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Background This study aimed to identify risk factors for chronic syndesmotic instability following syndesmotic fixation. Methods We performed a retrospective review of consecutive patients who had sustained ankle fractures requiring syndesmotic fixation. Patients available for a minimum 5 years of follow-up were classified into 2 groups according to the presence of syndesmotic instability. Statistical binary logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the significance of various risk factors. Functional outcomes were assessed using the FAOS. Results In total, 166 patients who met the study inclusion criteria underwent analysis. The overall postoperative instability rate was 20.5%, which was significantly affected due to BMI (p = 0.018; OR 6.72), and concomitant posterior malleolar fracture (p = 0.032, OR 2.77). The mean scores in the syndesmotic instability (SI) group were significantly lower than those in the no syndesmotic instability (NSI) group (p = 0.021). Conclusions Obesity and concomitant posterior malleolar fracture were significant risk factors for postoperative syndesmotic instability.

The information about CNT lengths is essential to realize the unique properties of CNTs at the macroscopic scale. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a short-cut method to characterize the average length of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) based on the isotropic-cloud point (ϕICP) of CNT/chlorosulfonic acid (CSA) solutions. We obtained the empirical relationship between the aspect ratio (AR) of CNTs and the ϕICP of CNT/CSA solutions using CNT forests fabricated to have a nearly-uniform length. This empirical relationship follows the Onsager scaling (ϕICP ∼ AR−1) and covers a wide range of the AR. Using this relationship, the average length of CNTs can be estimated from the measurement of ϕICP. This method is applicable to long CNTs (AR>104). The accuracy of the method is supported by comparing the results calculated from this method to those obtained from SEM images. This simple yet accurate method may contribute to the controlled growth of CNTs and fabrication of CNT materials that have desired properties.

In recent years, arthroscopic anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) repair techniques have been increasingly used for chronic ankle instability. Besides permitting the treatment of several comorbidities, arthroscopic techniques are applied to minimize the need for aggressive surgery and improve the assessment of anatomic structures. We describe our surgical technique for all-arthroscopic anatomic ATFL repair using a knotless anchor, which can adjust suture tension under direct visualization using a self-locking mechanism. Thus, this technique diminishes the chance of repaired ligament separation from its attachment by obtaining the desired tension. Moreover, its knotless property allows the avoidance of some complications such as neuritis and pain related to bulky knots., Technique Video Video 1 Arthroscopic demonstration and illustration of arthroscopic anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) repair. A medial midline portal and an accessory anterolateral portal are used as a viewing portal and working portal, respectively. A Micro SutureLasso (TFCC, Short 70° bend, Arthrex and knotless SutureTak anchor (3.0 12.7 mm; Arthrex) are used for ATFL repair.

The deep-injection floating-catalyst chemical vapor deposition (DI-FCCVD) technique is introduced to continuously synthesize carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with high aspect ratio (AR>17000) and high crystallinity (IG/ID > 60) at high production rate (>6 mg/min). In this technique all reactants are injected directly and rapidly into high-temperature reaction zone through thin alumina tube; this process leads to simultaneous thermal decomposition of well-mixed catalyst precursors (ferrocene and thiophene), and thus to formation of uniformly-sized catalyst particles. Carbon nanotube fiber (CNTF) fabricated from high-AR CNT has specific strength of 2.94 N/tex and specific modulus of 231 N/tex, which are comparable to those of the state-of-the-art carbon fiber. Both DI-FCCVD and wet spinning methods are easily scalable to mass production, so this study may enable widespread industrial application of CNTFs.

We present a post-treatment method for directly-spun ultra-thick carbon nanotube fibers (CNTFs) with a high linear density of ∼ 6 tex (g km−1), which can possibly meet industrial-scale productivity. The treatment consists of consecutive steps of swelling of CNTFs in chlorosulfonic acid, stretching, and coagulation. The swelling of CNTFs makes even distribution of the CNT bundles, which are the subunits of CNTFs, and thereby promotes the removal of the interstitial voids and macroscopic pores during subsequent coagulation. The stretching straightens tortuous CNT bundles, and thereby facilitates dense packing of aligned bundles along the fiber axis that are evenly distributed by swelling. However, highly-tortuous CNT bundles in the high linear-density CNTF leads to incremental improvement of structure and properties. The stretching is only effective at stretching ratio (RS) > 20%, and both tensile strength and electrical conductivity gradually increase as RS increases, to 27- and 8.7-times at the maximum RS = 100%. We believe that our study on the influence of RS on the structure and properties of high linear-density CNTFs provide a new opportunity for designing the industrial process of the post-treatment to commercialize CNTFs.

