Barriers to Completing Preoperative Hair Removal for Penile Inversion Vaginoplasty.

Penile inversion vaginoplasty (PIV) is a gender-affirming surgical procedure where the skin of the penis and scrotum is reconstructed into the neovaginal lining. To prevent hair-bearing skin from becoming incorporated into the neovaginal canal, transgender patients are encouraged to undergo hair removal of their external genitalia. The goal of this preoperative hair removal is to minimize the risk of potential hair-related complications after vaginoplasty. To better support patients seeking preoperative hair removal and identify current treatment barriers, we surveyed patients about their progress and satisfaction with hair removal. A cross-sectional survey was constructed to assess patient experiences with hair removal in advance of PIV. Sixty-seven patients met the inclusion criteria, of which 46 participated (68.7%). Both laser hair removal (LHR) and electrolysis were used. Although all patients had completed some preoperative hair removal at the time of survey (average of 14 sessions), the cohort completed only two-thirds of their total expected hair clearance. Multiple peri-procedural pain management therapies were employed, but overall satisfaction with pain management was low (57.4 ± 5.0 out of 100). LHR was associated with significantly lower procedural pain compared to electrolysis (p < .001). The average global satisfaction with the hair removal process was 57.9 ± 5.7 and incidents of mistreatment were associated with a statistically significant reduction in overall satisfaction (p = .02). Most patients felt that hair removal was important prior to surgery. Overall, LHR and electrolysis were both utilized as effective preoperative hair removal modalities; however, LHR has better pain tolerability than electrolysis.

Nanoarchitectonics of Bimetallic MOF@Lab-Grade Flexible Filter Papers: An Approach Towards Real-Time Water Decontamination and Circular Economy.

This study presents a novel approach to decontaminate ferrocyanide-contaminated wastewater. The work effectively demonstrates the use of bimetallic Mo/Zr-UiO-66 as a super-adsorbent for rapid sequestration of Prussian blue, a frequently found iron complex in cyanide-contaminated soils/groundwater. The exceptional performance of Mo/Zr-UiO-66 is attributed to the insertion of secondary metallic sites, which deliver synergistic effects, benefiting the inherent qualities of the framework. Moreover, to extend the industrial applications of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in real-world scenarios, an approach is delivered to structure the nanocrystalline powders into MOF-based macrostructures. The work demonstrates an interfacial process to develop continuous MOF nanostructures on ordinary laboratory-grade filter papers. The novelty of the work lies in the development of robust free-standing filtration materials to purify PB dye-contaminated water. Additionally, the work embraces a circular economy concept to address problems related to resource scarcity, excessive waste production, and maintenance of economic benefits. Consequently, the PB dye-loaded adsorbent waste is re-employed for the adsorption of heavy metals (Pb2+ and Cd2+ ). Simultaneously, the study aims to address the problems related to the real-time handling of powdered adsorbents, and the generation of ecologically harmful secondary waste, thereby, progressing toward a more sustainable system.

Improved Spoken Language Representation for Intent Understanding in a Task-Oriented Dialogue System.

Successful applications of deep learning technologies in the natural language processing domain have improved text-based intent classifications. However, in practical spoken dialogue applications, the users' articulation styles and background noises cause automatic speech recognition (ASR) errors, and these may lead language models to misclassify users' intents. To overcome the limited performance of the intent classification task in the spoken dialogue system, we propose a novel approach that jointly uses both recognized text obtained by the ASR model and a given labeled text. In the evaluation phase, only the fine-tuned recognized language model (RLM) is used. The experimental results show that the proposed scheme is effective at classifying intents in the spoken dialogue system containing ASR errors.

Quest for the Crypto-phosphoproteome.

Protein phosphorylation is one of the most studied post-translational modifications (PTMs). Despite the remarkable advances in phosphoproteomics, a chemically less-stable subset of the phosphosites, which we call the crypto-phosphoproteome, has remained underexplored due to technological challenges. In this Viewpoint, we briefly summarize the current understanding of these elusive protein phosphorylations and identify the missing pieces for future studies.

