Are Imaging Evaluations of Soft-Tissue Masses Before Referral to a Specialized Center Being Performed Properly? A Systematic Review.

Background/objectives: Since the initial approach towards the clinical presentation of soft-tissue masses is challenging for frontline physicians, some countries use clinical practice guidelines. Proper imaging work-up is crucial to differentiate between soft-tissue tumors. Recently, ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been widely used.

Protective effects of black ginseng on testicular toxicity induced by Di--butyl phthalate in rats.

Di--butyl phthalate (DBP) is a phthalate-based material used as a plasticizer to soften polyvinyl chloride, and classified as an endocrine disruptor with antiandrogen effects. Exposure to DBP induces oxidative stress in rat testes, resulting in testicular toxicity. Black ginseng (BG) exhibits a higher antioxidant activity than white or red ginseng following repeated heat treatment and processing.

Male animal sterilization: history, current practices, and potential methods for replacing castration.

Sterilization and castration have been synonyms for thousands of years. Making an animal sterile meant to render them incapable of producing offspring. Castration or the physical removal of the testes was discovered to be the most simple but reliable method for managing reproduction and sexual behavior in the male.

Cryptorchidism and testicular cancer in the dog: unresolved questions and challenges in translating insights from human studies†.

Cryptorchidism, the failure of one or both testes to descend into the scrotum, and testicular cancer show a strong correlation in both dogs and humans. Yet, long-standing medical debates persist about whether the location of undescended testes directly causes testicular cancer in humans or if both conditions stem from a common origin. Although testicular cancer is a prevalent disease in dogs, even less is known about its cause and correlation with testicular descent in this species.

The "Swing-Door" Regrafting of Donor Site: An Alternative Method for Split-Thickness Skin Graft in the Hand.

 Skin defects in the hands are common injuries, and autologous skin grafting is the ideal treatment. However, complications can occur at the donor and recipient sites. This study compares the "Swing-door" technique with conventional skin grafting.

Evaluation of the anti-androgenic and cytotoxic effects of benzophenone-3 in male Sprague-Dawley rats.

Benzophenone-3 (BP-3, 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone, oxybenzone) is one of the most widely used types of benzophenone organic sunscreen. However, this compound is a potentially harmful toxicant. The aim of this study was 2-fold to: (1) utilize a Hershberger bioassay in castrated male Sprague-Dawley rats to investigate the anti-androgenic activities of BP-3, and (2) use a methyl tetrazolium assay to compare the toxicity between Leydig cells (TM3 cells) and mouse fibroblast (NIH-3T3) cell lines.

Single or double Kirschner wire fixation: which provides better outcomes for pediatric proximal phalanx base fractures?

Purpose: The most common hand fracture in children is seen at the base of the proximal phalanx. This study aims to compare clinical outcomes of single versus double Kirschner wire pinning for pediatric proximal phalanx base fractures.

Patients And Methods: The retrospective study enrolled patients who underwent closed K-wire pinning for proximal phalanx base fractures from January 2016 to February 2022.

Development of rapid and effective oil-spill response system integrated with oil collection, recovery and storage devices for small oil spills at initial stage: From lab-scale study to field-scale test.

In the present study, through the laboratory-to-field scale experiments and trials, we report the development and evaluation of an integrated oil-spill response system capable of oil collection, recovery (separation), and storage, for a timely and effective response to the initial stage of oil-spill accidents. With the laboratory-scale experiments, first, we evaluate that the water-surface waves tend to abate the oil recovery rate below 80% (it is above 95% for the optimized configuration without the waves), which is overcome by installing the hydrophilic (and oleophobic) porous structures at the inlet and/or near the water outlet of the separator. In the follow-up meso-scale towing tank tests with a scaled-up prototype, (i) we optimize the maneuverability of the assembled system depending on the speed and existence of waves, and (ii) evaluate the oil recovery performance (more than 80% recovery for the olive oil and Bunker A fuel oil).

Development of Nano-Sized Copper-Deposited Antimicrobial Air Filters Using a Mixed Melt-Blown Process.

