bone. Before and after surgery, computed tomography (CT) was used to evaluate changes in the orbital volume and the location of the implant. Statistically significant restoration of the orbital volume was confirmed on postoperative CT. Results: Compared with the unaffected orbital volume, the affected orbital volume was increased from 87.06 ± 7.92% before surgery to 96.14 ± 6.11% after surgery (p < 0.001). There was one case of implant migration during follow-up. However, the degree of movement was not severe, and there were no events during the follow-up period. Conclusions: The tongue-in-groove technique offers advantages, such as easy fixation of the implant, with minimal trauma to the surrounding tissues. In addition, the method offers advantages, such as being easy to learn, requiring little time for trimming the implant, and being relatively low cost. Therefore, it can be one of the options for implant fixation.

Bioinspired Synaptic Branched Network within Quasi-Solid Polymer Electrolyte for High-Performance Microsupercapacitors.

The branched network-driven ion solvating quasi-solid polymer electrolytes (QSPEs) are prepared via one-step photochemical reaction. A poly(ethylene glycol diacrylate) (PEGDA) is combined with an ion-conducting solvate ionic liquid (SIL), where tetraglyme (TEGDME), which acts like interneuron in the human brain and creates branching network points, is mixed with EMIM-NTf2 and Li-NTf2 . The QSPE exhibits a unique gyrified morphology, inspired by the cortical surface of human brain, and features well-refined nano-scale ion channels. This human-mimicking method offers excellent ion transport capabilities through a synaptic branched network with high ionic conductivity (σDC ≈ 1.8 mS cm-1 at 298 K), high dielectric constant (εs ≈ 125 at 298 K), and strong ion solvation ability, in addition to superior mechanical flexibility. Furthermore, the interdigitated microsupercapacitors (MSCs) based on the QSPE present excellent electrochemical performance of high energy (E  =  5.37 µWh cm-2 ) and power density (P  =  2.2 mW cm-2 ), long-term cycle stability (≈94% retention after 48 000 cycles), and mechanical stability (>94% retention after continuous bending and compressing deformation). Moreover, these MSC devices have flame-retarding properties and operate effectively in air and water across a wide temperature range (275 to 370 K), offering a promising foundation for high-performance, stable next-generation all-solid-state energy storage devices.

Machine Learning-Enabled Environmentally Adaptable Skin-Electronic Sensor for Human Gesture Recognition.

Stretchable sensors have been widely investigated and developed for the purpose of human motion detection, touch sensors, and healthcare monitoring, typically converting mechanical/structural deformation into electrical signals. The viscoelastic strain of stretchable materials often results in nonlinear stress-strain characteristics over a broad range of strains, consequently making the stretchable sensors at the body joints less accurate in predicting and recognizing human gestures. Accurate recognition of human gestures can be further deteriorated by environmental changes such as temperature and humidity. Here, we demonstrated an environment-adaptable high stress-strain linearity (up to ε = 150%) and high-durability (>100,000 cycles) stretchable sensor conformally laminated onto the body joints for human gesture recognition. The serpentine configuration of our ionic liquid-based stretchable film enabled us to construct broad data sets of mechanical strain and temperature changes for machine learning-based gesture recognition. Signal recognition and training of distinct strains and environmental stimuli using a machine learning-based algorithm analysis successfully measured and predicted the joint motion in a temperature-changing environment with an accuracy of 92.86% (R-squared). Therefore, we believe that our serpentine-shaped ion gel-based stretchable sensor harmonized with machine-learning analysis will be a significant achievement toward environmentally adaptive and multianalyte sensing applications. Our proposed machine learning-enabled multisensor system may enable the development of future electronic devices such as wearable electronics, soft robotics, electronic skin, and human-machine interaction systems.

Micropyramidal Flexible Ion Gel Sensor for Multianalyte Discrimination and Strain Compensation.

A highly sensitive and flexible gas sensor that can detect a wide range of chemicals is crucial for wearable applications. However, conventional single resistance-based flexible sensors face challenges in maintaining chemical sensitivity under mechanical stress and can be affected by interfering gases. This study presents a versatile approach for fabricating a micropyramidal flexible ion gel sensor, which accomplishes sub-ppm sensitivity (<80 ppb) at room temperature and discrimination capability between various analytes, including toluene, isobutylene, ammonia, ethanol, and humidity. The discrimination accuracy of our flexible sensor is as high as 95.86%, enhanced by using machine learning-based algorithms. Moreover, its sensing capability remains stable with only a 2.09% change from the flat state to a 6.5 mm bending radius, further amplifying its universal usage for wearable chemical sensing. Therefore, we envision that a micropyramidal flexible ion gel sensor platform assisted by machine learning-based algorithms will provide a new strategy toward next-generation wearable sensing technology.

