BackgroundThe relationship between acute myocardial injury and prognosis in acute myocarditis (AM) is unclear.PurposeTo evaluate myocardial injury characteristics by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) tissue parameters and their impact on adverse outcomes of AM patients.Material and MethodsThis retrospective study enrolled 41 patients with fulminant myocarditis (FM, including 17 FM patients without mechanical circulatory support [MCS] and 24 FM patients with MCS) and 35 patients with non-fulminant myocarditis (non-FM). Cine, mapping (native T1, T2, and post-T1), and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) of the left ventricle were performed during CMR. Adverse clinical outcomes consisted of a primary endpoint, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), and a secondary endpoint, a decline in functional status (defined as New York Heart Association [NYHA] functional classes II-IV).ResultsCompared with patients with non-FM, those in FM with MCS exhibited increased native T1 (P = 0.001), extracellular volume (ECV) (P = 0.018), and LGE (P = 0.005) values. After adjusting for the clinical variables (CRP > 67.9 mg/dL), LGE > 8.4% remained independently associated with adverse clinical outcomes and improved the predicting ability of the model (C-statistic improved from 0.74 to 0.82).ConclusionThe burden of necrosis and fibrosis was greatest in FM with MCS, while edema was similar across groups. Higher LGE% adds incremental prognostic value. A new classification using CRP and LGE improved prediction of adverse outcomes. Thus, CMR evaluation of myocardial injury extent offers variable information to improve risk stratification in FM.

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is widely used as the polymer matrix in electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding composites due to its excellent film-forming properties, abundant hydroxyl active sites and good biocompatibility. However, PVA's intrinsic hydrophilicity makes it prone to water absorption and swelling under high-humidity conditions, leading to the destabilisation of the conductive network. Furthermore, conductive nanofillers such as MXene and graphene are prone to agglomeration, whilst high-conductivity inorganic fillers can cause interfacial impedance mismatch, resulting in significant electromagnetic wave reflection losses, which limit the improvement of the overall performance of shielding materials. This paper provides a systematic review of the influence of PVA synthesis processes and its molecular chain structure on the microstructure and electrical properties of composite systems. It focuses on elucidating the latest research findings on three major categories of PVA-based shielding materials-films, aerogels/foams and hydrogels-and analyses the mechanisms of synergy between different conductive fillers and the PVA matrix, as well as the patterns of electromagnetic loss in different structures. Finally, the paper outlines future research directions for the design and engineering applications of PVA in high-performance absorptive electromagnetic shielding composites.

Intraosseous myofibroma of the mandible is a benign myofibroblastic neoplasm with limited documentation in the pediatric population. This case report outlines the presentation of a nine-year-old girl with a history of swelling and pain involving the lower left side of the face for two months. Examination revealed a mass originating from the posterior part of the mandible, and radiographic evaluation with panoramic radiography and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) revealed a well-defined unilocular radiolucency with three-dimensional cortical expansion. Pathological examination revealed the hallmark biphasic pattern of myofibroma, characterized by peripheral zones of spindle-shaped myofibroblastic cells arranged in short fascicles and central areas of immature round to oval cells with a hemangiopericytoma-like vascular pattern. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated diffuse strong positivity for vimentin and α-SMA, weak positivity for desmin, and negative for S-100 protein, confirming myofibroblastic lineage (the vimentin-actin-desmin cytoskeletal phenotype of myofibroblast) while systematically excluding nerve sheath tumors such as neurofibroma and muscle tumors such as leiomyoma. Conservative surgical excision was performed with preservation of adjacent developing dentition, and the patient is under active follow-up. This case underscores the critical role of histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluation in the definitive diagnosis of intraosseous myofibroma, particularly in differentiating it from a broad spectrum of morphologically similar intraosseous lesions in the growing mandible.

A 60-year-old male patient presented to the vascular clinic with a three-month history of a large popliteal fossa swelling post Baker's Cyst Aspiration. This swelling had been getting progressively larger over this period. CT angiogram of his lower limb reported a right popliteal aneurysm of 8.5 cm diameter with a large amount of intramural thrombus that was later confirmed as a pseudoaneurysm in our vascular multi-discliplinary meeting. It was decided to dissect the popliteal artery from a posterior approach and perform a bypass using a vein. Intraoperatively, a biological bovine pericardial patch was used for repair of his pseudoaneurysm. Postoperatively the patient was well from both a surgical point of view and suffered mild symptoms of COVID-19. Open surgery with primary repair with bovine pericardial patch demonstrated an alternative to treat this condition.