Air purification devices, such as air purifiers, provide fresh air by filtering out airborne pollutants, dust, and other harmful substances using various filter systems. While air filters are generally effective in filtering pollutants such as dust, they encounter a challenge when filtering harmful microorganisms such as mites, bacteria, mold, and viruses. These microorganisms, which are present in public transport and public indoor spaces, tend to proliferate on the surface of the filter media, eventually reintroducing themselves into the air or causing unpleasant odors.

Single neonatal estrogen implant sterilizes female animals by decreasing hypothalamic KISS1 expression.

Reproductive sterilization by surgical gonadectomy is strongly advocated to help manage animal populations, especially domesticated pets, and to prevent reproductive behaviors and diseases. This study explored the use of a single-injection method to induce sterility in female animals as an alternative to surgical ovariohysterectomy. The idea was based on our recent finding that repetitive daily injection of estrogen into neonatal rats disrupted hypothalamic expression of Kisspeptin (KISS1), the neuropeptide that triggers and regulates pulsatile secretion of GnRH.

Simple curettage and allogeneic cancellous bone chip impaction grafting in solitary enchondroma of the short tubular bones of the hand.

Enchondroma is the most common bone tumor in the hand. While standard surgical procedure is intra-lesional excision and bone grafting, there is a dispute between allogeneic bone, autogenous bone, and synthetic bone substitute grafting. Diverse adjuvant treatments have been introduced to reduce recurrence, but results are mixed with controversies.

Whole-Neck Non-Contrast-Enhanced MR Angiography Using Velocity Selective Magnetization Preparation.

This study aimed to optimize velocity-selective magnetic resonance angiography (VS-MRA) protocols for whole-neck angiography and demonstrate its feasibility in healthy subjects with comparisons to clinical 3D time-of-flight (TOF) angiography. To help optimize VS-MRA protocols, 2D phase-contrast (PC) flow imaging and 3D B and B field mappings were performed on five healthy volunteers. Based on these measurements, a slab-selective (SS) inversion preparation was applied prior to a VS saturation preparation to further suppress venous blood, while the VS preparation pulse was designed with compensation for field offsets.

Plant cell-like tip-growing polymer precipitate with structurally embedded multistimuli sensing ability.

Soft systems that respond to external stimuli, such as heat, magnetic field, and light, find applications in a range of fields including soft robotics, energy harvesting, and biomedicine. However, most of the existing systems exhibit nondirectional, nastic movement as they can neither grow nor sense the direction of stimuli. In this regard, artificial systems are outperformed by organisms capable of directional growth in response to the sense of stimuli or tropic growth.

High prevalence of sarcopenia in Asian female patients awaiting primary total knee arthroplasty: Application of updated diagnostic tools from the Asian working group for sarcopenia.

Introduction: Sarcopenia, a loss of muscle mass and strength with aging, is associated with various TKA-related complications. In 2020, the AWGS published an undated guideline (AWGS 2019) based on studies from East and Southeast Asia. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia in Asian female patients awaiting primary total knee arthroplasty due to advanced knee osteoarthritis using the updated AWGS criteria.

Lifetime changes of the oocyte pool: Contributing factors with a focus on ovulatory inflammation.

In mammalian species, females are born with a number of oocytes exceeding what they release via ovulation. In humans, an average girl is born with over a thousand times more oocytes than she will ovulate in her lifetime. The reason for having such an excessive number of oocytes in a neonatal female ovary is currently unknown.

Endothelin 2: a key player in ovulation and fertility.

Ovulation is the fundamental biological process during which an oocyte is expelled from the ovary, and it is an essential step toward establishing a pregnancy. Understanding regulatory mechanisms governing the ovulation process is essential for diagnosing and treating causes of infertility, identifying contraceptive targets, and developing novel contraception methods. Endothelin-2 (EDN2) is a 21 amino acid-long peptide that is transiently synthesized by granulosa cells of the ovulatory follicle prior to ovulation and plays an essential role in ovulation via promoting contraction in the myofibroblast cells of the theca layer of the follicle.

