Parametric studies on energy utilization of the Chinese medicine residues: Preparation and properties of densified pellet.

The depletion of fossil fuels has fueled an increased interest in biomass resources usage for heat and electricity generation. As an important biomass resource, Chinese medicine residues have great potential in substituting fossil fuels. However, that is basically limited by its poor properties, including low bulk density, high moisture content, and inhomogeneous structure. Herein, a safe and sustainable strategy was reported to prepare a high-quality densified pellet derived from Chinese medicine residues to address these worries. In this process, mixed and simple size materials were densified under various moisture content and pressure using a laboratory electronic tablet press machine equipped a single pellet mold. Results showed that higher pressure, ideal moisture content (∼6.5 %), and mixed particle size could densify better quality pellets. These findings pave the way for the safely and efficient resource utilization of Chinese medicine residues, as well as providing theoretical guidance and technical support for the household heating.

Improving Fairness of Automated Chest Radiograph Diagnosis by Contrastive Learning.

Purpose To develop an artificial intelligence model that uses supervised contrastive learning (SCL) to minimize bias in chest radiograph diagnosis. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, the proposed method was evaluated on two datasets: the Medical Imaging and Data Resource Center (MIDRC) dataset with 77 887 chest radiographs in 27 796 patients collected as of April 20, 2023, for COVID-19 diagnosis and the National Institutes of Health ChestX-ray14 dataset with 112 120 chest radiographs in 30 805 patients collected between 1992 and 2015. In the ChestX-ray14 dataset, thoracic abnormalities included atelectasis, cardiomegaly, effusion, infiltration, mass, nodule, pneumonia, pneumothorax, consolidation, edema, emphysema, fibrosis, pleural thickening, and hernia. The proposed method used SCL with carefully selected positive and negative samples to generate fair image embeddings, which were fine-tuned for subsequent tasks to reduce bias in chest radiograph diagnosis. The method was evaluated using the marginal area under the receiver operating characteristic curve difference (∆mAUC). Results The proposed model showed a significant decrease in bias across all subgroups compared with the baseline models, as evidenced by a paired t test (P < .001). The ∆mAUCs obtained by the proposed method were 0.01 (95% CI: 0.01, 0.01), 0.21 (95% CI: 0.21, 0.21), and 0.10 (95% CI: 0.10, 0.10) for sex, race, and age subgroups, respectively, on the MIDRC dataset and 0.01 (95% CI: 0.01, 0.01) and 0.05 (95% CI: 0.05, 0.05) for sex and age subgroups, respectively, on the ChestX-ray14 dataset. Conclusion Employing SCL can mitigate bias in chest radiograph diagnosis, addressing concerns of fairness and reliability in deep learning-based diagnostic methods. Keywords: Thorax, Diagnosis, Supervised Learning, Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), Computer-aided Diagnosis (CAD) Supplemental material is available for this article. © RSNA, 2024 See also the commentary by Johnson in this issue.

Egg coverings in insects: ecological adaptation to abiotic and biotic selective pressures.

Insects have evolved a spectrum of strategies that facilitate survival in the face of adverse environmental conditions and bottom-up or top-down pressures. The egg is the first stage in the life cycle of most insects. It is not only immobile but in many insects is the stage that survives unfavourable seasons when food resources are unavailable. Eggs are targeted by oophagous natural enemies and also are subject to abiotic stresses. In response to these diverse stresses, insects have developed various egg protection strategies. Females of many insects lay eggs in clusters and then use their own body resources to cover them to provide protection from harsh environments and biotic attack. Such egg protection strategies have allowed some herbivorous insects to thrive in new environments and become serious invasive pests. Females of many insects protect their eggs in other ways (e.g. laying eggs in concealed places, direct parental care) while others do not provide protection at all. Here, we review various egg protective strategies in insects. Our focus is on adaptive ecological mechanisms and temporal variation as well as the benefits and costs of egg coverings. We highlight several case studies on how these egg protective traits might impede biological control of globally important agricultural and forest pests and propose a framework for incorporating egg protective traits into biological control programs especially for invasive insect pests.

NiO-Incorporated Cu/Cu2O Nanowires for Highly Efficient Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia.

Electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia (NRA) is a promising sustainable way to synthesize ammonia (NH3) from nitrate (NO3-) contaminants. Cu-based electrocatalysts are frequently utilized for NRA due to their strong NO3- adsorption and de-oxygenation ability. However, this kind of catalyst usually possesses the weak water dissociation ability, resulting in insufficient proton supply in alkaline media to retard the following hydrogenation step of O-containing intermediates (*NOx, typically NO2-) to target NH3. Herein, NiO-incorporated Cu/Cu2O nanowires grown on nickel foam (p-CuNi@NF, p refers to plasma treatment) were synthesized via hydrothermal growth and subsequent O2 plasma treatment for efficient NRA electrocatalysis. On this p-CuNi@NF catalyst, NiO is able to accelerate the hydrogenation step by promoting the water dissociation to provide protons, ultimately facilitating efficient NRA. p-CuNi@NF exhibits excellent NH3 selectivity and yield in a wide potential range and reaches a high Faradaic efficiency (FENH3) of 97.5% and a yield (YNH3) of 470 µmol h-1 cm-2 at -0.6 V, both of which largely surpass the Cu/Cu2O catalyst.

Preparation and Electrochromic Properties of MnO2/PPy Composite Films with Coral-like Structures.

MnO2/polypyrrole (PPy) composite films were deposited on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) conductive glasses by a two-step wet-chemical method, including electrochemical deposition and chemical bath deposition (CBD). The porous MnO2 films were first grown on FTO glasses by an electrodeposition method. Second, polypyrrole nanoparticles were polymerized by the oxidation-reduction reaction between MnO2 and pyrrole, using the presynthesized MnO2 as the skeleton. Then, MnO2/PPy composite films with coral-like structures were obtained. The electrochemical and electrochromic (EC) properties of the prepared films were investigated. The results show that, compared to the single MnO2 or PPy film, the MnO2/PPy composite film has a larger optical modulation (67.3% at a wavelength of 900 nm), faster response times (4 s for coloration and 3 s for bleaching), and a higher coloration efficiency (218.16 cm2·C-1). The high coloration efficiency attests to the exceptional performance of the composite film in converting electrical signals into vivid color changes. The electrochemical stability test results show that the composite film maintains a stable EC performance after 200 coloration/bleaching cycles. The coral-like structures of the composite film are responsible for the better EC properties.

Adipose-derived stem cells in diabetic foot care: Bridging clinical trials and practical application.

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) pose a critical medical challenge, significantly im-pairing the quality of life of patients. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) have been identified as a promising therapeutic approach for improving wound healing in DFUs. Despite extensive exploration of the mechanical aspects of ADSC therapy against DFU, its clinical applications remain elusive. In this review, we aimed to bridge this gap by evaluating the use and advancements of ADSCs in the clinical management of DFUs. The review begins with a discussion of the classification and clinical management of diabetic foot conditions. It then discusses the current landscape of clinical trials, focusing on their geographic distribution, reported efficacy, safety profiles, treatment timing, administration techniques, and dosing considerations. Finally, the review discusses the preclinical strategies to enhance ADSC efficacy. This review shows that many trials exhibit biases in study design, unclear inclusion criteria, and intervention protocols. In conclusion, this review underscores the potential of ADSCs in DFU treatment and emphasizes the critical need for further research and refinement of therapeutic approaches, with a focus on improving the quality of future clinical trials to enhance treatment outcomes and advance the field of diabetic wound care.

Thermal decomposition mechanism of HMX/HTPB hybrid explosives studied by reactive molecular dynamics.

