7 research outputs found
Video_2_The efficacy of electroacupuncture for cervical nerve edema and movement disorder caused by the brachial plexus injury: a case report.MP4
The brachial plexus injury (BPI) is one of the most severe types of peripheral nerve injuries, often caused by upper limb traction injury. In clinic, the surgery is widely used to treat the BPI. However, surgery may need to be performed multiple times at different stages, which carries risks and brings heavy economic burden. In non-surgical treatment, splinting, local injection of corticosteroids, and oral corticosteroids can achieve significant short-term benefits, but they are prone to recurrence and may cause complications of mechanical or chemical nerve damage. In this report, we present a case of a 46-year-old female patient with BPI. The patient had difficulty in raising, flexing and extending of the left upper limb, and accompanied with the soreness and pain of neck and shoulder. After 3 months of EA treatment, a significant reduction in the inner diameter of the left C5 to C7 root at the outlet of brachial plexus nerve was detected by musculoskeletal ultrasound, and the soreness and pain in the left neck and shoulder were significantly reduced. The soreness and pain in the left neck and shoulder did not recur for 2 years.Case summaryThe patient is a 46-year-old female with BPI. She experienced difficult in lifting, flexing and extending of the left upper limb, which accompanied by soreness and pain in the left neck and shoulder. After 3 months of EA treatment, the patient's pain and limb's movement disorder was improved. After 2 years of follow-up, the patient's left neck and shoulder showed no further pain.ConclusionEA has shown satisfied efficacy in BPI, improving limb restrictions and relieving pain in patients for at least 2 years.</p
Video_1_The efficacy of electroacupuncture for cervical nerve edema and movement disorder caused by the brachial plexus injury: a case report.MP4
The brachial plexus injury (BPI) is one of the most severe types of peripheral nerve injuries, often caused by upper limb traction injury. In clinic, the surgery is widely used to treat the BPI. However, surgery may need to be performed multiple times at different stages, which carries risks and brings heavy economic burden. In non-surgical treatment, splinting, local injection of corticosteroids, and oral corticosteroids can achieve significant short-term benefits, but they are prone to recurrence and may cause complications of mechanical or chemical nerve damage. In this report, we present a case of a 46-year-old female patient with BPI. The patient had difficulty in raising, flexing and extending of the left upper limb, and accompanied with the soreness and pain of neck and shoulder. After 3 months of EA treatment, a significant reduction in the inner diameter of the left C5 to C7 root at the outlet of brachial plexus nerve was detected by musculoskeletal ultrasound, and the soreness and pain in the left neck and shoulder were significantly reduced. The soreness and pain in the left neck and shoulder did not recur for 2 years.Case summaryThe patient is a 46-year-old female with BPI. She experienced difficult in lifting, flexing and extending of the left upper limb, which accompanied by soreness and pain in the left neck and shoulder. After 3 months of EA treatment, the patient's pain and limb's movement disorder was improved. After 2 years of follow-up, the patient's left neck and shoulder showed no further pain.ConclusionEA has shown satisfied efficacy in BPI, improving limb restrictions and relieving pain in patients for at least 2 years.</p
Image_1_The efficacy of electroacupuncture for cervical nerve edema and movement disorder caused by the brachial plexus injury: a case report.TIF
The brachial plexus injury (BPI) is one of the most severe types of peripheral nerve injuries, often caused by upper limb traction injury. In clinic, the surgery is widely used to treat the BPI. However, surgery may need to be performed multiple times at different stages, which carries risks and brings heavy economic burden. In non-surgical treatment, splinting, local injection of corticosteroids, and oral corticosteroids can achieve significant short-term benefits, but they are prone to recurrence and may cause complications of mechanical or chemical nerve damage. In this report, we present a case of a 46-year-old female patient with BPI. The patient had difficulty in raising, flexing and extending of the left upper limb, and accompanied with the soreness and pain of neck and shoulder. After 3 months of EA treatment, a significant reduction in the inner diameter of the left C5 to C7 root at the outlet of brachial plexus nerve was detected by musculoskeletal ultrasound, and the soreness and pain in the left neck and shoulder were significantly reduced. The soreness and pain in the left neck and shoulder did not recur for 2 years.Case summaryThe patient is a 46-year-old female with BPI. She experienced difficult in lifting, flexing and extending of the left upper limb, which accompanied by soreness and pain in the left neck and shoulder. After 3 months of EA treatment, the patient's pain and limb's movement disorder was improved. After 2 years of follow-up, the patient's left neck and shoulder showed no further pain.ConclusionEA has shown satisfied efficacy in BPI, improving limb restrictions and relieving pain in patients for at least 2 years.</p
Colorimetric Detection of Sulfite in Foods by a TMB–O<sub>2</sub>–Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> Nanoparticles Detection System
In this paper, we first discovered
that Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> nanoparticles (NPs) possess intrinsic
oxidase-like activity and
can catalytically oxidize peroxidase substrates, such as 2,2′-azino-bisÂ(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic
acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) and 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine
(TMB), to form colored products, in the absence of exogenously added
H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>. The presence of sulfite inhibited the
TMB–O<sub>2</sub>–Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> NPs reaction system and caused a change
in color of the reaction system. On the basis of this phenomenon,
a colormetric approach to detect sulfite was established with a good
linear relationship ranging from 0.2 × 10<sup>–6</sup> to 1.6 × 10<sup>–5</sup> M and a detection limit of
5.3 × 10<sup>–8</sup> M. The method was used to detect
sulfite in foods. Good recoveries ranging from 93.8% to 100.5% were
obtained. Furthermore, the mechanism was studied and results showed
that the oxidase-like activity of the Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> NPs
was not from <sup>•</sup>OH or O<sub>2</sub><sup>•–</sup> radical generated. It may probably originate from their ability
to transfer an electron between the peroxidase substrate and oxygen
absorbed on the surface of the Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> NPs
Graphene Oxide by UV-Ozone Treatment as an Efficient Hole Extraction Layer for Highly Efficient and Stable Polymer Solar Cells
The hole extraction layer has a significant
impact on the achievement of high-efficiency polymer solar cells (PSCs).