The perfusion index (PI), calculated from the photoplethysmographic waveform, reflects peripheral vasomotor tone. As such, the PI serves as a surrogate for quantitative measures of drug-induced vasoconstriction or vasodilation. This study aimed to compare the effect on the PI of desflurane and sevoflurane at equi-anaesthetic concentrations in patients undergoing single-agent inhalation anaesthesia, where equi-anaesthetic dose was based on the known minimum alveolar concentration of these agents.We randomly allocated patients scheduled for arthroscopic knee surgery to receive either desflurane or sevoflurane general anaesthesia after target-controlled induction of anaesthesia with propofol. Anaesthesia was maintained at age-corrected minimum alveolar concentration 1.0, under neuromuscular block (rocuronium). The PI and haemodynamic data were recorded every minute for 35 min after induction of anaesthesia and after standardised nociceptive stimulation. The primary outcome was PI, compared between the groups over time (repeated-measures analysis of variance). Secondary outcomes included MAP and HR.Sixty-nine participants (mean [range] age: 42 yr [19-65 yr]; 49% females) were assigned to either desflurane (n=34) or sevoflurane (n=35). The PI remained higher under desflurane compared with sevoflurane, both before (mean difference [MD]: 3.3; 95% confidence intervals [CIs]: 2.0-4.7; P0.001) and after tetanic stimulation (MD: 2.8; 95% CI: 2.0-3.7; P0.001). Higher PI paralleled lower MAP in participants assigned to desflurane anaesthesia (P0.001), both before (MD: 8 mm Hg; 95% CI: 4-12) and after nociceptive stimulation (MD: 14 mm Hg; 95% CI: 7-22). HR was similar throughout.These findings suggest that at equipotent doses, desflurane exerts more potent vasodilatory properties and lowers blood pressure by a magnitude potentially associated with harm.NCT03570164.

The yield and length of carbon nanotube (CNT) forests were increased by using regenerated quartz tubes. Carbonaceous impurities remained in the walls of the regenerated quartz tube. When CNT forests were synthesized in regenerated quartz tubes, the carbonaceous impurities were released at temperatures between 400 and 450 °C, and by facilitating nucleation, caused increase in the number density (NCat) of Fe catalyst particles on the substrate. The substrate in the regenerated quartz tube had NCat = 6.0 × 1010/cm2, whereas a fresh quartz tube had NCat = 7.7 × 109/cm2. Furthermore, after the early stage (5 s) of synthesis process, the volumetric density of the CNT forest was higher in the regenerated quartz tube (0.016 g/cm3) than in the fresh quartz tube (0.011 g/cm3). When a regenerated quartz plate was placed in a fresh quartz tube, CNT forests were longer than when a fresh quartz tube was used alone. These results suggest that the carbonaceous impurity in the quartz tube establishes an environment that increases the reproducibility of synthesis of long CNT forests.

We confirmed the effect of ion recombination using a parallel-plate ionization chamber: dose monitor for clinical use and the Advanced Markus chamber. A 290 MeV/u carbon-ion beam was irradiated using the continuous spot-scanning method in a field size of 5 cm by 5 cm with 2 mm spacing. We tested three beam intensities (1.35 × 108, 2.69 × 109, and 4.03 × 109 particle per second (pps)) at two linear energy transfers (12 keV/μm and 200 keV/μm). The charge ( Q ) was measured by changing the voltage of the Advanced Markus chamber and that of the dose monitor. Then, Boag’s method was used to calculate the saturated charge ( Q sat ). For the Advanced Markus chamber, 300 V is a sufficient potential to collect charge. For the dose monitor, Q sat / Q at 2500 V was 1.024 for 4.03 × 109 pps, indicating that the general recombination correction cannot be ignored when high dose rate treatment is performed using a carbon-ion scanning beam.

Purpose To evaluate the results of all-arthroscopic treatment of the terrible triad of the elbow, a combination of elbow dislocation, radial head dislocation, and coronoid process fracture, and its complications. Methods We performed a retrospective review of consecutive patients with terrible triad who underwent all-arthroscopic treatment between January 2011 and December 2016. All-arthroscopic treatment was performed in the unstable elbows after manual reduction. Clinical evaluation was performed at least 2 years postoperatively. Patients with another fracture in the upper extremity and previous fracture of the affected elbow were excluded. A radial head fracture that was stable enough to reduce or involved less than 25% of the articular surface for partial excision and Regan-Morrey classification type I and type II coronoid process fractures were treated arthroscopically. Range of motion, radiologic outcomes, surgical complications, and the Mayo Elbow Performance Score were evaluated at the final follow-up. The Mann-Whitney test was used for statistical analysis. Results A total of 24 patients met the inclusion criteria, and the average age was 47.6 years. Coronoid process fractures were fixed in all patients, by use of Kirschner wires in 15 (62.5%) and pullout sutures in 9 (37.5%). Radial head fractures were treated using screw or K-wire fixation in 4 patients (16.7%); only the fragment of the fracture was resected in 11 patients (45.8%). In all 24 cases (100%), the lateral collateral ligaments were repaired. At the final follow-up, the mean flexion contracture angle was 4.8° ± 1.1° and the mean flexion angle was 132.5° ± 6.3°. Clinical scores were satisfactory, with a mean Mayo Elbow Performance Score of 93 points. However, nonunion of coronoid fractures was observed in 4 patients (16.7%). There was 1 case of pin-site irritation. Conclusions All-arthroscopic treatment for the terrible triad can provide an excellent safety profile without the need for a large incision if the indications are met. Level of Evidence Level IV, therapeutic case series.