CONTEXT: The thermal decomposition process of octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine/hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HMX/HTPB) hybrid explosives and pure HMX explosives at different temperatures (2000 ~ 3500 K) was investigated using the reactive molecular dynamics method. This study aimed to analyze the effect of binders on the thermal decomposition of HMX at the atomic scale and reveal the thermal decomposition mechanism of HMX/HTPB. The results showed that the thermal decomposition process of the HMX molecule in the HMX/HTPB hybrid system involves a continuous denitration followed by the disintegration of the main ring. The HTPB chain will experience dehydrogenation, dehydroxylation, and chain fragmentation. Including HTPB in the hybrid system significantly increased the presence of H and OH radicals. These radicals then interacted with HMX and its decomposition products and produced more of the final products H2O and H2 in the HMX/HTPB hybrid system compared to pure HMX. Additionally, it was observed that the HTPB chain fragments attached to the HMX decomposition products prevented the formation of N2 and CO2. Furthermore, the activation energies (Ea) of the initial and intermediate decomposition stages of the HMX/HTPB hybrid system were 98.45 kJ mol-1 and 90.69 kJ mol-1, respectively. The results showed that the activation energies of the HMX/HTPB hybrid system are lower than the pure HMX system in these two stages. Consequently, HTPB will enhance HMX's thermal decomposition and decreased the system's insensitivity to heat stimuli. METHODS: The molecular dynamics simulation of the HMX/HTPB hybrid system was performed using the ReaxFF module in the LAMMPS software, and the ReaxFF/lg force field was used to describe the interatomic interactions as well as the chemical reactions.

The lncRNA1-miR6288b-3p-PpTCP4-PpD2 module regulates peach branch number by affecting brassinosteroid biosynthesis.

Branch number is one of the most important agronomic traits of fruit trees such as peach. Little is known about how LncRNA and/or miRNA modules regulate branching through transcription factors. Here, we used molecular and genetic tools to clarify the molecular mechanisms underlying brassinosteroid (BR) altering plant branching. We found that the number of sylleptic branch and BR content in pillar peach ('Zhaoshouhong') was lower than those of standard type ('Okubo'), and exogenous BR application could significantly promote branching. PpTCP4 expressed great differentially comparing 'Zhaoshouhong' with 'Okubo'. PpTCP4 could directly bind to DWARF2 (PpD2) and inhibited its expression. PpD2 was the only one differentially expressed key gene in the path of BR biosynthesis. At the same time, PpTCP4 was identified as a target of miR6288b-3p. LncRNA1 could act as the endogenous target mimic of miR6288b-3p and repress expression of miR6288b-3p. Three deletions and five SNP sites of lncRNA1 promoter were found in 'Zhaoshouhong', which was an important cause of different mRNA level of PpTCP4 and BR content. Moreover, overexpressed PpTCP4 significantly inhibited branching. A novel mechanism in which the lncRNA1-miR6288b-3p-PpTCP4-PpD2 module regulates peach branching number was proposed.

Global and Latest Hotspots of Female Genital Plastic Surgery in the Past 20 Years: A Bibliometric and Visualized Review.

BACKGROUND: An increasing number of surgical and nonsurgical interventions are available in the field of female genital plastic surgery. The rate of female genital plastic surgery has increased by nearly 220 percent over the past 5 years. Despite several studies on the topic, no relevant bibliometric analysis has been conducted. METHODS: We searched the Web of Science Core Collection for articles related to female genital plastic surgery. CiteSpace 6.1.R2 (Drexel University, USA) and VOSviewer 1.6.10.0 (Leiden University, the Netherlands) were used, and national distribution, institutions, journals, authors, and key words were analyzed and calculated. RESULTS: From 2003 to 2022, 1299 papers in the field of female genital plastic surgery were retrieved. There were more articles produced in the United States, and there were also two institutions in the Netherlands that were highly productive. A wide and close relationship has been established between researchers and institutions conducting female genital plastic surgery. Professor Bouman MB published the most articles on female genital plastic surgery in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. Female genital plastic surgery dominated the top 10 references with the highest local citation score. There were four clusters of key words with the most citations, and the most recently trending key words were "vaginal agenesis," "transgender," and "congenital adrenal hyperplasia." CONCLUSIONS: The purpose of this article is to provide a summary of the current research status focusing on female genital plastic surgery. It is hoped that more efforts will be made to promote the development of female genital plastic surgery in the future.

A comprehensive review of deep learning in EEG-based emotion recognition: classifications, trends, and practical implications.

Emotion recognition utilizing EEG signals has emerged as a pivotal component of human-computer interaction. In recent years, with the relentless advancement of deep learning techniques, using deep learning for analyzing EEG signals has assumed a prominent role in emotion recognition. Applying deep learning in the context of EEG-based emotion recognition carries profound practical implications. Although many model approaches and some review articles have scrutinized this domain, they have yet to undergo a comprehensive and precise classification and summarization process. The existing classifications are somewhat coarse, with insufficient attention given to the potential applications within this domain. Therefore, this article systematically classifies recent developments in EEG-based emotion recognition, providing researchers with a lucid understanding of this field's various trajectories and methodologies. Additionally, it elucidates why distinct directions necessitate distinct modeling approaches. In conclusion, this article synthesizes and dissects the practical significance of EEG signals in emotion recognition, emphasizing its promising avenues for future application.

