Association Between Higher Body Mass Index and the Risk of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis in Korean Populations: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Despite the increasing prevalence of both spinal stenosis and obesity, their association remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the risk of lumbar spinal stenosis in the Korean population using nationwide data. We analyzed data from 2,161,684 adults aged ≥40 years who underwent health examinations in 2009 using the Korean National Health Insurance System database.

Intergranular Shielding for Ultrafine-Grained Mo-Doped Ni-Rich Li[Ni Co ]O Cathode for Li-Ion Batteries with High Energy Density and Long Life.

Deploying Ni-enriched (Ni≥95 %) layered cathodes for high energy-density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) requires resolving a series of technical challenges. Among them, the structural weaknesses of the cathode, vigorous reactivity of the labile Ni ion species, gas evolution and associated cell swelling, and thermal instability issues are critical obstacles that must be solved. Herein, we propose an intuitive strategy that can effectively ameliorate the degradation of an extremely high-Ni-layered cathode, the construction of ultrafine-scale microstructure and subsequent intergranular shielding of grains.

Monoradiculopathy-induced abdominal pseudohernia caused by T11-12 soft disc herniation: a case report and literature review.

Background: An abdominal pseudohernia is a rare clinical entity that consists of an abnormal bulging of the abdominal wall that can resemble a true hernia but does not have an associated underlying fascial or muscle defect. Abdominal pseudohernia is believed to result from denervation of the abdominal muscles in cases of herpes zoster infection, diabetes mellitus, lower thoracic or upper lumbar disc herniation, surgical injuries, and rib fracture. To date, nine cases of abdominal pseudohernia caused by disc herniation at the lower thoracic or upper lumbar levels have been reported.

Recanalization of external iliac artery occlusion in a patient with spinal stenosis using medications: a case report.

Background: Iliac artery occlusion accompanied by spinal canal stenosis is rare. All reported cases were treated with endovascular stenting for iliac artery occlusion. We report the first case of external iliac artery occlusion accompanied by spinal stenosis, which was successfully treated with conservative treatment.

Effect of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis on Treatment of Osteoporosis: Comparison of Three Oral Bisphosphonate Therapies.

(1) Background: Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) causes uncomfortable neuropathic symptoms, which can negatively affect osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of LSS on bone mineral density (BMD) in patients treated with one of three oral bisphosphonates (ibandronate, alendronate and risedronate) for initially diagnosed osteoporosis. (2) Methods: We included 346 patients treated with oral bisphosphonates for three years.

Self-Disclosure and Post-traumatic Growth in Korean Adults: A Multiple Mediating Model of Deliberate Rumination, Positive Social Responses, and Meaning of Life.

Background: To explore how self-disclosure leads to post-traumatic growth (PTG) in adults who have experienced traumatic events, this study identified the relationship between self-disclosure and post-traumatic growth in Korean adults. We examined a parallel multiple mediating model for this relationship.

Methods: Participants were 318 Korean male and female adult participants aged 20 years or older who had experienced trauma.

A sweat-activated, wearable microbial fuel cell for long-term, on-demand power generation.

In this work, we enabled on-demand, long-functioning, sweat-based power generation through a wearable paper-based microbial fuel cell (MFC) using a novel spore-forming biocatalyst, Bacillus subtilis. The MFC is sustainable and survivable even in the extreme environmental conditions of human skin. B.

Rapidly progressive gas-forming infection involving the spine as a life-threatening fatal condition : a case report.

Background: Gas forming infection of the spine is a consequence of vertebral osteomyelitis, necrotizing fasciitis, or a gas-forming epidural abscess, which is very rare and fatal conditions. This is the rare case of necrotizing fasciitis that rapidly progressed from the lumbar area to upper thoracic area.

Case Presentation: A 58-year-old male complained of lower back pain with fever and chills.