Background S1 transforaminal epidural steroid injection (S1-TFESI) results in positive clinical outcomes for the treatment of pain associated with the S1 nerve root. S1-TFESI via the transforaminal approach is commonly performed under fluoroscopic guidance. Ultrasound guidance is an alternative to mitigate radiation exposure. However, performing spinal procedures under ultrasound guidance has some limitations in confirming the position of the needle tip and vascular uptake. New techniques are therefore needed to make ultrasound and fluoroscopy complementary. Our objective was to describe a novel technique for S1-TFESI and confirm its reproducibility. Methods Records of patients with S1 radiculopathy were reviewed retrospectively; those treated using the new S1-TFESI technique were selected. Initially, ultrasound was used to distinguish anatomy of the sacral foramen and guide initial placement of the needle entry point. Fluoroscopy was subsequently used to confirm needle tip position and vascular injection. The number of times the needle required reinsertion was recorded, and ultrasound and C-arm images were stored. Results Sixty-seven S1-TFESIs were performed in 56 patients. All injections exhibited epidural spread of contrast media, not only to the S1 nerve. The cephalad angle was 16.25 ± 6.75° (range, 5–27°), the oblique angle was 2.48 ± 2.62° (range, 0–7°), and the mean number of attempts was 1.24 ± 1.25. Conclusions The new technique, involving the use of ultrasound to guide initial placement of the needle entry point, followed by confirmatory imaging and any needed adjustment with the use of fluoroscopy, can be a technique to complement the shortcomings of using ultrasound or fluoroscopy alone.

The mechanical behaviors of carbon nanotube yarn (CNTY) can be described as collective mechanical behaviors of the components that comprise its hierarchical structures. The internal structures and mechanical behaviors of CNTYs closely resemble those of bio-materials, so we developed a simple mathematical model inspired by the mechanical behaviors of bio-materials to fully describe the mechanical behaviors of CNTYs during tensile testing. The developed model successfully fitted the experimental modulus-strain (M-S) curves of four types of CNTYs that have different internal structures and different M-S curves; this result confirms the generality of the model to describe the mechanical behaviors of CNTYs. The model parameters provide explanations of the structural characteristics of various CNTYs.

The direct spinning process is a useful method for continuously synthesizing carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers. A reactor should be designed based on reactor design principles in order to study the synthesis mechanism and mass production of CNT fibers. The internal temperature in a continuous flow reactor depends on the length of the reactor, and because the temperatures required for the decomposition of various feedstocks differ, each feedstock is decomposed at a different point in the reactor. Here, we report that high-quality CNT fibers were continuously synthesized by water injection at temperatures above the catalyst-forming range during the direct spinning process, as determined by the decomposition temperatures of the feedstocks. The decomposition temperatures of the feedstock materials were measured. Thiophene and toluene decomposed at 500–600 °C and 600–700 °C, respectively, and these temperatures were lower than those reported in the literature. The quality of the CNT fibers was improved by injecting water into zones with temperatures that exceeded the decomposition temperatures of the feedstocks in the reactor. Oxygen containing functional groups formed less often on the CNT surfaces, further improving the quality of CNT fibers. Moreover, the CNT fibers were continuously synthesized, even if excess water were injected.

Background Sevoflurane and desflurane are widely used in balanced anaesthesia in combination with opioid analgesics. The opioid remifentanil is frequently chosen because of its extremely rapid pharmacokinetics. However, intraoperative high-dose remifentanil is associated with increased postoperative pain and rescue analgesic use owing to acute tolerance and opioid-induced hyperalgesia. This study aimed to compare intraoperative remifentanil requirements during equi-minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) sevoflurane and desflurane anaesthesia via surgical pleth index-guided remifentanil administration. Methods Eighty-two subjects undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomly allocated to two groups receiving either sevoflurane (n=40) or desflurane (n=42). Anaesthesia was maintained with the assigned inhaled anaesthetics and remifentanil. End-tidal anaesthetic concentration was maintained at age-corrected 1.0 MAC, and remifentanil infusion was continuously adjusted to achieve a surgical pleth index of 20–50. Mean remifentanil infusion rate, which was the primary outcome of the study, was calculated as the total infused remifentanil dose per kg body weight per minute of total operative time. Results Mean remifentanil infusion rate [mean (standard deviation)] was significantly higher in the sevoflurane group than in the desflurane group [0.192 (0.064) vs. 0.099 (0.033) μg kg−1 min−1; difference, 0.093 (95% confidence interval, 0.071–0.115); P Conclusions During equi-MAC anaesthesia of 1.0 MAC, sevoflurane and desflurane did not show similar intraoperative remifentanil consumption under surgical pleth index-guided opioid administration. Further studies using other monitors with different measuring mechanisms are warranted to determine the cause of this difference. Clinical trial registration NCT02830243 ( ClinicalTrials.gov ).

