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W‐plasty is a very popular scar excisional revision technique. The core of the technique is to break up the scar margins into small triangular components, so as to cause light scattering and make the scar less noticeable. However, due to skin tension, facial incision scars tend to spread. Applying W‐plasty alone cannot achieve the ideal repair effect of facial scars. In this study, we proposed a scar revision technique combined W‐plasty with continuous tension‐reduction (CTR) technique to improve the appearance of facial scars. Sixty patients with facial scar were comprised in this retrospective study. Scars were assessed independently using the scar scale before and at 12‐month follow‐up. Clinical results showed a significant difference in scar appearance between different groups at 12‐month follow‐up. Vancouver scar scale (VSS), visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, and patient satisfaction were significant better in W‐plasty and CTR than other groups at 12‐month follow‐up. No severe complications were reported. The application of the tension offloading device provides an environment where the tension is continuously reduced, which could greatly decrease tension on the surgical incision. Combined with W‐plasty, this technique could significantly improve the scar's aesthetic appearance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tendon development requires the coordinated interaction of muscles and tendons. Muscle-derived cells (MDCs), a mixed cell population containing both myogenic and fibroblastic cell subsets, have been found to be ideal seed cells for tendon regeneration. However, the necessity of these cell types for tendon regeneration has not yet been tested. In this study, we aim to explore the possible synergistic effects of myogenic cells and fibroblasts in engineered tendon regeneration. MDCs were separated into rapidly adhering cell (RAC; fibroblasts) and slowly adhering cell (SAC; myogenic cells) populations. Myogenic- and tenogenic-related molecules were analyzed by immunofluorescent staining, RT-PCR and real-time PCR. The proliferative abilities of MDCs, RACs and SACs were also evaluated. Cell-scaffold constructs were implanted into nude mice, and subsequently evaluated for their histologic, ultrastructure, gene expression, and biomechanical characteristics. MDCs have better proliferative activity than RAC and SAC population. RACs could express higher levels of tenogenic-related molecules tenomodulin (TNMD) and scleraxis (SCX) than SACs. Whereas SACs only expressed myogenic-related molecules MyoD. In contrast to the tendons engineered using RACs and SACs, the tendons engineered using MDCs exhibited a relatively more mature and well-organized tissue structure and ultrastructure as well as better mechanical properties. Fibroblasts in muscle may be the primary cell population involved in tendon regeneration and that myogenic cells are an important component of the niche and control the fibroblast activity during tendon regeneration. The synergistic effects between fibroblasts and myogenic cells significantly contribute to efficient and effective regeneration of engineered tendons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism of the impact of social capital of scientific and technological intermediary on knowledge transfer is not yet clear. This research tries to build a theoretical framework of the social capital of scientific and technological intermediary for the knowledge transfer performance, and also selects the incubators of the Science and Technology Park of Nanjing University as a typical case of the scientific and technological intermediary, analyzes the differences between the social capital of scientific and technological intermediary and the social capital of the government, colleges and universities, enterprises and different subjects of knowledge innovation through open research, and discusses the effect and mechanism of knowledge transfer, so as to clarify the nature of social capital of scientific and technological intermediary, and give play to positive effect in the knowledge transfer and innovation, and provide scientific basis and reference experience.