Here, we report an efficient approach to direct UV-ozone treatment
by larger device performance enhancement employing graphene oxide
(GO). The dramatic performance enhancement of PSCs with the P3HT:PCBM
blend as an active layer was demonstrated by the UV-ozone treatment
of GO for 30 min: best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.18%,
fill factor of 0.63, <i>J</i><sub>sc</sub> of 10.94 mA cm<sup>–2</sup>, and <i>V</i><sub>oc</sub> of 0.61 V, which
are significantly higher than those of the untreated GO (1.82%) and
highly comparable PEDOT:PSS-based PSCs (3.73%). In addition, PSCs
with UV-ozone-treated GO showed a longer stability than PSCs with
PEDOT:PSS. The significant enhancement of PCEs of PSCs can be attributed
to the fact that ozone molecules can oxidize GO into CO<sub>2</sub> and leave highly conductive graphene particles. We suggest that
this simple UV-ozone treatment can provide an efficient method for
highly efficient GO hole extraction in high-performance PSCs
Solid-Phase Synthesis of Highly Fluorescent Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Dots for Sensitive and Selective Probing Ferric Ions in Living Cells
Carbon
quantum dots (C-Dots) have drawn extensive attention in
recent years due to their stable physicochemical and photochemical
properties. However, the development of nitrogen-doped carbon quantum
dots (N-doped C-Dots) is still on its early stage. In this paper,
a facile and high-output solid-phase synthesis approach was proposed
for the fabrication of N-doped, highly fluorescent carbon quantum
dots. The obtained N-doped C-Dots exhibited a strong blue emission
with an absolute quantum yield (QY) of up to 31%, owing to fluorescence
enhancement effect of introduced N atoms into carbon dots. The strong
coordination of oxygen-rich groups on N-doped C-Dots to Fe<sup>3+</sup> caused fluorescence quenching via nonradiative electron-transfer,
leading to the quantitative detection of Fe<sup>3+</sup>. The probe
exhibited a wide linear response concentration range (0.01–500
μM) to Fe<sup>3+</sup> with a detection limit of 2.5 nM. Significantly,
the N-doped C-Dots possess negligible cytotoxicity, excellent biocompatibility,
and high photostability. All these features are favorable for label-free
monitoring of Fe<sup>3+</sup> in complex biological samples. It was
then successfully applied for the fluorescence imaging of intracellular
Fe<sup>3+</sup>. As an efficient chemosensor, the N-doped C-Dots hold
great promise to broaden applications in biological systems
Exposure to mixtures of PM<sub>2.5</sub> components and term premature rupture of membranes: a case-crossover study in Shijiazhuang, China
This study aims to explore the acute effects of short-term exposure to PM2.5 components and their mixture on PROM. Counts of hospital admissions due to PROM were collected at the Fourth Hospital of Shijiazhuang. The associations between the PROM and PM2.5 components was examined using a time-stratified case-crossover approach. The overall effects of components on TPROM were examined using the BKMR. During the study period 30,709 cases of PROMwere identified. The relative risks and the 95% CI of TPROM were 1.013 (1.002, 1.028) and 1.015 (1.003, 1.028) associated with per interquartile range increase in nitrate and ammonium ion on the current day and they were 1.007 (1.001, 1.013) and 1.003 (1.000, 1.005) on the previous day. The results from the BKMR models showed a higher risk of TPROM was associated with exposure to mixtures, in which, nitrate and organic matter were the main contributors to the overall effect.</p