To identify the risk factors for recurrent instability after arthroscopic Bankart repair and evaluate the recurrence rate and functional outcomes.A retrospective review was performed of patients with anterior-inferior shoulder instability who underwent arthroscopic Bankart repair between 2008 and 2014. Patients below 30 years of age who were available for follow-up at least for 2 years were sorted into 2 groups according to the presence of recurrent instability. Furthermore, statistical analysis by binary logistic regression analysis included the significance of various risk factors including gender, demographic factors, number of preoperative dislocations, time interval between the first dislocation and the surgery (shorter than 6 months or not), generalized hyperlaxity, concomitant injury, bony Bankart, and off-track lesion. The functional outcomes were assessed with the Rowe and Walch-Duplay scores.A total of 170 shoulders were included (without-recurrence group: 138, recurrent group: 32). The overall postoperative recurrent instability rate was 18.8%. SLAP repair, interval closure, and capsular plication were performed when necessary. However, these additional procedures were not influenced by recurrence (P = .37). The 2 groups showed significant differences in the number of preoperative dislocations (P = .048; adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2-5 times, 6.41; more than 5 times, 8.77), time interval between the first dislocation and surgery (P = .003, adjusted OR 5.62), and off-track Hill-Sachs lesion (P = .04, adjusted OR 4.31). There was significant improvement in the mean Rowe and Walch-Duplay scores at 2 years postoperatively (P.001 in both cases), but the mean scores were lower in the group with recurrence than in the group without (P = .021 and .014, respectively).The overall results suggest that surgery within 6 months of the first dislocation should be considered, with meticulous attention in patients with a high number of preoperative dislocations or off-track Hill-Sachs lesions.Level III, retrospective case-control study.

Carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers were strengthened by wet stretching with 1-Methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) or chlorosulfonic acid (CSA) as the wetting liquid, and the change of hierarchical structure of CNT fibers was observed at a nanometer level. Two kinds of voids were present in a CNT fiber: inter-bundle void and intra-bundle void. Wet stretching was a very effective method to aggregate CNT bundles and to remove the voids in a CNT fiber. CNT bundle thickness and the number of CNTs in a bundle increased and the bundle-to-bundle distance decreased as a result of the aggregation of the bundles. After infiltration of liquids, CNTs with elliptical and non-circular cross-sections appeared and the distance between CNTs in a bundle i.e., intra-bundle voids, decreased. It was confirmed that the stretch alone did not affect the intra-bundle void. CSA infiltrated CNT bundles better than NMP did, so CSA yielded better densification than NMP. Load at failure, specific strength (SS) and tensile strength of CNT fibers increased with wet-stretching. SS of the CNT fiber increased from 0.95 to 2.19 N/tex (CSA13%). Understanding structure and morphology of CNT fibers in nanoscale will be helpful to build better strengthening strategies.

Single-layered graphenes with large sizes were produced by inserting solvent molecules between the graphene layers in graphite intercalation compounds (GICs) followed by direct microwave exfoliation ‘in a solvent’ to prevent re-aggregation. During the microwave exfoliation of GICs in deionized (DI) water, single-layered graphenes were produced, and their lateral sizes ranged from several micrometers to several tens of micrometers. The entire process time was less than 2 h, and toxic compounds were not used. In the case of microwave exfoliation in acetone or ethanol, graphenes with a thickness of 3–6 nm were mainly produced rather than single-layered graphenes. In addition, when the produced graphenes were directly dispersed in DI water, the dispersed state was maintained for 2 days. This method is very advantageous for industrial scale-up.

A novel hybrid single chamber microbial fuel cell is described in which a TiO2 nanotube array (TNT) photoanode is coupled with a conventional bioanode to achieve simultaneous degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye with improved power generation. As compared to a conventional microbial fuel cell (MFC), the described hybrid-MFC exhibits enhanced power density (14%), current density (33%), and voltage (4%) while simultaneously degrading MB dye, 82.79% after 3.5 h of operation under simulated solar light illumination. The key factor attributed to the enhanced performance is the addition of photogenerated electrons to the MFC external circuit. The effect of various design configurations is also investigated, such as the presence of an air cathode, anode type, and illumination. The hybrid-MFC strategy provides new directions for productive and economical utilization of microbial fuel cells.

Carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers were synthesized from ethylene, acetylene, or methane by separately injecting ferrocene and the carbon precursors during a direct spinning process. Ethylene and acetylene have low decomposition temperatures. It was difficult to synthesize CNT fibers from these precursors using the direct spinning method. CNT fibers were continuously synthesized by delaying the contact time between the catalyst particles and the carbon precursors, which provided sufficient time for catalyst growth. Changes in catalyst size from 2 nm to 20 nm were observed as a function of the catalyst formation step setting temperature (350–440 °C) and the carbon precursor injection tube length (8–310 mm), and the relationship between the catalyst size and the CNT diameter was characterized. The CNT fibers had higher IG/ID ratios when synthesized from acetylene (69.87) or ethylene (18.52) than from methane (3.61). The choice of the carbon precursor had a much larger effect on the IG/ID ratio of the synthesized CNT fibers than the other operating variables.