Reduction-Responsive Supramolecular Sheets for Selective Regulation of Facultative Anaerobe Agglutination.

Stimuli-responsive supramolecular materials have promising biological applications because of their ability to rapidly undergo significant structural changes in response to diverse stimuli. Herein, supramolecular sheets assembled via charge-transfer interactions between the pyrene moiety of a d-mannose-containing amphiphile and 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) are reported. The supramolecular sheets show reduction-responsive behavior, in which their disassembly is triggered by the reduction of TCNQ by sodium sulfide. In an anaerobic environment, the sheet structure remains intact and the exposed d-mannose moieties induce the agglutination of facultative anaerobes, thereby inhibiting bacterial growth. In contrast, in an aerobic environment, the reduction of TCNQ by the hydrogen sulfide generated by facultative anaerobes causes sheet disassembly. This enables continuous bacterial growth, because the collapsed sheets cannot induce agglutination. Thus, this study presents a novel supramolecular material for the selective regulation of facultative anaerobe growth according to the external environment.

High-Ionic-Conductivity Sodium-Based Ionic Gel Polymer Electrolyte for High-Performance and Ultrastable Microsupercapacitors.

Due to the lower cost and greater natural abundance of the sodium element on the earth than those of the lithium element, sodium-based ionic gel polymer electrolytes (IGPEs) are becoming a more cost-effective and popular material choice for portable and stationary energy solutions. The sodium-based IGPEs, however, appeared relatively inferior to their lithium-based counterparts for use in high-performance microsupercapacitors in terms of ionic conductivity and electrochemical stability. To tackle these issues, poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) with fast polymerization to build a polymer matrix and sodium perchlorate (NaClO4) with high chemical stability and high thermal stability are employed to generate free ions for an ionic conducting phase with the support of tetramethylene glycol ether (G4) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(triflouromethylsulfonyl)imide (EMIM-TFSI). It was found that the ionic conductivity (σdc) of this sodium-based IGPE reaches up to 0.54 mS/cm at room temperature. To manifest a high-conductivity sodium-based IGPE (SIGPE), a microsupercapacitor (MSC) with an area of 5 mm2 is designed and fabricated on an interdigital reduced graphene oxide electrode. This MSC demonstrates prominent performance with a high power density of ∼2500 W/kg and a maximum energy density of ∼0.7 Wh/kg. Furthermore, after 20,000 cycles at an operating potential window from 0.0 to 1.0 V, it retains approximately 98.9% capacitance. An MSC array in 3 series × 3 parallels (3S × 3P) was successfully designed as a power source for a basic circuit with an LED. Therefore, we believe that our sodium-based IGPE microsupercapacitor holds its promising role as a solid-state energy source for high-performance and high-stability energy solutions.

Secondary craniofacial necrotizing fasciitis from a distant septic emboli: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Craniofacial necrotizing fasciitis (CNF) is an uncommon but fatal infection that can spread rapidly through the subfascial planes in the head and neck region. Symptoms usually progress rapidly, and early management is necessary to optimize outcomes. CASE SUMMARY: A 43-year-old man visited our hospital with left hemifacial swelling involving the buccal and submandibular areas. The patient had fever for approximately 10 d before visiting the hospital, but did not report any other systemic symptoms. Computed tomography scan demonstrated an abscess with gas formation. After surgical drainage of the facial abscess, the patient's systemic condition worsened and progressed to septic shock. Further examination revealed pulmonary and renal abscesses. Renal percutaneous catheter drainage was performed at the renal abscess site, which caused improvement of symptoms. The patient showed no evidence of systemic complications during the 4-mo post-operative follow-up period. CONCLUSION: As the patient did not improve with conventional CNF treatment and symptoms only resolved after controlling the infection, the final diagnosis was secondary CNF with septic emboli. Aggressive surgical decompression is important for CNF management. However, if symptoms worsen despite early diagnosis and management, such as pus drainage and surgical intervention, clinicians should consider the possibility of a secondary abscess from internal organs.

CD9 induces cellular senescence and aggravates atherosclerotic plaque formation.