Cervical myelopathy due to subaxial calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) deposition with simultaneous asymptomatic crowned dens syndrome: two case reports.

BACKGROUND: There are few reports of cervical myelopathy caused by an attack of subaxial calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) deposition. Moreover, there has been no report on cervical myelopathy by subaxial CPPD deposition with simultaneous asymptomatic crowned dens syndrome (CDS) at the same time. CASE PRESENTATION: The first case was a 68-year-old male complaining of cervical myelopathic symptoms. Plain radiographs, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings revealed spinal cord compression by calcified round lesions at C4 as well as a calcified lesion behind the dens. The second case was a 77-year-old female complaining of cervical myelopathic symptoms. Plain radiographs, CT and MRI findings revealed spinal cord compression by calcified round lesions at C3 and C4 as well as a calcified lesion behind the dens. In both cases, we believed that the calcified lesion behind the dens was an asymptomatic lesion. Therefore, the first patient received decompressive laminectomy of C3 and C4, removal of calcified round lesions, and posterior fixation from C3 to C5 due to associated kyphosis. The second patient underwent decompressive laminectomy of C3 and C4 and removal of calcified round lesions. Microscopic examination under polarized light showed dark blue calcifications with rhomboid crystals that were positively birefringent. The findings were consistent with those of CPPD. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to report cervical myelopathy caused by subaxial CPPD deposition with simultaneous asymptomatic CDS. Surgical removal of the subaxial CPPD deposition alone achieved a satisfactory surgical outcome without recurrence.

Recent Updates on Protein N-Phosphoramidate Hydrolases.

In contrast to well-recognized protein phosphorylation on the side-chain oxygen of Ser, Thr, or Tyr residues, analogous phosphoramidation of the nitrogen of His, Lys, and Arg side chains remains much less investigated, mainly due to the instability of post-translational modifications and technical difficulties involved in their analysis. For example, reports on the enzyme activities responsible for the formation and hydrolysis of these phosphoramidates date back to as early as the 1950s, but some of these enzymes have only recently been identified and functionally characterized; this has been aided by the development of novel research tools. In this review, we summarize current knowledge of the enzymes that hydrolyze protein N-phosphoramidates, in terms of their structure, activities, and biological functions, as well as the chemical tools used to investigate them.

Catalytic Performance of Supported Pd Catalyst Prepared with Different Palladium Precursors for Catalytic Combustion of BTH.

Catalytic combustion of benzene, toluene, and hexane (BTH) was carried out to investigate in this study the effect of palladium precursor on the property and performance of 1 wt.% Pd/γ-Al2O3. Properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) surface area, temperature programmed reduction (TPR), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses. When palladium precursor was used to prepare the catalyst, it had a great effect on the property and performance of the supported palladium catalyst. Total acidity, size of palladium particle, and oxidation state of palladium were associated with catalytic activity of the catalyst. Higher total acidity of the catalyst and larger particle size of palladium favorably affected the catalytic activity. In addition, palladium species with high oxidation state might be useful to increase catalytic activity in BTH combustion.

Femoral offset guide facilitates accurate and precise femoral tunnel placement for single-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy and precision of femoral tunnel placement by expert and novice surgeons using an offset guide for single-bundle ACL reconstruction via the anteromedial (AM) portal. METHODS: Twenty-five single-bundle ACL reconstructions performed by a novice surgeon were matched with 25 ACL reconstructions performed by an expert surgeon, based on one-to-one propensity score matching. The same technique was used by both groups for femoral tunnel placement using a 7-mm offset guide through the AM portal. Using the Bernard and Hertel grid method for postoperative three-dimensional reconstructed computed tomography, the accuracy and precision of various tunnel positions were compared. RESULTS: No differences were found between the proximal-distal and anterior-posterior femoral tunnel placements by the two groups (proximal-distal; 30.5% involving experts, and 32.5% by novices, n.s) (anterior-posterior; 32.6% involving experts, and 31.6% by novice, n.s). The accuracy of the femoral tunnel positions, based on the average distance from the tunnel center to the center of ACL direct insertion, was similar between the two groups (n.s). No differences were found between the groups in terms of precision of femoral tunnel positions (n.s). CONCLUSION: Novice surgeons can achieve accuracy and precision comparable to experts in creating femoral tunnels via single-bundle ACL reconstruction through the AM portal using a femoral offset guide. We recommend the use of a femoral offset guide for ACL reconstruction during the learning phase of a novice surgeon for effective tunnel placement to reduce the learning curve required to perform accurate and reproducible ACL reconstruction. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Case-control study, Level III.