We report the synthesis of carbon nanotube (CNT) forests with a narrow diameter distribution based on Fe ion implantation method. By annealing the Fe-implanted SiO 2 /Si wafer in an Ar atmosphere at 800 °C for 15 min, the Fe particles on the surface of SiO 2 layer are successfully formed by the diffusion of Fe atoms from the SiO 2 layer. Interestingly, the size distribution of Fe catalyst particles for Fe-implanted SiO 2 /Si wafers does not change with the prolonged annealing durations of up to 12 h. Using secondary ion mass spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we confirmed that the implanted Fe atoms diffuse out of the SiO 2 layer and form Fe particles on both the SiO 2 surface and the interface between SiO 2 and Si. The cross-sectional TEM images indicate that the Fe catalyst particles are anchored in the SiO 2 layer, which limits the particles' mobility and results in an invariant catalyst size distribution for prolonged annealing durations. Therefore, we anticipate that implantation can be an efficient alternative catalyst preparation method for CNT forest growth which can solve various growth issues that are inherently caused by conventional physical vapor deposition method.

UV resistant and photocatalytic TiO2/carbon nanotube nanohybrid (TiO2@CNT) fibers are developed by incorporation of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) onto CNT fibers (CNTFs). This process densifies the CNTFs, and increases the thermal stability and structural integrity of the resulting TiO2@CNTFs under UV exposure. As a result, the TiO2@CNTFs have mechanical and electrical properties that are more sustainable than those of pristine CNTFs under exposure to strong UV light, and have high and recyclable photocatalytic activity for degradation of organic dyes. These results indicate that incorporation of TiO2 NPs is an efficient strategy to increased long-term stability and applicability of CNTFs.

One of the most promising method to produce carbon nanotube (CNT) fiber is directly spinning CNT fiber from CNT aerogel. Despite the advantage of this method in terms of productivity, the CNTs thus produced include impurities such as amorphous carbon and residual catalysts. To remove these unwanted materials, the CNT fiber is usually subjected to acid treatment. At the same time, however, the acid treatment damages the CNT wall, creating functional groups on it. In this work, specific tensile strength of CNT fibers was increased by introducing cross-links between the individual CNTs using carboxylic functional groups which were inevitably generated during the acid treatment of CNT fibers. The esterification of the carboxylic acid with 1,5-pentanediol as a linker resulted in cross-links in between the CNTs, thereby increasing the specific strength of the CNT fiber from 0.43 to 1.12 N/tex and Young’s modulus from 30.70 to 47.57 N/tex. Supporting weak shear interactions of untreated CNT fiber by adding covalent bonding through the cross-linking reaction led to the improvement of mechanical properties of the CNT fiber. Elimination of impurities and narrowed interspacing between CNT bundles caused by acid treatment was also confirmed, which additionally contributed to enhancing the mechanical properties of CNT fiber.

When physicians encounter patients with headache or facial pain (preeruptive pain) associated with acute herpes zoster of the head, especially before the appearance of characteristic skin eruptions (preeruptive phase), they typically find it difficult to make clinical impressions and apply appropriate diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. The objectives of this study were to describe the clinical characteristics of headache or facial pain associated with acute herpes zoster of the head and to elucidate the association between the manifestation of these symptoms in the preeruptive phase and incoming herpes zoster.We retrospectively analyzed the clinical features of 152 patients with acute herpes zoster involving only the head who presented within 10days of rash onset at Chungbuk National University Hospital, a tertiary hospital in Chungcheongbuk-do in South Korea, between January 2011 and December 2015.The mean age of the patients was 54.3±19.8years. One hundred patients had herpes zoster in the trigeminal nerve, 34 in the nervus intermedius, and 18 in the upper cervical nerves. Preeruptive pain was present in 112 (73.7%) patients and had a mean duration of 3.0±1.3days (range, 1-6days). Severity of pain was associated with the presence of preeruptive pain (p=0.040). Headache or facial pain was limited to the ipsilateral side of the face and head in all patients, except for two who had with severe symptoms of meningitis, and was of moderate to severe intensity (90.1%). Pain of a stabbing nature was observed in 128 (84.2%) patients, and 146 (96.1%) reported experiencing this type of pain for the first time. Pain awakened 94 (61.8%) patients from sleep. Sixty-one (54.5%) of the 112 patients with preeruptive pain visited a hospital during the preeruptive phase; their preeruptive phase was significantly longer (p0.001) and more frequently awakened them from sleep (p=0.008). Their presumptive diagnoses were as follows: tension-type headache (n=20, 32.8%); no decision (n=18, 29.5%); herpes zoster (n=5, 8.2%); migraine (n=3, 4.9%); pain associated with upper respiratory tract infection (n=3, 4.9%); parotitis (n=2, 3.3%); dry eye (n=2, 3.3%); and other (n=1 each: trigeminal neuralgia, glaucoma, pharyngitis, vestibular neuronitis, tonsillitis, teeth problems, otitis media, and occipital neuralgia).These results suggest that the typical pain of acute herpes zoster of the head has a stabbing quality, is felt unilaterally, is moderate to severe, often awakens patients from sleep, and has not been previously experienced by most patients. When encountering patients with these features accompanied by pain onset of less than one week, acute herpes zoster of the head should be considered, even without characteristic vesicles, after excluding other secondary causes by appropriate diagnostic workup.