Long-Segmental Posterior Fusion Combined With Vertebroplasty and Wiring: Alternative Surgical Technique for Kummell's Disease With Neurologic Deficits-A Retrospective Case Series.

Purpose: Various surgical methods have been reported for Kummell's disease with neurologic deficits. The aim of this study was to introduce long-segmental posterior fusion (LPF) combined with vertebroplasty (VP) and wiring as an alternative surgical technique.

Material And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 10 patients undergoing posterior decompression and LPF combined with VP and wiring for Kummell's disease with neurologic deficits from January 2011 to December 2014.

Bioelectricity production from sweat-activated germination of bacterial endospores.

A microbial fuel cell is created that uses a bacterium's natural ability to revive from dormancy to provide on-demand power for next-generation wearable applications. In adverse conditions, Bacillus subtilis responds by becoming endospores that serve as a dormant biocatalyst embedded in a skin-mountable paper-based microbial fuel cell. When activated by nutrient-rich human sweat, the germinating bacteria produce enough electricity to operate small devices, such as the calculator that we operated to test our methodology.

Cervical foraminal stenosis causing unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis without neurologic manifestation: A case report and review of the literature.

Rationale: Unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis due to cervical spondylosis has rarely been reported. We present the first case of unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis without radicular pain or motor weakness due to cervical foraminal stenosis and a review of the related literature.

Patient Concerns: A 59-year-old man presented with dyspnea and fever.

A simple, inexpensive, and rapid method to assess antibiotic effectiveness against exoelectrogenic bacteria.

A sufficiently fast and simple antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is urgently required to guide effective antibiotic usages and to surveil the antimicrobial resistance rate. Here, we establish a rapid, quantitative, and high-throughput phenotypic AST by measuring electrons transferred from the interiors of microbial cells to external electrodes. Because the transferred electrons are based on microbial metabolic activities and are inversely proportional to the concentration of potential antibiotics, the changes in electrical outputs can be readily used as a transducing signal to efficiently monitor bacterial growth and antibiotic susceptibility.

Portable, Disposable, Paper-Based Microbial Fuel Cell Sensor Utilizing Freeze-Dried Bacteria for In Situ Water Quality Monitoring.

Water quality monitoring is becoming an essential part of our lives as increasing human activities continue to spill unknown and unexpected contaminants into our water systems. To ensure the provision of safe and clean water to the public and the ecosystem, the development of rapid and sensitive in situ early warning systems for water toxicity monitoring is crucial. In this work, an entirely paper-based microbial fuel cell sensor utilizing freeze-dried bacteria is demonstrated as a portable and disposable water toxicity sensor.

Enabling reversible redox reactions in electrochemical cells using protected LiAl intermetallics as lithium metal anodes.

Rechargeable electrochemical cells with metallic anodes are of increasing scientific and technological interest. The complex composition, poorly defined morphology, heterogeneous chemistry, and unpredictable mechanics of interphases formed spontaneously on the anodes are often examined but rarely controlled. Here, we couple computational studies with experimental analysis of well-defined LiAl electrodes in realistic electrochemical environments to design anodes and interphases of known composition.

Obtaining Thickness-Limited Electrospray Deposition for 3D Coating.

Electrospray processing utilizes the balance of electrostatic forces and surface tension within a charged spray to produce charged microdroplets with a narrow dispersion in size. In electrospray deposition, each droplet carries a small quantity of suspended material to a target substrate. Past electrospray deposition results fall into two major categories: (1) continuous spray of films onto conducting substrates and (2) spray of isolated droplets onto insulating substrates.

Quadriplegia caused by an epidural abscess occurring at the same level of cervical destructive spondyloarthropathy: a case report.

Background: Destructive spondyloarthropathy (DSA) is one of the major complications in patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis. To the best of our knowledge, an epidural abscess occurring at the level of preexisting cervical DSA has not been well described in the literature. We report a unique case of quadriplegia caused by an epidural abscess occurring at the same level of preexisting cervical DSA.