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In this study, effect of cosurfactant on the solubilization rate of n-octane, n-decane and n-dodecane oil was performed by micellar solutions of polymeric nonionic surfactant Pluronic L64(EO 13 PO 30 EO 13 ) at room temperature. It has been found that the solubilization rate of a hydrocarbon oil was enhanced with an increase in both chain length and amount of alcohol added. In case of addition of a short chain alcohol such as 1-butanol, the solubilization rate of a hydrocarbon oil was slightly increased since most of alcohol molecules remained in an aqueous surfactant solution. On the other hand, the addition of a relatively long chain alcohol such as 1-hexanol and 1-octanol produced a big increase in solubilization rate of a hydrocarbon oil mainly due to incorporation of alcohol molecules into micelles and thus producing more flexible micellar packing density. Dynamic interfacial tension measurements showed the same trend found in solubilization rate measurement. Both interfacial tension value at equilibrium and time required to reach equilibrium decreased with an increase in chain length of an alcohol.

A variety of benign and malignant neoplasms can develop in the hand, originating from skin, adipose tissue, tendons, muscles, nerves, and bones. However, most cases are benign; therefore, observation is recommended if they are small, painless and do not cause limitation of motion. When symptoms are present or a lesion is larger than 5 cm in the long axis, an excisional biopsy is required to relieve symptoms and exclude malignancy. Lipomas of the hand are quite rare and do not generally cause symptoms. Lipomas of the hand that do present with symptoms are usually giant (larger than 5 cm in diameter) or located in a deeper layer, compressing the nearby nerves and vessels. We report a rare case of a non-giant superficial lipoma of the wrist that resembled two separate masses and caused pain, limitation of motion, and neurological symptoms.

Although blast injuries have been considered a problem unique to military practice or warfare, accidental civilian blast-related injuries due to misplaced landmines have been reported in South Korea. A 71-year-old man was admitted to the emergency room due to multiple severe blast injuries after the detonation of an unknown explosive device. After shrapnel that penetrated the pericardium was removed via median sternotomy in an emergency operation, an extensive defect remained on the lower third of the anterior chest wall. After debriding the contaminated wound several times, chest wall reconstruction with a skin-paddled vertical rectus abdominis muscle (VRAM) flap was successfully performed. However, the patient presented a delayed fungal infection of the deep sternal wound 28 days postoperatively. To salvage the previous flap, antifungal agents were administered and negative-pressure wound therapy was performed between serial radical debridement. The previous flap was successfully salvaged with infection control, and the final defect was covered by re-rotating the previous flap. This case presents the successful reconstruction of a chest wall defect using a skin-paddled VRAM flap notwithstanding a delayed sternal wound infection from a rare civilian blast injury in South Korea.