In order to solve the problems of botnets' strong concealment and difficulty in identification, and improve the detection accuracy of botnets, a botnet detection method based on generative adversarial networks was proposed. By reorganizing the data packets in the botnet traffic into streams, the traffic statistics characteristics in the time dimension and the traffic image characteristics in the space dimension were extracted respectively. Then with the botnet traffic feature generation algorithm based on generative adversarial network, botnet feature samples were produced in the two dimensions. Finally combined with the application of deep learning in botnet detection scenarios, a botnet detection model based on DCGAN and a botnet detection model based on BiLSTM-GAN were proposed. Experiments show that the proposed model improves the botnet detection ability and generalization ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the technical challenge of sustainably powering electrostatic adsorption systems requiring voltages exceeding several thousand volts, a thin film electrostatic adsorption damper (EAD) based on triboelectric high‐voltage is proposed. The core concept of the EAD relies on utilizing the changeable electrostatic force propelled by a rotary freestanding triboelectric nanogenerator (RF‐TENG) to achieve a variable stiffness effect akin to artificial muscle. By adjusting the voltage in accordance with the electrostatic force, the variable stiffness and equivalent damping coefficient can be changed, realizing an electrically controllable damping effect. The modification of dynamic adsorption properties and equivalent damping of the EAD is successfully achieved by investigating a 1D mass‐spring‐EAD vibration system, demonstrating that the damping coefficient can be adjusted from 0.1 to 5 Ns m−1 at different RF‐TENG rotation speeds. Furthermore, the practical applicability of the EAD is validated through the design and testing of a fish‐like scale structure, a joint with variable stiffness, and a heavy‐load lifter. This triboelectric high‐voltage‐based EAD presents a novel approach to sustainable power supply for electrostatic adsorption, which holds significant potential for diverse applications such as advanced cloth defense, artificial muscle technologies, load lifting operations, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature abounds with examples of ultra-sensitive perception and agile body transformation for highly efficient predation as well as extraordinary adaptation to complex environments. Flytraps, as a representative example, could effectively detect the most minute physical stimulation of insects and respond instantly, inspiring numerous robotic designs and applications. However, current robotic flytraps face challenges in reproducing the ultra-sensitive insect-touch perception. In addition, fast and fully-covered capture of live insects with robotic flytraps remains elusive. Here we report a novel design of a robotic flytrap with an ultra-sensitive 'trichome' and bistable fast-response 'lobes'. Our results show that the 'trichome' of the proposed robotic flytrap could detect and respond to both the external stimulation of 0.45 mN and a tiny touch of a flying bee with a weight of 0.12 g. Besides, once the 'trichome' is triggered, the bistable 'lobes' could instantly close themselves in 0.2 s to form a fully-covered cage to trap the bees, and reopen to set them free after the tests. We introduce the design, modeling, optimization, and verification of the robotic flytrap, and envision broader applications of this technology in ultra-sensitive perception, fast-response grasping, and biomedical engineering studies., (© 2024 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Background: We aimed to report our experience in treating ear amputations with microvascular replantation, with the largest sample to date. Methods: Twenty-two patients with complete ear amputation underwent microvascular ear replantation at three medical centers between May 2003 and May 2020. Arterial anastomoses, venous anastomoses, or vein graft were performed depending on different situations. Re-exploration was performed in four patients due to venous congestion ( n  = 3) or arterial compromise ( n  = 1). Results: Eleven patients had vascular complications (venous congestion: 10, arterial compromise: 1) and four of them required re-exploration. Three ears were completely salvaged (75%) and one case failed. Eighteen (81.8%) replanted ears survived completely, with 15 repaired ears demonstrating a good contour and 3 ears showing atrophy. Three replanted ears sustained partial loss, and one sustained total loss. Three extraordinary cases with the longest ischemic time, smallest tissue size, and youngest age reported thus far all survived and had cosmetically satisfactory appearances. Statistical analysis indicated no significant correlation between replanted ear survival and potentially influential factors, including ischemic time, number of arterial and venous anastomoses, presence of vein graft, and re-exploration. Conclusions: Microvascular replantation for ear amputations achieved excellent results. It may be considered the primary choice for surgeons with microsurgical skill.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of surgery combined with triamcinolone acetonide injection in managing the difficult problem of keloid formation after syndactyly release. Twenty-two patients with keloid formation after syndactyly release were retrospectively reviewed. They were divided into a simple surgery group and a surgery plus injection group. Complications, web quality, scar score and satisfaction were assessed and compared. In the surgery plus injection group, three patients (3/13) experienced recurrence and ten webs were good, whereas in the simple surgery group, seven patients (7/9) experienced recurrence and five webs were poor. The mean Vancouver Scar Scale score was significantly lower (4.3 versus 7.8) and the mean Faces Questionnaire satisfaction score was higher (4.2 versus 2.6) in the surgery plus injection group. Combining surgical excision with early and repeated intralesional injection can achieve better results with low recurrence rate and side effects. Level of evidence: IV.

Brachydactyly Type D is a congenital condition of the thumb in which there is a short and broad thumbnail. Although the thumb function is often unaffected, some patients seek surgery for cosmetic improvement. This study aimed to describe our method of distraction lengthening to correct nail deformity in brachydactyly Type D. A total of 163 thumbs in 95 patients underwent this surgery between 2018 and 2021.The mean thumbnail length improved from 9 mm to 15 mm, with a mean percentage increase of 62%. The ratio of nail length to width changed from 0.6 to 1.1, which was equal to normal. The mean increased fingernail length/width ratio was 0.5, with a percentage change of 78%. No obvious surgical scar was observed. The thumb function was not significantly affected. We conclude that aesthetic correction of short nail deformity in brachydactyly Type D can be achieved by distraction lengthening with high satisfaction and without functional impairment. Level of evidence: IV.