The optimum synthesis conditions for carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers were investigated using the Design of Experiment (DOE) technique. Direct spinning processes are governed by a variety of experimental factors: the methane flow rate, ferrocene flow rate, sulfur flow rate, hydrogen flow rate, water flow rate, and reaction temperature. The process was optimized in two stages that addressed first the Fractional Factorial Design (FFD) and then the Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Results from each experiment were classified according to a 6-step rating system: nothing(1), black gas(2), dust(3), ribbon or film(4), fiber(5), or continuous fiber(6). In the first step, three major factors (methane, sulfur, temperature) were identified as important among the six experimental factors tested using FFD. The effects of the major factors and the interactions were analyzed through the main effect plot and the interaction plot. In the second step, the experimental conditions were optimized using a model equation derived from Box-Behnken design experiments. Finally, the CNT fibers were continuously synthesized under the optimum conditions. The synthesized CNT fibers mainly consisted of single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs) 1.2–3.8 nm in diameter. The I G /I D ratio of the CNT fibers was 48. This work provides a useful methodology for synthesizing the CNT fibers.

Time-temperature-indicator, or integrator (TTI), can be used for visual display of food product safety information for consumers. A prototype isopropyl palmitate (IPP) diffusion-based TTI system was characterized and evaluated for monitoring microbial quality of non-pasteurized angelica (NPA) juice based on temperature abuse. Diffusion of IPP in the TTI system was measured at various iso-thermal and dynamic temperatures and a mathematical model based on relationships between diffusion and time-temperature was established. Predicted results from the established model were in good agreement with experimental results. Total aerobe counts in NPA juice reached a critical level of 6 log CFU/mL from an initial load of 3.7 log CFU/mL after 36.6 h and 12.5 h of storage at 15 °C and 25 °C, respectively. IPP diffusion distances were 9.7 mm and 7.2 mm at 15 °C and 25 °C, respectively. IPP diffusion of 7.0 mm in the TTI system was considered to be a threshold point for bacterial quality of NPA juice. However, the proposed TTI was only verified for indicating temperature abuse above 13.5 °C. The TTI system characterized in this study showed potential for monitoring the microbial quality of perishable food products during distribution and storage.

Purpose To compare conventional inside-out (IO) repair and all-inside (AI) repair for the posterior third of the meniscus during meniscus allograft transplantation (MAT). Methods Among the 64 enrolled patients, 31 patients underwent MAT with conventional IO repair, and 33 patients underwent MAT with AI repair using the FasT-Fix instrument for the posterior third of the meniscus allograft. All of the patients were retrospectively evaluated through clinical assessment at the last follow-up (54.3 months in the IO group and 55.4 months in the AI group) and through magnetic resonance imaging assessment for meniscal extrusion at 1 year postoperatively. Thirty patients (15 in each group) were evaluated through second-look arthroscopy at 1 year postoperatively. Results There was no significant difference in the mean Lysholm score (91.3 in the IO group and 92.3 in the AI group; P = .358) or the mean Tegner activity scale (7.1 in each group; P = .885) between the 2 groups. There was no significant difference in the mean meniscal extrusion (2.6 mm in the IO group and 2.8 mm in the AI group; P = .454), relative percentage of extrusion value (25.6% in the IO group and 24.7% in the AI group; P = .721), or meniscal healing on second-look arthroscopy ( P = .796) between the 2 groups. The difference in operative time between the 2 groups was found to be statistically significant (169.9 minutes in the IO group and 123.3 minutes in the AI group; P Conclusions Our comparative study on the different techniques for posterior repair of meniscus allograft suggested that AI posterior repair using FasT-Fix could be an alternative method to conventional IO repair as it gives a similar postoperative result and requires a shorter operative time. Level of Evidence Level III, retrospective comparative study.

The growth of carbon nanotube (CNT) forests has been limited to the centimeter scale due to insufficient understanding of their growth kinetics. To investigate the growth kinetics of CNT forests, we characterized the mass transport phenomena arising during CNT forest. We formulated the hypothesis that such growth is mass transport limited and proposed a model describing this mass transport. According to our model, the effects of diffusion boundary layers on the growth rate are significant. The initial growth rate is expected to increase with the velocity of the bulk gas flow as the boundary layer thickness decreases. To test this prediction, CNT forests were grown at various total gas flow rates in the range 170–1700 sccm, which correspond to flow velocities in the range 0.79–to 7.9 cm/s. The initial growth rate was found to increase from 1.4 mm/h to 3.5 mm/h as the total flow rate increases from 170 sccm to 1700 sccm. Thus there is a clear inverse proportionality between the initial growth rate and the thickness of the diffusion boundary layer, which confirms that the growth of CNT forests is mass transport limited. These results provide new insight into the growth kinetics of CNT forests.

