Patterns of Using Complementary and Alternative Medicine by Stroke Patients at Two University Hospitals in Korea

This study measured the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among Korean stroke patients. Questionnaire-based 20-min interviews were conducted at the hospitals by a trained nurse after an outpatient visit. It included questions on demographic information, clinical information and the utilization of CAM. Of 304 stroke-patient respondents, 164 (54%) had used CAM, of which 66% had started taking CAM products following suggestions from family members and other relatives. Of the 57% of users who felt that CAM was effective, 84% considered that it improved the symptoms of stroke and 16% felt it was effective in achieving psychological relaxation. Of the eight CAM categories used by respondents, 92% used traditional Oriental medical treatments, 36% used plant- and animal-derived over-the-counter health care products, 24% used minerals and vitamins, and 11% used manual therapies. The majority of stroke patients (68%) were trying a new type of CAM, and half of the respondents (45%) relied on the knowledge of their general practitioner about CAMs when deciding whether to use them. Most of the stroke patients in this study used CAM, and a half of them reported beneficial effects. Despite the presence of adverse side effects, they tended to be used without discussion with chief physicians, and hence physicians should be actively involved in the usage of CAM

Phenomenological study of Au and Pt nanowires grown in porous alumina scaffolds

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, February 2011."February 2011." Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 76-81).Porous anodic aluminum oxide, commonly known as AAO, has been widely used as a scaffold to synthesize nanowires and nanotubes. The porous alumina structure can be obtained from a simple electrochemical oxidation process, applying a positive voltage to an aluminum film placed in an electrolyte, and resulting in the formation of periodically arranged arrays of pores. It is possible to tune pore diameters and pore spacing by adjusting parameters such as the type of electrolyte, the pH, and the applied voltage. Once the barrier oxide is removed from the bottom of the pores, porous alumina that has been formed on conducting substrates can be used for growth of metal nanowires using electrodeposition. We synthesized Au and Pt nanowire arrays on Au or Pt substrates. During electrodeposition, Au nanowires that grew out of the pores developed a pyramidlike faceted shape. This was not observed for overgrown Pt nanowires. To understand this phenomenon, the microstructure and crystallographic characteristics of the overgrown Au and Pt nanowires were studied using SEM, TEM and XRD. It was found that the overgrown Au caps were single crystalline with (111) facets and textured along the [100] direction, while the Au nanowires in the pores were poly-crystalline with a [11 11] texture. Pt nanowires grown in pores were also polycrystalline and had a [111] texture, but the grain size was much smaller than that of the Au. In contrast with Au, no change of texture or microstructure was observed when Pt grew out of pores. The structure change observed for Au involves nucleation of a new crystal with a (100) texture. This is thought to be related to the changes in the overpotential that occur when the Au emerges from the pores.by Yong Cheol Shin.S.M