A novel structured nanosized CaO on nanosilica surface as an alternative solid reducing agent for hydrogen fluoride removal from industrial waste water.

In the semiconductor industry, perfluorinated compound removal is a major concern owing to the formation of highly toxic and hazardous hydrogen fluoride (HF) as a by-product. Calcium oxide (CaO) can be considered a promising material for HF sorption reaction process. However, the easier reaction between CaO and H2O results in the formation of Ca(OH)2, which ultimately limits the usefulness of CaO. The objective of the research work is preparation of CaO nanoparticles on hydrophobic silica (SiO2) to use as a alternative solid reducing catalyst for efficient HF removal process. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy micrographs confirmed that the as-prepared CaO particles are <5 nm in size and the smaller sized CaO nanoparticles are homogeneously anchored on the entire surface of ∼100 nm spherical SiO2 nanoparticles. The reaction-enhanced regenerative catalytic system (RE-RCS) was used to measure the HF removal efficiency. HF is removed more efficiently using CaO on SiO2 than using CaO alone. At the outlet of the RE-RCS, the obtained HF concentrations are 2811.4 and 2166.1 ppm after a 3 h reaction using CaO and CaO on SiO2 as the sorbent, respectively. The lower concentration of HF at the outlet of the system using CaO on SiO2 indicates that HF sorption is remarkably enhanced using CaO on SiO2 inside the RE-RCS. In addition, the presence of a hydrophobic region in the catalyst sorbent prevents the reaction between CaO and water, which leads to avoiding the formation of Ca(OH)2. These phenomena significantly enhance the HF removal efficiency and CaF2 formation process.

Characterization of Pt-Based Catalyst by Consecutive Experiments of Toluene Oxidation.

Catalytic oxidation of toluene was carried out to investigate the effect of consecutive run on the catalytic property and performance of 1 wt.% Pt/γ-Al2O3 and the reduced 1 wt.% Pt/γ-Al2O3. The properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), the Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) surface area, temperature programmed reduction (TPR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. In consecutive experiments the second catalytic run resulted in a significant increase of the toluene conversion compared to the first catalytic run, but the toluene conversion in the third catalytic run was similar to that of the second catalytic run. In addition, the reducing treatment of the catalyst led to an increase in the catalytic activity. The increasing catalytic activity in consecutive runs was dependent on the platinum particle size and the oxidation state of the platinum. The increase in platinum particle size during reaction and the reduction in the oxidation state of platinum by hydrogen pretreatment were responsible for the increase in the catalytic activity.

Effect of Stabilizing Agents on the Synthesis of Palladium Nanoparticles.

The effects of stabilizing agents and the reaction conditions on the synthesis of palladium nanoparticles were examined. Palladium nanoparticles were prepared using palladium (II) chloride (PdCl2) as a precursor and sodium borohydride (NaBH4) as the reducing agent. Polyvinylpyrrolidone, sodium dodecyl sulfate and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide were used as the stabilizing agents. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the prepared palladium nanoparticles. The size of the palladium nanoparticles was dependent on the concentration of the precursor, reaction temperature, and stirring rate. The stabilizing agents had an effect on the morphology of the palladium nanoparticles.

Low Permeable Hydrocarbon Polymer Electrolyte Membrane for Vanadium Redox Flow Battery.

Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) confirms the life span of vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). Products from Dupont, Nafion membrane, is mainly used for PEM in VRFB. However, permeation of vanadium ion occurs because of Nafion's high permeability. Therefore, the efficiency of VRFB decreases and the prices becomes higher, which hinders VRFB's commercialization. In order to solve this problem, poly(phenylene oxide) (PPO) is sulfonated for the preparation of low-priced hydrocarbon polymer electrolyte membrane. sPPO membrane is characterized by fundamental properties and VRFB cell test.

Anion Sensors as Logic Gates: A Close Encounter?

Computers have become smarter, smaller, and more efficient due to the downscaling of silicon-based components. Top-down miniaturisation of silicon-based computer components is fast reaching its limitations because of physical constraints and economical non-feasibility. Therefore, the possibility of a bottom-up approach that uses molecules to build nano-sized devices has been initiated. As a result, molecular logic gates based on chemical inputs and measurable optical outputs have captured significant attention very recently. In addition, it would be interesting if such molecular logic gates could be developed by making use of ion sensors, which can give significantly sensitive output information. This review provides a brief introduction to anion receptors, molecular logic gates, a comprehensive review on describing recent advances and progress on development of ion receptors for molecular logic gates, and a brief idea about the application of molecular logic gates.

Chemical Speciation and Quantitative Evaluation of Heavy Metal Pollution Hazards in Two Army Shooting Range Backstop Soils.

The chemical speciation and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in two shooting range backstop soils in Korea were studied. Both soils were highly contaminated with Cd, Cu, Pb, and Sb. The chemical speciation of heavy metals reflected the present status of contamination, which could help in promoting management practices. We-rye soil had a higher proportion of exchangeable and carbonate bound metals and water-extractable Cd and Sb than the Cho-do soil. Bioavailable Pb represented 42 % of the total Pb content in both soils. A significant amount of Sb was found in the two most bioavailable fractions, amounting to ~32 % in the soil samples, in good agreement with the batch leaching test using water. Based on the values of ecological risk indices, both soils showed extremely high potential risk and may represent serious environmental problems.

Subcritical water treatment of explosive and heavy metals co-contaminated soil: Removal of the explosive, and immobilization and risk assessment of heavy metals.

Co-contamination of explosives and heavy metals (HMs) in soil, particularly army shooting range soil, has received increasing environmental concern due to toxicity and risks to ecological systems. In this study, a subcritical water (SCW) extraction process was used to remediate the explosives-plus-HMs-co-contaminated soil. A quantitative evaluation of explosives in the treated soil, compared with untreated soil, was applied to assess explosive removal. The immobilization of HMs was assessed by toxicity characteristic leaching procedure tests, and by investigating the migration of HMs fractions. The environmental risk of HMs in the soil residue was assessed according to the risk assessment code (RAC) and ecological risk indices (Er and RI). The results indicated that SCW treatment could eliminate the explosives, >99%, during the remediation, while the HM was effectively immobilized. The effect of water temperature on reducing the explosives and the risk of HMs in soil was observed. A marked increase in the non-bioavailable concentration of each HM was observed, and the leaching rate of HMs was decreased by 70-97% after SCW treatment at 250 °C, showing the effective immobilization of HMs. According to the RAC or RI, each tested HM showed no or low risk to the environment after treatment.

A Military Audio Dataset for Situational Awareness and Surveillance.

Audio classification related to military activities is a challenging task due to the high levels of background noise and the lack of suitable and publicly available datasets. To bridge this gap, this paper constructs and introduces a new military audio dataset, named MAD, which is suitable for training and evaluating audio classification systems. The proposed MAD dataset is extracted from various military videos and contains 8,075 sound samples from 7 classes corresponding to approximately 12 hours, exhibiting distinctive characteristics not presented in academic datasets typically used for machine learning research. We present a comprehensive description of the dataset, including its acoustic statistics and examples. We further conduct a comprehensive sound classification study of various deep learning algorithms on the MAD dataset. We are also releasing the source code to make it easy to build these systems. The presented dataset will be a valuable resource for evaluating the performance of existing algorithms and for advancing research in the field of acoustic-based hazardous situation surveillance systems.