CD9, a 24 kDa tetraspanin membrane protein, is known to regulate cell adhesion and migration, cancer progression and metastasis, immune and allergic responses, and viral infection. CD9 is upregulated in senescent endothelial cells, neointima hyperplasia, and atherosclerotic plaques. However, its role in cellular senescence and atherosclerosis remains undefined. We investigated the potential mechanism for CD9-mediated cellular senescence and its role in atherosclerotic plaque formation. CD9 knockdown in senescent human umbilical vein endothelial cells significantly rescued senescence phenotypes, while CD9 upregulation in young cells accelerated senescence. CD9 regulated cellular senescence through a phosphatidylinositide 3 kinase-AKT-mTOR-p53 signal pathway. CD9 expression increased in arterial tissues from humans and rats with age, and in atherosclerotic plaques in humans and mice. Anti-mouse CD9 antibody noticeably prevented the formation of atherosclerotic lesions in ApoE-/- mice and Ldlr-/- mice. Furthermore, CD9 ablation in ApoE-/- mice decreased atherosclerotic lesions in aorta and aortic sinus. These results suggest that CD9 plays critical roles in endothelial cell senescence and consequently the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, implying that CD9 is a novel target for prevention and treatment of vascular aging and atherosclerosis.

Highly Flexible and Stable Solid-State Supercapacitors Based on a Homogeneous Thin Ion Gel Polymer Electrolyte Using a Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Stamp.

To achieve both high structural integrity and excellent ion transport, designing ion gel polymer electrolytes (IGPEs) composed of an ionic conducting phase and a mechanical supporting polymer matrix is one of the promising material strategies for the development of next-generation all-solid-state energy storage systems. Herein, we prepared an IGPE thin film, in which an ion-diffusing phase containing ionic liquids and lithium salts was bicontinuously intertwined with a cross-linked epoxy phase, using a silicon elastomer-based stamping method, thus producing a homogeneous IGPE-based thin film with low surface roughness (Rrms = 0.5 nm). Following the optimization of the IGPE thin film in terms of the concentrations of ionic constituents, the film thickness, and various process parameters, the IGPE itself showed a high ionic conductivity of 0.23 mS/cm with a low activation energy for lithium-ion transport, as well as the high capacitance of approximately 10 µF/cm2 based on the metal-insulator-metal configuration. Furthermore, an all-solid-state supercapacitor containing two IGPE coating-activated carbon electrodes produced using our poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) stamping method exhibited high energy and power densities (44 W h/kg at 875 W/kg and 28 kW/kg at 3 W h/kg). It was also found that this supercapacitor showed a dramatic reduction (more than 50%) of the current-resistance (IR) drop, which is an indicator of low interface resistance, while maintaining the initial electrochemical performance even after severe mechanical deformation such as bending or rolling. Therefore, all these results support the fact that our developed PDMS stamping method enables the rendering of a high-performance ion gel polymer thin-film-based electrolyte with acceptable stability and mechanical flexibility for all-solid-state wearable energy storage devices.

Apolipoprotein B is highly associated with the risk of coronary heart disease as estimated by the Framingham risk score in healthy Korean men.

The aim of this study was to examine the association between serum apolipoprotein B (apoB) and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) using Framingham risk score (FRS) in healthy Korean men. A total of 13,523 men without medication history of diabetes and hypertension were enrolled in this study. The FRS is based on six coronary risk factors. FRS ≥ 10% was defined as more-than-a-moderate risk group and FRS ≥ 20% as high risk group, respectively. The logistic regression analyses were conducted. When quartile 1 (Q1) set as a reference, in unadjusted analyses, the Q2, Q3, Q4 of apoB level had increased odds ratio (OR) for the risk of CHD in both more-than-a-moderate risk and high risk group, respectively. After adjusting for confounding variables, multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analyses showed a strong relationship between the quartiles of apoB level and more-than-a-moderate risk and high risk group, respectively. These associations were attenuated, but still remained statistically significant. ApoB is found to be independently related to the risk of CHD using FRS in healthy Korean men, and the link between apoB and the risk of CHD is dose-dependent.

The relationship between serum ferritin and metabolic syndrome in healthy Korean men.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Elevated serum ferritin levels have been reported to be associated with several metabolic disorders. We investigated the relationship between serum ferritin level and metabolic syndrome and its components in healthy Korean men. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, serum ferritin level and metabolic syndrome and its components were measured from 18 581 men from January to December in 2008. The presence of metabolic syndrome was determined according to the most recent consensus report of the National Cholesterol Education Program's Third Adult Treatment Panel. Logistic regression models were applied to examine the relationship between the serum ferritin level and the metabolic syndrome and its components. RESULTS: After adjusting for clinical covariates, the odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals of metabolic syndrome with respect to Q2, Q3 and Q4 were 1.34 (1.14-1.57), 1.49 (1.24-1.70) and 1.99 (1.70-2.33), respectively (p for trend < 0.001). The multivariable-adjusted model also showed a significantly graded relationship between individual components of metabolic syndrome and the quartile groups of serum ferritin. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, elevated ferritin concentration is independently associated with metabolic syndrome and its components among healthy Korean men.