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Importance: The diagnosis of congenital auricular deformity often relies on the clinical experience of clinicians, leading to a high incidence of misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis due to the lack of quantitative diagnostic criteria. Objective: To characterize auricle morphology in newborns from southern China and explore the underlying etiology of congenital auricle deformity. Methods: A total of 636 neonates (1272 ears) with less than seven days old were included. The auricles of each infant were measured and photographed. The relationship between maternal factors and the occurrence of congenital auricle deformity was analyzed. Results: The incidence of auricular deformity in southern China was 79.87%. Helical rim deformity and mixed deformity had the highest incidence (17.30% each), while cryptotia had the lowest incidence (0.31%). Among mixed deformities, lop ear with conchal crus ear was the most common (22.73%). Each type of auricle deformity had distinct measurement indicators: the vertical distance of cephalo‐auricular was 73.97% longer and cephalo‐superaurale was 70.00% longer in protruding ears compared to normal auricle; the vertical distance of cephalo‐auricular was 10.96% less in lop ears, 15.07% less in conchal crus ears, and 41.1% longer in cup ears; the distance between helix and antihelix was 22.35% less in constricted ear, 12.94% greater in helical rim deformity, and 43.53% greater in Stahl's ear. Family history of hereditary ear deformity and paternal smoking were significant factors associated with ear deformity in southern China. Interpretation: The incidence of auricle deformities is high in southern China, with significant differences in the morphometric structures of different auricle types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Cartilage is frequently used as a scaffolds for repairing and reconstructing body surface organs. However, after successful plastic surgery, transplanted cartilage scaffolds often exhibit deformation and absorption over time. To enhance the shaping stability of cartilage scaffolds and improve patients' satisfaction after reconstructions, we employed the ear folding models in New Zealand rabbits to confirm whether the 1064nm neodymium‐doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser could promote cartilage reshaping. There was an increase in collagen and aromatase (Cyp19) expression within the ear cartilage after laser treatment. Moreover, we have found that the Cyp19 inhibitor can inhibit the laser's effect on cartilage shaping and reduce collagen and Cyp19 expression. The overall findings suggest that treatment with 1064nm Nd:YAG laser irradiation can enhance estrogen levels in local cartilage tissues by upregulating Cyp19 expression in chondrocytes through photobiomodulation, thereby promoting the proliferation and collagen secretion of chondrocytes to improve cartilage reshaping and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual reality (VR) surgery using the High Technology Computer Corporation Very Immersive Virtual Experience professional 2(HTC VIVE Pro2) suite is a multi-sensory, holistic surgical training experience. A multimedia combination including videos and three-dimensional interaction in VR has been developed to enable trainees to experience a realistic battlefield environment. The innovation allows trainees to interact with the individual components of the cranialmaxillofacial(CMF) anatomy and apply surgical instruments while watching close-up stereoscopic three-dimensional videos of the surgery. In this study, a novel training tool for the pre-hospital treatment of CMF trauma based on immersive virtual reality (iVR) was developed and validated. Twenty-five CMF surgeons evaluated the application for face and content validity. Using a structured assessment process, the surgeons commented on the content of the developed training tool, its realism and usability and the applicability of VR surgery for CMF trauma rescue simulation training. The results confirmed the applicability of VR for delivering training in the pre-hospital treatment of CMF trauma. Modifications were suggested to improve the user experience and interactions with the surgical instruments. This training tool is ready for testing with surgical trainees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wellhead multistage bundle gas–liquid separator combining a gas–liquid cylindrical cyclone (GLCC) with multi-tube bundle components is expected to improve the gas–liquid separation performance. However, there is no unified understanding of the factors influencing the separation performance of the separator. The continuous improvement and applications of the separator are restricted. This paper evaluated the performance of the separator using a numerical simulation method. The results indicate that the separation flow field evolves to be uniform with the increased water cut when the gas–oil ratio and flow rate remain constant. Compared with a 30% water cut, the separation efficiency at a 50% water cut increased by 5.88%. When the gas–oil ratio and water cut remained constant, the swirl effect of the primary