Designing a Consumer-centric Care Management Program by Prioritizing Interventions Using Deep Learning Causal Inference.

Care management is a team-based and patient-centered approach to reduce health risks and improve outcomes for managed populations. Post Discharge Management (PDM) is an important care management program at Elevance Health, which is aimed at reducing 30-day readmission risk for recently discharged patients. The current PDM program suffers from low engagement. When assigning interventions to patients, case managers choose the interventions to be conducted in each call only based on their limited personal experiences. In this work, we use deep learning causal inference to analyze the impact of interventions conducted on the first call on consumer engagement in the PDM program, which provides a reliable reference for case managers to select interventions to promote consumer engagement. With three experiments cross-validating the results, our results show that consumers will engage more in the program if the case manager conducts interventions that require more nurse-patient interactions on the first call. On the other hand, conducting less interactive and more technical interventions on the first call leads to relatively poor consumer engagement. These findings correspond to the clinical sense of experienced nurses and are consistent with previous findings in patient engagement in hospital settings.

Gender- and Age-Related Characterization of Lower Eyelid Morphology: Three-Dimensional Analysis in a Chinese Population.

BACKGROUND: The lower eyelid region is a critical component of the face. It is essential to establish anthropometric reference values for the evaluation of aging, surgical planning and assessment of outcomes in periocular esthetic and rejuvenation procedures. This study aims to provide comprehensive anthropometric data on the Chinese lower eyelid region, into account factors such as sex and age, through three-dimensional imaging analysis. METHOD: Three-dimensional facial images were obtained from 84 healthy Chinese individuals aged between 20-35 and 50-65 years, as well as eight patients aged between 20 and 35 who presented with eyelid bags. A total of 27 landmarks were identified, leading to the generation of corresponding 21 lines, 5 curves, 4 angles, 2 areas and 5 ratios. The measurements were compared among different age groups, genders and young patients with or without eyelid bags. RESULTS: Compared to females, males exhibited a more elongated palpebral fissure, lower tear trough and lid-cheek junction, smaller inner and outer canthus angles, as well as a larger area and proportion of the lower palpebral region. As age progressed, the height and width of the palpebral fissure and inner canthus angle decreased gradually, which was accompanied by sagging of the tear trough and lid-cheek junction, an increase in lower eyelid area and swelling of the lower eyelid. Young patients undergoing eyelid bags demonstrated larger and more swelling lower eyelid which held clinical significance for rejuvenation surgery. CONCLUSION: Males exhibited a higher proportion of the brow-eye unit occupied by the lower eyelid region compared to females. Elderly individuals displayed noticeable drooping of the tear trough and lid-cheek junction, accompanied by swelling in the lower palpebral region. These findings can serve as standard references for esthetic procedures and reconstructive periocular operations. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these evidence-based medicine ratings, please refer to Table of Contents or online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

Competition between Self-Assembly and Phase Separation Governs High-Temperature Condensation of a DNA Liquid.

In many biopolymer solutions, attractive interactions that stabilize finite-sized clusters at low concentrations also promote phase separation at high concentrations. Here we study a model biopolymer system that exhibits the opposite behavior, whereby self-assembly of DNA oligonucleotides into finite-sized, stoichiometric clusters tends to inhibit phase separation. We first use microfluidics-based experiments to map a novel phase transition in which the oligonucleotides condense as the temperature increases at high concentrations of divalent cations. We then show that a theoretical model of competition between self-assembly and phase separation quantitatively predicts changes in experimental phase diagrams arising from DNA sequence perturbations. Our results point to a general mechanism by which self-assembly shapes phase boundaries in complex biopolymer solutions.

Biological scaffold as potential platforms for stem cells: Current development and applications in wound healing.

