An ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation regimen devised using finite element modeling promotes functional recovery after median nerve transection

Percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation of an injured nerve can promote and accelerate peripheral nerve regeneration and improve function.When performing acupuncture and moxibustion,locating the injured nerve using ultrasound before percutaneous nerve stimulation can help prevent further injury to an already injured nerve.However,stimulation parameters have not been standardized.In this study,we constructed a multi-layer human forearm model using finite element modeling.Taking current density and activated function as optimization indicators,the optimal percutaneous nerve stimulation parameters were established.The optimal parameters were parallel placement located 3 cm apart with the injury site at the midpoint between the needles.To validate the efficacy of this regimen,we performed a randomized controlled trial in 23 patients with median nerve transection who underwent neurorrhaphy.Patients who received conventional rehabilitation combined with percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation experienced greater improvement in sensory function,motor function,and grip strength than those who received conventional rehabilitation combined with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.These findings suggest that the percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation regimen established in this study can improve global median nerve function in patients with median nerve transection.

Clinical application of a new device for minimally invasive circumcision

Aim： To study the clinical effects of a disposable circumcision device in treatment of male patients of different ages with either phimosis or excess foreskin. Methods： One thousand two hundred patients between the age of 5 and 95 years underwent circumcision using this procedure in the 2-year period between October 2005 and September 2007. Of these cases, 904 had excess foreskin and 296 were cases of phimosis. Results： In 96.33% of the cases the incision healed, leaving a minimal amount of the inner foreskin with no scarring and producing good cosmetic results. There were no incidents of device dislocation or damage to the frenulum. The average operative time was 2.5 min for excess foreskin, and 3.5 min for phimosis. During the 7 days of wearing the device, mild to moderate edema occurred in 10.08 % of cases with excess foreskin and in 2.58 % of those with phimosis. Edema in the frenulum was seen in 1.67% of patients, and only 0.67% had an infection of the incision. A total of 86.25% of patients reported pain due to penile erection. After removal of the device, 0.58% of the cases had minimal bleeding around the incision, and 2.42% had wound dehiscence. Conclusion： The new device can be applied to an overwhelming majority of patients with phimosis and excess foreskin. This technique is relatively simple to perform, and patients who underwent this surgery had very few complications. Antibiotics were not required and patients reported less pain than those who were circumcised using conventional methods. Circumcision with this device requires minimal tissue manipulation, and is quicker and safer than circumcision using conventional techniques.

Intra-abdominal inflammatory pseudotumor-like follicular dendritic cell sarcoma associated with paraneoplastic pemphigus: A case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUD Follicular dendritic cell(FDC)sarcomas are rare neoplasms that occur predominantly in the lymph nodes.They can also occur extranodally.Extranodal FDC sarcomas most commonly present as solitary masses.Inflammatory pseudotumor(IPT)-like FDC sarcomas,a subcategory of FDC sarcomas,are rarer than other sarcoma subtypes.They are composed of spindle or ovoid neoplastic cells and exhibit an admixture of plasma cells and prominent lymphoplasmacytic infiltration.Paraneoplastic pemphigus(PNP),also known as paraneoplastic autoimmune multiorgan syndrome,is a rare autoimmune bullous disease that is associated with underlying neoplasms.PNP has a high mortality,and its early diagnosis is usually difficult.CASE SUMMARY We describe a 27-year-old woman who presented with stomatitis,conjunctivitis,and skin blisters and erosions as her first symptoms of PNP with an intraabdominal IPT-like FDC sarcoma.The patient underwent surgical tumor resection and received tapering oral corticosteroid treatment.She showed no recurrence at the 1-year follow-up.CONCLUSION IPT-like FDC sarcomas are rare underlying neoplasms that have an uncommon association with PNP.PNP-associated FDC sarcomas predominantly occur in intra-abdominal sites and suggest a poor prognosis.Surgical resection is an essential and effective treatment for PNP and primary and recurrent FDC sarcomas.