We fabricated all-epitaxial Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 (BST) (111)/β-Ga2O3 (− 201) thin films on GaN (002)/Al2O3 (001) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. BST films with different textures were obtained by depositing β-Ga2O3 buffer layers on GaN substrates under varied deposition conditions. The results for dielectric constant, tunability, and dielectric loss of the BST/Ga2O3/GaN and BST/GaN layers at an applied voltage of 20 V, were 225 and 199, 20% and 14%, and 0.006 and 0.018, respectively. The epitaxial growth of the BST film and enhancement of the dielectric properties of the BST/Ga2O3/GaN heterostructure were achieved in the presence of an epitaxial Ga2O3 buffer layer.

Antimicrobial peptides are small, cationic peptides that induce bacterial cell death via cell lysis or interactions with intracellular components. Currently, with growing bacterial resistance to existing antimicrobial drugs there is an urgent need to study the potentcy of antimicrobial peptides and find ways to improve their activity. Most AMPs include positively charged amino acids that allow binding to negatively-charged bacterial membranes. Previous studies have shown that an increased composition of arginine versus lysine enhances the activity of two histone-derived antimicrobial peptides (HDAPs), buforin II (BF2) and DesHDAP1. Variants of these peptides with all basic residues modified to arginine had increased antibacterial activity and membrane translocation but unchanged membrane permeabilization. In this study, we use molecular dynamics simulations to study how the arginine-modified peptides interact with model bacterial lipid membranes (1:3 POPG:POPE) differently than wild-type and lysine-modified peptides. Simulations were performed with one and four peptides for wild type BF2 (BF2wt), arginine-modified BF2 (BF2R), and lysine-modified BF2 (BF2K). The results of 100ns simulations of each system show that BF2R has increased interactions with the lipid membrane and structural stability compared to the other peptides. The analysis of hydrogen bonding per lipids supports that anionic POPG lipids interact more with the peptides than zwitterionic POPE lipids, further emphasizing the role of the basic residues. Analogous simulations considering the lipid interactions of DesHDAP1 and its arginine and lysine mutants are ongoing. Our findings elucidate mechanistic details of peptide-lipid interactions that will become helpful in the development of AMPs with improved activity.

The influence of the addition of Cu on the corrosion resistance of low alloy steel in sulphuric acid was investigated using AC and DC electrochemical methods and a weight loss test, which took place in 10 wt% H 2 SO 4 solution at room temperature. The electrochemical measurements indicated that the corrosion rate is suppressed by the addition of Cu due to a higher hydrogen overpotential and prevention of the active dissolution. Surface analyses (XPS, EPMA and SEM) of the corroded surfaces conducted after the immersion test indicated that the rust layer formed on the Cu containing steels was enriched with Cu compounds.

Cd1−xZnxTe alloy films with 1.6 and 1.7 eV band gaps were deposited by RF magnetron sputtering from targets made either of mixed powders or alloys of CdTe and ZnTe (25% and 40%). High-quality polycrystalline films with the (1 1 1) preferred orientation were obtained. The films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, resistivity, optical absorption, Raman, and photoluminescence. The EDS, XRD, and optical absorption analysis indicated that the x-value of the as-grown films were typically ∼0.20 and 0.30 for films sputtered from 25% and 40% ZnTe containing targets, respectively. The as-deposited alloy films exhibit quite low photovoltaic performance when used to make cells with CdS as the hetero-junction partner. Therefore, we have studied various post-deposition treatments with vapors of chlorine-containing materials, CdCl2 and ZnCl2, in dry air or H2/Ar ambient at ∼390 °C. The best performance of a Cd1−xZnxTe cell ( V OC = 737 mV , J SC = 19 mA / cm 2 ) was found for treatment with vapors of the mixed CdCl2+0.5%ZnCl2 in an H2/Ar ambient after pre-annealing at ∼520 °C in pure H2/Ar.