Wound repair is a complex challenge for both clinical practitioners and researchers. Conventional approaches for wound repair have several limitations. Stem cell-based therapy has emerged as a novel strategy to address this issue, exhibiting significant potential for enhancing wound healing rates, improving wound quality, and promoting skin regeneration. However, the use of stem cells in skin regeneration presents several challenges. Recently, stem cells and biomaterials have been identified as crucial components of the wound-healing process. Combination therapy involving the development of biocompatible scaffolds, accompanying cells, multiple biological factors, and structures resembling the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) has gained considerable attention. Biological scaffolds encompass a range of biomaterials that serve as platforms for seeding stem cells, providing them with an environment conducive to growth, similar to that of the ECM. These scaffolds facilitate the delivery and application of stem cells for tissue regeneration and wound healing. This article provides a comprehensive review of the current developments and applications of biological scaffolds for stem cells in wound healing, emphasizing their capacity to facilitate stem cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation, and paracrine functions. Additionally, we identify the pivotal characteristics of the scaffolds that contribute to enhanced cellular activity.

Structures of the mumps virus polymerase complex via cryo-electron microscopy.

The viral polymerase complex, comprising the large protein (L) and phosphoprotein (P), is crucial for both genome replication and transcription in non-segmented negative-strand RNA viruses (nsNSVs), while structures corresponding to these activities remain obscure. Here, we resolved two L-P complex conformations from the mumps virus (MuV), a typical member of nsNSVs, via cryogenic-electron microscopy. One conformation presents all five domains of L forming a continuous RNA tunnel to the methyltransferase domain (MTase), preferably as a transcription state. The other conformation has the appendage averaged out, which is inaccessible to MTase. In both conformations, parallel P tetramers are revealed around MuV L, which, together with structures of other nsNSVs, demonstrates the diverse origins of the L-binding X domain of P. Our study links varying structures of nsNSV polymerase complexes with genome replication and transcription and points to a sliding model for polymerase complexes to advance along the RNA templates.

Assessing parameter efficient methods for pre-trained language model in annotating scRNA-seq data.

Annotating cell types of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data is crucial for studying cellular heterogeneity in the tumor microenvironment. Recently, large-scale pre-trained language models (PLMs) have achieved significant progress in cell-type annotation of scRNA-seq data. This approach effectively addresses previous methods' shortcomings in performance and generalization. However, fine-tuning PLMs for different downstream tasks demands considerable computational resources, rendering it impractical. Hence, a new research branch introduces parameter-efficient fine-tuning (PEFT). This involves optimizing a few parameters while leaving the majority unchanged, leading to substantial reductions in computational expenses. Here, we utilize scBERT, a large-scale pre-trained model, to explore the capabilities of three PEFT methods in scRNA-seq cell type annotation. Extensive benchmark studies across several datasets demonstrate the superior applicability of PEFT methods. Furthermore, downstream analysis using models obtained through PEFT showcases their utility in novel cell type discovery and model interpretability for potential marker genes. Our findings underscore the considerable potential of PEFT in PLM-based cell type annotation, presenting novel perspectives for the analysis of scRNA-seq data.

Bacillus sp. alone or combined with salicylic acid inhibited Trichoderma spp. infection on harvested white Hypsizygus marmoreus.

Introduction: White Hypsizygus marmoreus is a popular edible mushroom. It is rich in nutrition and flavor but vulnerable to fungal disease, resulting in nutrient loss and aging. Methods: In this study, the pathogenic fungus Trichoderma spp. BBP-6 and its antagonist Bacillus sp. 1-23 were isolated and identified. The negative effects caused by this pathogen were judged by detecting a series of changes in the infected white H. marmoreus. The effects of Bacillus sp. 1-23 on Trichoderma spp. BBP-6 and the infected white H. marmoreus were detected. The effect of Bacillus sp. 1-23 treatment combined with salicylic acid (SA) was also considered. Results: The results showed that Trichoderma spp. BBP-6 could affect the activities of antioxidant enzymes PAL, POD, CAT, SOD, GR, PPO, and APX to interfere with the stability of the white H. marmoreus antioxidant enzyme system and cause the mushroom severe browning and nutrition loss, as well as general quality deterioration. Bacillus sp. 1-23 could produce chitinase and chitosanase enzymes to inhibit Trichoderma spp. BBP-6 directly. SA reinforced this inhibitory. Bacillus sp. 1-23 alone or combined with SA could help white H. marmoreus from the Trichoderma spp. BBP-6 infection to effectively maintain nutrients, restore and stabilize the antioxidant system, and reduce the production of malondialdehyde, superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide. Discussion: Thus, such treatments could be considered potential methods to alleviate damage from disease and extend the shelf life of white H. marmoreus.