自制单孔与三孔后腹腔镜肾蒂淋巴管结扎术治疗乳糜尿的临床疗效比较

目的探讨自制单孔后腹腔镜肾蒂淋巴管结扎术治疗乳糜尿的安全性及临床疗效。方法回顾性分析2013年2月-2016年3月接受单孔后腹腔镜肾蒂淋巴管结扎术或三孔后腹腔镜肾蒂淋巴管结扎术治疗乳糜尿的34例患者临床资料,其中单孔组(16例)和三孔组(18例)。两组患者的年龄、体质指数(BMI)比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。比较两组的手术时间、术中出血量、术后引流管留置天数、术后住院天数、术后疼痛评分和外观满意度评分等指标。结果所有手术均获成功,无中转开放手术。单孔组平均手术时间长于三孔组[(132.4±21.6)vs(102.3±16.1)min,P<0.05],两组在术中出血量、术后拔管时间和术后住院天数方面比较差异无统计学意义,但单孔组术后满意度评分、疼痛评分优于三孔组。结论自制单孔后腹腔镜肾蒂淋巴管结扎术治疗乳糜尿是一种安全有效、经济、微创的方法,术后疼痛较轻,美容效果更好。

Mechanism research progress on transition metal compound electrode materials for supercapacitors

Supercapacitors(SCs)have remarkable energy storage capabilities and have garnered considerable interest due to their superior power densities and ultra-long cycling characteristics.However,their comparatively low energy density limits their extensive application in large-scale commercial applications.Electrode materials directly affect the performance of SCs.Thus,the development of cutting-edge electrode materials and modification of their morphological and structural properties are vital for advancing the performance of SCs.Transition metal compounds have a high specific capacity and good cycling durability,making them the most promising electrode active materials for high-energy density SCs.Nevertheless,their inadequate conductivity,unfavorable ion diffusion rates,substantial volume expansion and phase transitions during charging and discharging are obstacles to their stable and efficient integration into SCs.To address these challenges,this study provides a comprehensive summary of the current advancements in transition metal nanomaterials as electrode materials for SCs,an overview of the current research status,and the prevailing challenges.Furthermore,this study highlights synthetic techniques and management strategies for electrode materials derived from transition metal compounds,targeting the resolution of the aforementioned challenges.Finally,a concise discussion is provided on the future directions of SC development,with an emphasis on the utilization of transition metal compound electrode materials.

Vertical two-dimensional WS_(2)flakes grown on flexible CNT film for excellent electrochemical performance

Soft electrochemical actuators that can generate mechanical motions in response to electrical stimuli can be used as artificial muscles in microscale robots.The electrode materials are the key component of the electrochemical actuator because they limit the ion diffusion and accumulation processes and thus affect the deformation in fast response-time and potential engineering applications.Low-dimensional materials,such as one-dimensional(1D)CNT and two-dimensional(2D)vertically stood WS_(2),are great electrode due to their good electrochemical stability and high surface-to-volume ratios,but show limited performances when being used on their own in the actuators because of low reconstruction or low conductivity.A combination of 1D CNT and 2D WS_(2)could form a heterojunction with both high electrochemical activity and great mechanical stability.Herein,by depositing highly disordered graphene nanosheets(HDGNs)on CNT films and then WS_(2)on the formed low-dimensional nanocarbon film,a hybrid WS_(2)/HDGN/CNT film was synthesized through a multistep CVD method.Vertically grown WS_(2)nanosheets were achieved by taking advantage of HDGNs which limits CNTs sliding.So,the volume expansion caused by the transition from WO_(3)to WS-2can force the vertical growth of WS_(2).This hybrid film shows excellent electrochemical properties,such as high specific capacitance and high rate performance.Soft actuators based on the WS_(2)/HDGN/CNT films show good actuating performance,including stability and reconfigurability.