separation was enhanced. The separation efficiency increased to more than 70% when the flow rate was 15 m/s. When the flow rate and water cut remained unchanged, the pressure of the separation flow field was reduced. However, when the gas–oil ratio was greater than 160 m3/t, the flow field trace density of the secondary separation bundle was reduced, and the separation efficiency was also lower than 60%. The separation efficiency can be further improved by optimizing the number and diameter of secondary separation bundles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the complex and long-term treatment of foot wounds due to diabetes and the limited mobility of patients, advanced clinical surgery often uses wearable flexible devices for auxiliary treatment. Therefore, there is an urgent need for self-powered biomedical devices to reduce the extra weight. We have prepared an electrically stimulated MEMS (Micro Electromechanical System) electrode integrated with wearable OPV (Organic photovoltaic). The wearable OPV is constructed of a bio-affinity PET-ITO substrate and a hundred-nanometer organic layer. Under sunlight and near-infrared light irradiation, a voltage and current are supplied to the MEMS electrode to generate an exogenous lateral electric field directed to the center of the wound. The results of in vitro cell experiments and diabetic skin-relieving biological experiments showed the proliferation of skin fibroblasts and the expression of transforming growth factors increased, and the skin wounds of diabetic mouse healed faster. Our research provides new insights for the clinical treatment of diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quest for minimally invasive surgery has been eternal in the field of cosmetology. Deformed ear cartilage is the cosmetic challenge for plastic and reconstructive surgery, as any disfigurement is not socially acceptable. Hence, laser-based reshaping and electromechanical reshaping of ear cartilage have come been seen as a panacea. Methodology A MEDLINE and PUBMED literature search was performed on laser-based procedures to reshape ear cartilage and electromechanical reshaping of ear cartilage combined with cross‐referencing. The period of the search was 1993 to 2021. Result For laser-based procedures, several clinical studies using three different wavelengths were analyzed during the search in the literature: 1,064 nm (Nd: YAG), 10,600 nm (CO2), and 1540 nm (Er: Glass). Clinical outcomes, laser wavelength, and parameters, and patient satisfaction are discussed in each case. For electromechanical reshaping, available clinical studies using different voltage strengths and time applications were analyzed during the search in the literature. Studies varied in terms of a specimen and the voltage and duration of applicability. Conclusion Laser-based procedures and electromechanical reshaping of ear cartilage provide alternative treatment options to rectify auricular cartilaginous deformities. Both are minimally invasive procedures and holds a good promise in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the expanding utilization of hyaluronic acid (HA) and collagen as cosmetic fillers in plastic and reconstructive surgery, complications due to their excessive use and/or irregular procedures warrant great caution. Recently, a fatal case occurred caused by a poorly regulated procedure of vaginal injection of HA and collagen. A 33-year-old female was admitted to the emergency department 3 hours after the operation with a chief complaint of dyspnea, which initiated 5 to 10 minutes after the operation. Her blood pressure remained low while dopamine pressor and fluid replacement were used. Computed tomography of the chest showed local exudation in the lower lobe of the left lung, enlargement of right atrium and ventricle, and uneven development of the bilateral inferior lobar artery with filling defects. Pulmonary computed tomography angiography and three-dimensional reconstruction showed continuous interruption of pulmonary artery branches of the posterior basal segment of the right lower lobe. Unfortunately, the clinical symptoms caused by vaginal injection aggravated rapidly and could not be effectively controlled. The patient died 9 hours after injection. Pulmonary complications after injection of cosmetic fillers are scarcely reported. Thus far, only 2 cases of HA-related pulmonary complications after vaginal injection have been described. The present case emphasizes that surgeons and other healthcare providers must be aware of the risk of serious pulmonary complications and even death associated with these 2 widely utilized injectable fillers. Level of Evidence: 5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial heterodyne Raman spectroscopy has become a useful spectroscopic detection technique that is particularly suitable for Raman measurements. This method uses the Fourier transform of the interferogram imaged on the detector by stationary diffraction gratings. Spatial heterodyne Raman spectroscopy has the same characteristic of conventional Fourier‐transform spectroscopy, which is that the field of view is limited. We propose a two‐dimensional spatial heterodyne Raman spectrometer (SHRS) that uses a field widening prism to effectively increase the throughput or sensitivity without sacrificing the spectral resolution for Raman measurements while broadening the bandpass. The signal‐to‐noise ratio is measured under different integrations or laser powers and shows that the system exhibits good stability and fair repeatability. Raman spectra obtained from the field‐widened SHRS and a commercialized Raman instrument are compared, and the field‐widened SHRS and the SHRS using the same instrumental parameters without field widening are also compared. A higher signal‐to‐noise ratio can be achieved using the field‐widened SHRS. In our measurements, the field‐widened SHRS can be operated under the slightly more complex conditions required for wide‐field measurements with short integration times and low laser power. Raman spectra of a pure inorganic target or a target contained in glass and a plastic bottle are observed. A sulfate is investigated in two states: solid salt and aqueous solution. Several mixture liquids, mixture solids, minerals, and anti‐Stokes Raman shifts are also investigated. The results show that the field‐widened SHRS exhibits a good performance to successfully perform wide‐field Raman measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce a field-widened spatial heterodyne Raman spectrometer with a mosaic grating structure to investigate the broadband Raman spectra of sulfates. The broadband static spatial heterodyne Raman spectrometer configuration employs two mosaic gratings instead of the diffraction gratings to divide the broadband Raman spectrum into two bands. It is able to record high-resolution, broadband Raman spectrum range, covering 5740 cm−1 with 3.061 cm−1 spectral resolution using a regular CCD in a single-shot measurement. Raman spectra of mineral sulfates (celestine, gypsum) are investigated. This is the first time to conduct this Raman spectroscopic experiments to investigate the sulfates using the spatial heterodyne Raman spectroscopy. The sodium, potassium and ammonium sulfates at solid state and in aqueous solutions had been detected and analyzed. The effects of metal ions (K+, Na+, NH4+, Ca2+, Sr2+) on vibration of sulfate anion SO42− were discussed. The main v1 mode can be probed by the spatial heterodyne Raman spectroscopy to determine the concentration of sulfate and unambiguous identification of different sulfate minerals, solid sulfates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniform and well-crystallized YPO4·0.8H2O and YPO4·0.8H2O : Tb3+, Eu3+ nanocrystals have been successfully synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method using trisodium citrate (Cit3−) as a “shape modifier”. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra were used to characterize the samples. It was found that the pH of the initial solution was responsible for determining the shape of the final products. In addition, the YPO4·0.8H2O samples prepared by Cit3−-assisted hydrothermal synthesis exhibited an intense and bright blue emission. Characterized with Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra, the carbon-related impurities induced by trisodium citrate (Cit3−) in the hydrothermal process were confirmed and confirmed that the paramagnetic defects relating to the luminescence properties existed in the luminescent YPO4·0.8H2O nanocrystals. More interestingly, the YPO4·0.8H2O : Tb3+, Eu3+ samples could be effectively excited with 380 nm and the luminescence colors of YPO4·0.8H2O : Tb3+, Eu3+ nanocrystals can be easily tuned by changing the concentration of Eu3+ ions due to an efficient energy transfer from Tb3+ to Eu3+. These results revealed that the combination of the defect luminescence and rare earth-doping emission in YPO4·0.8H2O : Tb3+, Eu3+ nanocrystals could result in tunable emission in a large color gamut, which may be potentially applied in fields such as solid state lighting and field emission displays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Line curvature error greatly influences the quality of the diffraction wave fronts of machine-ruling gratings. To reduce the line curvature error, we propose a correction method that uses interferometric control. This method uses diffraction wave fronts of symmetrical orders to compute the mean line curvature error of the ruled grating, taking the mean line curvature error as the system line curvature error. To minimize the line curvature error of the grating, a dual-frequency laser interferometer is used as a real-time position feedback for the grating ruling stage, along with using a piezoelectric actuator to adjust the stage positioning to compensate the line curvature error. Our experiments show that the proposed method effectively reduced the peak-to-valley value of the line curvature error, improving the quality of the grating diffraction wave front. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a three-electrode trigatron gap with the trigger electrode inside the main electrode is discussed in this paper. Two models of the operation mechanism are proposed to explain the breakdown in the trigatron gap. In addition, a mathematical model was proposed to calculate the breakdown time based on the theoretical analysis. The influence of different parameters on the breakdown time is discussed. Some characteristics in dry air have been experimentally determined such as the influence of the air pressure and the influence of the undervoltage ratio on the spark gap operation. The experimental results show that the operating voltage range between 0.5 and 0.7 might be reasonable. Then, the experimental results and analysis demonstrate that there are three regions divided by two inflection points, and the corresponding values of the undervoltage ratio are threshold values presenting different breakdown processes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In a high-powered single pulse system, the graphite electrode is better than other common metal electrodes for high energy transfer and pulse discharge. In this paper, the erosion mechanism of graphite electrode is investigated with the thermodynamics theory and the experimental results. Based on a simplified mathematical model, the graphite electrode erosion process of high-powered spark gap switch is also analyzed. The analysis results show that the relationship of the graphite electrode erosion and the charge transfer is linear, which is accordant with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The limited lifetime in a high current is the main drawback of spark-gap switches. Electrode replacement is an easily suggested method to extend the lifetime. In order to perform electrode replacement, thermal damage caused by heating effect should be prevented at the static electrical contact interfaces between the electrodes and the holders. Based on the Holm model, the Hertz formula, and the heat conduction theory, a mathematical model of the contact temperature rise is proposed in this paper. This mathematical model can prove quantitatively that the pulse-current integral (action integral), material physical properties, and mechanical characteristics of spark-gap switches are key parameters affecting the temperature rise. The action integral is determined by the electrical parameters. Material physical properties include the thermal conductivity, the specific heat, the density, the electrical resistivity, the elasticity modulus, and the Poisson ratio. Mechanical characteristics of spark-gap switches include the contact radius/area, the contact force, and the contact surface roughness. The implementation of electrode replacement depends on the reasonable configuration of these key parameters. The experiments in a 1.2-MJ power supply module give that the phenomenona correspond with our analysis. Based on the analysis in this paper, an electrode holder structure is proposed as a practical solution for extending the useful lifetime of spark-gap switches with graphite electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The purpose of this study was to compare diagnostic accuracy by using two types of monitors. Four radiologists with 10 years experience twice interpreted the films of 77 fracture cases by using the ViewSonic P75f+ and BARCO MGD221 monitors, with a time interval of 3 weeks. Each time the radiologists used one type of monitor to interpret the images. The image browser used was the Unisight software provided by Atlastiger Company (Shanghai, China), and interpretation result was analyzed via the LABMRMC software. In studies of receiver operating characteristics to score the presence or absence of fracture, the results of images interpreted through monochromic monitors showed significant statistical difference compared to those interpreted using the color monitors. A significant difference was observed in the results obtained by using two kinds of monitors. Color monitors cannot serve as substitutes for monochromatic monitors in the process of interpreting computed radiography (CR) images with fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) selectively kill breast and ovarian cancers with defects in homologous recombination (HR) caused by BRCA1/2 mutations. There is also clinical evidence for the utility of PARPi in breast and ovarian cancers without BRCA mutations, but the underlying mechanism is not clear. Here, we report that the deubiquitylating enzyme USP15 affects cancer cell response to PARPi by regulating HR. Mechanistically, USP15 is recruited to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by MDC1, which requires the FHA domain of MDC1 and phosphorylated Ser678 of USP15. Subsequently, USP15 deubiquitinates BARD1 BRCT domain, and promotes BARD1-HP1γ interaction, resulting in BRCA1/BARD1 retention at DSBs. USP15 knockout mice exhibit genomic instability in vivo. Furthermore, cancer-associated USP15 mutations, with decreased USP15-BARD1 interaction, increases PARP inhibitor sensitivity in cancer cells. Thus, our results identify a novel regulator of HR, which is a potential biomarker for therapeutic treatment using PARP inhibitors in cancers. Deubiquitinases have been shown to be involved in double strand break repair pathways. Here the authors reveal that USP15 deybiquitinase plays a role in homologues recombination repair by targeting BARD1 and affecting cells response to PARP inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]