Facial adult female acne in China: An analysis based on artificial intelligence over one million.

BACKGROUND: To further clarify the acne profile of Chinese adult women, we included 1,156,703 adult women. An artificial intelligence algorithm was used to analyze images taken by high-resolution mobile phones to further explore acne levels in Chinese adult women. METHOD: In this study, we assessed the severity of acne by evaluating patients' selfies through a smartphone application. Furthermore, we gathered basic user information through a questionnaire, including details such as age, gender, skin sensitivity, and dietary habits. RESULTS: This study showed a gradual decrease in acne severity from the age of 25 years. A trough was reached between the ages of 40 and 44, followed by a gradual increase in acne severity. In terms of skin problems and acne severity, we have found that oily skin, hypersensitive skin, frequent makeup application and unhealthy dietary habits can affect the severity of acne. For environment and acne severity, we observed that developed city levels, cold seasons and high altitude and strong radiation affect acne severity in adult women. For the results of the AI analyses, the severity of blackheads, pores, dark circles and skin roughness were positively associated with acne severity in adult women. CONCLUSIONS: AI analysis of high-res phone images in Chinese adult women reveals acne severity trends. Severity decreases after 25, hits a low at 40-44, then gradually rises. Skin type, sensitivity, makeup, diet, urbanization, seasons, altitude, and radiation impact acne. Blackheads, pores, dark circles, and skin roughness are linked to acne severity. These findings inform personalized skincare and public health strategies for adult women.

Mobile phone-assisted imprinted nanozyme for bicolor colorimetric visual detection of erythromycin in river water and milk samples.

The residues of erythromycin (ERY) may have negative impacts on the ecological environment, health, and food safety. How to detect ERY effectively and visually is a challenging issue. Herein, we synthesized a molecularly imprinted polymer based nanozymes for selective detection of erythromycin (ERY-MIPNs) at neutral pH, and developed a mobile phone-assisted bicolor colorimetric detection system. This system produced a wide range of color changes from blue to pinkish purple as the ERY concentration increased, making it easy to capture the visualization result. Also, the system showed good sensitivity to ERY ranging from 15 to 135 µM, with a detection limit of 1.78 µM. In addition, the system worked well in the detection of ERY in river water and milk, with the recoveries of 95.57% âˆ¼ 103.20%. These data suggests that this strategy is of considerable potential for practical applications and it provides a new idea for visual detection with portable measurement.

Tracking Fat Grafts by Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Comparative Study of Adolescent and Adult Patients with Stable Localized Scleroderma.

BACKGROUND: The optimal timing of reconstruction for patients with facial localized scleroderma is uncertain. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of autologous fat transplantation in adolescent and adult patients with stable localized scleroderma. METHODS: Adolescent (age 10-19 years) and adult (age >19 years) patients with no previous surgery were enrolled (n = 10, each group). Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), blood tests and dermatological assessments were used for disease activity assessment. All patients underwent autologous fat transplantation for anatomic facial fat restoration with preoperative MRI planning. Preoperative, immediate and one-year postoperative 3D Dixon MRI scans with image registration and fusion techniques were used for fat graft tracking. Patient satisfaction was assessed with a 5-point Likert scale. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in sex, body mass index, disease severity, or volume of injected fat between the two groups (p > 0.05), except for age (p < 0.05). The one-year postoperative fat graft retention rate was not significantly different, with 36.6 ± 2.4% (ranging from 25.3 to 49.3%) in the adolescent group and 32.9 ± 1.7% (ranging from 27.3 to 40.1%) in the adult group (p > 0.05). Surgical outcomes were favorable in all patients, with satisfaction scores of 3.8 ± 0.2 points in the adolescent group and 3.6 ± 0.2 points in the adult group (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In stable localized scleroderma, the initial autologous fat transplantation was equally effective for facial contour deformity improvement, with no significant difference in fat graft retention or satisfaction.