Ankle and toe weakness caused by calcified ligamentum flavum cyst: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Ligamentum flavum cysts, which are most common in mobile junctional levels of the spine, can be a rare cause of spinal stenosis. There have been several case reports of ligamentum flavum cysts. However, there is yet to be a documented case report of a calcified ligamentum flavum cyst. Herein, we report the first case of a calcified ligamentum flavum cyst causing ankle and toe weakness. CASE SUMMARY: A 66-year-old male visited our hospital complaining of claudication as well as thigh and calf pain in his left leg, all beginning two weeks prior. Physical examination revealed motor weakness of the left ankle dorsiflexion and great toe dorsiflexion. Lumbar spinal computed tomography scans showed spinal stenosis combined with a calcified mass at the left side of the L4-5 level. Magnetic resonance imaging showed dural sac compression caused by the calcified mass at the left ligamentum flavum of the L4-5 level. We performed decompressive laminectomy and excision of the calcified mass combined with posterior lumbar interbody fusion at the L4-5 level. Intra-operatively, we found a firm and nodule like mass originating from the ventral surface of ligamentum flavum. Pathological examination suggested a calcified pseudocyst without a capsular lining. After the operation, the patient's motor weakness in the ankle and great toe improved gradually. CONCLUSION: The patient's ankle and great toe weakness were improved successfully after surgical removal of the calcified cyst.

Urethroplasty Outcomes for Pars Fixa Urethral Strictures Following Gender-affirming Phalloplasty and Metoidioplasty: A Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate outcomes of three urethroplasty techniques for pars fixa (PF) urethral strictures and provide a treatment algorithm based on stricture characteristics. The PF is an essential anatomic region of the neourethra created in gender-affirming phalloplasty and metoidioplasty. Urethral strictures in this region present a reparative challenge given its unique anatomy and vascularization. METHODS: A total of 41 urethroplasties performed on 41 patients between March 2018 and June 2021 were reviewed at two surgical centers. A Heineke-Mikulicz (HM) repair was done for strictures under 20 mm when the proximal and distal urethral segments were mobile and supported a tension-free closure. Substitution urethroplasty with ventral onlay buccal mucosal graft was utilized for strictures under 40 mm not suitable for HM repair. Complex or long (≥40 mm) strictures were treated by two-stage Johansen urethroplasty. Success of each surgical approach was defined by a minimum of 12-month follow-up without the need for a repeat intervention. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 30.2 months (range: 12.4-52.0 months). Mean stricture length was 16.9 mm (range: 2-55 mm). Most strictures (46%) were located at the distal PF. HM urethroplasty had a success rate of 44% (n = 16). Substitution urethroplasty had a success rate of 92% (n = 13). Two-stage Johansen urethroplasty had a success rate of 75% (n = 12). CONCLUSION: The success rates of PF urethral stricture repair ranged from 44% to 92% depending on the surgical approach, and the best reparative procedure depends on stricture length, severity, and local tissue mobility.

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. We compared annual BMD T-scores and BMD increases between the two groups according to symptomatic LSS. The therapeutic efficacies of the three oral bisphosphonates in each group were also evaluated. (3) Results: Annual and total increases in BMD were significantly greater in group I (osteoporosis) compared to group II (osteoporosis + LSS). The total increase in BMD for three years was significantly greater in the ibandronate and alendronate subgroups than that in the risedronate subgroup (0.49 vs. 0.45 vs. 0.25, p < 0.001). Ibandronate showed a significantly greater increase in BMD than that of risedronate in group II (0.36 vs. 0.13, p = 0.018). (4) Conclusions: Symptomatic LSS may interfere with the increase in BMD. Ibandronate and alendronate were more effective in treating osteoporosis than risedronate. In particular, ibandronate was more effective than risedronate in patients with both osteoporosis and LSS.