Alkynyl Pd(II) azido complexes of the type [Pd(N3)(C C R)L2] (1–3) were obtained by reactions of aqueous NaN3 with [Pd(Cl)(C C R)L2] (R = Ph or C(O)OMe). Treating compounds 1–3 with organic isocyanides (R–NC) afforded novel complexes, trans-[Pd(C C Ph)(N C N R)(PMe3)2] (R = 2,6-Me2C6H3 (4) or 2,6-Et2C6H3 (5)) and trans-[Pd(C C R)(CN4-t-Bu)L2] (6: L = PMe3, R = Ph; 7: L = PEt3, R = C(O)OMe; 8: L = PMe3, R = C(O)OMe), which contain either a carbodiimido or a C-coordinated tetrazolato group. Reactions of compounds 1 and 2 with R–N C S (R = 2,6-Me2C6H3 or CH2CH3) and 1,4-phenylene diisothiocyanate (C6H4(N C S)2) smoothly proceeded to give tetrazole–thiolato complexes, trans-[Pd(C CPh)(SCN4–R)L2] (L = PMe3, R = Et (9) or 2,6-Me2C6H3 (10); L = PEt3, R = 2,6-Me2C6H3 (11)), and a phenylene-bridged dinuclear Pd(II) tetrazole–thiolato complex, [(PEt3)2(C CPh)Pd(SCN4-(μ-C6H4)–SCN4)Pd(C CPh)(PEt3)2] (12), respectively. Complexes 9–12 contain the Pd–S bond that is formed by the dipolar cycloaddition of the organic isothiocyanate to the Pd–azido bond. In contrast, the corresponding reactions of compounds 1and 2 with C6F5CN and Me3SiCN (organic nitriles, R–CN) gave an N-coordinated Pd(II)-tetrazolato compound {trans-[Pd(C C Ph)(N4C–C6F5)(PMe3)2] (13)} and a mixture of Pd(II)-cyano complexes {trans-[Pd(C C Ph)(CN)(PEt3)2] (14) and [Pd(CN)2(PEt3)2] (15)}, respectively. Bis(phosphine) bis(cyano) complexes of Pd and Ni, [M(CN)2L2] (L = PEt3, PMe3; L2 = DEPE), could be obtained independently by the reactions of [M(N3)2L2] with excess Me3SiCN in organic solvents.

We describe terminal changes in a long-term follow-up of a 51-year-old man with sporadic hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy (HSAN). From the age of 15 years onwards, he suffered from multiple painless ulcers of his feet and fingers, necessitating amputation. Neurological studies revealed almost complete sensory loss affecting all modalities in the upper and lower limbs, minimal involvement of motor fibers, and areflexia. A neurophysiological abnormality involved an absence of sensory action potentials with relatively normal motor nerve conduction velocities. Biopsy of the sural nerve showed almost total loss of myelinated fibers with a mild decrease in unmyelinated fibers. Despite the late onset of the disease, the progressive course, and the lancinating pain, the terminal features of this patient, which involved a selective loss of myelinated fibers and widespread sensory loss, seem to be symptomatic of HSAN II, the progressive form of autosomal recessive sensory neuropathy, and emphasize the clinical heterogeneity of HSAN.

This study was performed to evaluate the recommended neuroimaging guidelines using the degree of internal and external dysfunction to avoid unnecessary catheter angiography (CA) for screening isolated oculomotor nerve palsy (IOP). We analyzed the causes and clinical characteristics of 28 consecutive patients with IOP between January 1992 and August 1999. By investigating the association of the degree of internal and external dysfunction with the etiologies of IOP, and by applying guidelines (modified by us) to these patients, we evaluated the usefulness of those guidelines. When we strictly applied the modified guidelines to our patients, CA should have been performed in 13 out of 28 patients (46.4%). These were five patients with normal pupil and partial external dysfunction (PED) due to youth or absence of pathological vascular risk factors (four ischemic; one migrainous). In addition, there were four patients with partial internal dysfunction (PID) and PED (one ischemic; one migrainous and two neoplastic); one with PID and complete external dysfunction (CED) due to young age (ischemic); one with complete internal dysfunction (CID) and PED (aneurysmal) and two with CID and CED (aneurysmal). Ten of 13 patients (76.9%) would have unnecessary CA, but no patients with aneurysms would be missed using these revised guidelines. Modified neuroimaging guidelines, using the degree of internal and external dysfunction, seem to be useful in the management of IOP.

We present an approach to road recognition based on Kalman filtering and EM theory resulting in a fast recursive filter that can adaptively track unpaved roads. The road model uses linear dynamic equations and an ANN front end detects road boundaries. Kalman filters construct search neighborhoods and adapt the ANN to road conditions. The road model adapts to motion dynamics using EM. Experimental results are presented.

The performance of a.c. plasma display panels (PDP) is influenced strongly by the surface glow-discharge characteristics on the MgO-thin films. This paper deals with the surface glow-discharge characteristics and some physical properties of MgO-thin films prepared by reactive RF planar unbalanced magnetron sputtering in connection with a.c. PDP. The samples prepared with the d.c. bias voltage of −10 V showed lower discharge voltage, lower erosion rate by ion bombardment, higher optical transparency and higher crack resistance in the annealing process than those samples prepared by conventional magnetron sputtering or E -beam evaporation.

It is found by Mőssbauer measurements on M0.025Fe0.975S (M=Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu) that the 3d transition-metal impurities influence the spin reorientation transitions of iron sulfide. It is noteworthy that both V0.025Fe0.975S and Co0.025Fe0.975S have Morin transition temperatures TM which are distinctly different from that of FeS; furthermore, the directions of the TM changes are opposite for V0.025Fe0.975S and Co0.025Fe0.975S. However, it is found that both the Neel temperature TN and the α-transition temperature Tα are almost unaffected by the 3d transition-metal impurities. A vanadium impurity of 2.5% of the metal atoms in the iron sulfide makes the crystallographic transition take place rapidly in a narrow temperature region of about 15 K, while the α transition in FeS takes place over a wide temperature range of about 200 K. It is also found that the α transition for V0.025Fe0.975S has a hysteresis width of 5 K.