Daily associations between modifiable sleep behaviors and nighttime sleep among young adult drinkers with insomnia.

Study Objectives: Empirical evidence linking individual sleep hygiene practices to subsequent sleep parameters is limited, particularly at the daily level. This study compared the strength of daily, within-person associations between these modifiable sleep behaviors and nighttime sleep in young adult drinkers with insomnia.

Methods: Young adults (ages 18-30 years; n = 56) who met diagnostic criteria for insomnia and reported past-month binge drinking wore wrist actigraphy and completed online sleep diaries for 8.

Coalescence of oil drops and films on micropillared substrates enabled by enhanced water drainage through pillar gaps.

Collecting or removing oil drops dispersed in water is essential in a range of industrial processes including oil recovery and oil spill cleanup. However, it is by no means easy to induce merging of oil drops with another body of oil due to slow drainage of the intervening water film. Here, we report immediate coalescence of oil drops with oil films that lie on micropillar arrays as immersed in various aqueous solutions.

Sleep and alcohol use among young adult drinkers with Insomnia: A daily process model.

Background: Previous studies examining associations between sleep and alcohol use have done so primarily at the aggregate (between-person) level and primarily among healthy young adults. This study aimed to examine reciprocal, within-person associations between sleep and alcohol use among young adult drinkers with insomnia.

Methods: Young adults who engaged in past-month binge drinking and met diagnostic criteria for insomnia (N = 56) wore wrist actigraphy and completed online daily diaries assessing sleep and drinking for an average of 8.

Insomnia treatment effects among young adult drinkers: Secondary outcomes of a randomized pilot trial.

Background: Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) has moderate-to-large effects on insomnia among young adult drinkers, with preliminary data indicating that improvements in insomnia may have downstream effects on alcohol-related consequences. However, the mechanism(s) by which insomnia treatment may facilitate reductions in alcohol-related problems is unclear. Secondary outcome data from a randomized pilot trial were used to examine CBT-I effects on four proposed mediators of the insomnia/alcohol link: alcohol craving, delay discounting, negative affect, and difficulties with emotion regulation.

Gender, acculturation, and alcohol-related consequences among college students of color.

Objective: The present study examined if identification with mainstream American culture (acculturation) and heritage culture (enculturation) are differentially associated with blackouts and other drinking consequences among male and female college students of color.

Participants: Participants were college students ( = 150) who self-identified as a racial/ethnic minority and endorsed blackouts in the past year.

Methods: Regression models were used to examine gender-by-acculturation/enculturation interaction effects on alcohol-induced blackout and other alcohol-related consequences.

Impact of distance from implant center on mechanical circulatory device patient outcomes.

Objectives: Patients on left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support receive extensive care and education before discharge home. We investigated the impact of patient's residential distance from LVAD implantation center on outcomes and survival.

Methods: A total of 214 patients received a LVAD between 2006 and 2018 at our institution.

Conformal Projection Printing Method to Increase the Accuracy of 3D Printed Nails.

Incorporating technologies such as 3D printers and the Internet of things (IoT) can improve the nail art industry by making it more efficient, and, most importantly, safer. It eliminates the need for physical shops such as nail salons. Nail art by 3D printing technology can achieve higher resolution and accuracy than before with conformal projection printing method (CPPM).

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia among young adults who are actively drinking: a randomized pilot trial.

Study Objectives: More than half of young adults at risk for alcohol-related harm report symptoms of insomnia. Insomnia symptoms, in turn, have been associated with alcohol-related problems. Yet one of the first-line treatments for insomnia (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia or CBT-I) has not been tested among individuals who are actively drinking.

Depressive symptoms as a moderator of college student response to computerized alcohol intervention.

Background: Personalized normative alcohol feedback (PNF) is associated with decreased alcohol use among young adults. However, limited research has examined the influence of depressive symptoms on PNF efficacy. This study examined symptoms of depression as a moderator of college student response to a computerized PNF intervention for alcohol use.