Therapeutic Effect of Shaoyao Jiawei Gancao Decoction(芍药加味甘草汤)with Acupoint Application on Chronic Lumbar Muscle Strain and the Recovery of Lumbar Strength

Objective:To study the therapeutic effect of Shaoyao Jiawei Gancao Decoction(芍药加味甘草汤)with acupoint application on chronic lumbar muscle strain and the recovery of lumbar strength.Methods:From August 2018 to August 2019,100 patients with chronic lumbar muscle strain admitted to our hospital were selected and randomly divided into an acupoint application group and a combined group of 50 cases each.The acupoint application group was treated by acupoint application,and the combined group was treated with Shaoyao Jiawei Gancao Decoction(芍药加味甘草汤)based on acupoint application.The indexes scores,VAS scores,ADL scores,ODI scores,lumbar endurance,TCM syndrome scores and the treatment effects of the two groups before and after treatment were statistically analyzed,and TNF-αand TXB2 levels were detected.Results:After treatment,the scores of indexes,VAS,ODI,TCM syndrome,TNF-αand TXB2 in the combined group were lower than those in the acupoint application group,and the ADL score,lumbar endurance and treatment efficiency were higher than those in the acupoint application group,with a statistical difference(P<0.05).Conclusion:Shaoyao Jiawei Gancao Decoction(芍药加味甘草汤)with acupoint application can effectively reduce pain,improve lumbar function,restore lumbar strength,effectively relieve inflammation,with significant effects.

Self-healing behavior of Ti_(2)AlC at a low oxygen partial pressure

Ti_(2)AlC,a MAX phase ceramic,has an attractive self-healing ability to restore performance via the oxidation-induced crack healing mechanism upon healing at high temperatures in air(high oxygen partial pressures).However,such healing ability to repair damages in vacuum or low oxygen partial pressure conditions remains unknown.Here,we report on the self-healing behavior of Ti_(2)AlC at a low oxygen partial pressure of about 1 Pa.The experimental results showed that the strength recovery depends on both healing temperature and time.After healing at 1400℃for 1–4 h,the healed samples exhibited the recovered strengths even exceeding the original strength of 375 MPa.The maximum recovered strength of~422 MPa was achieved in the healed Ti_(2)AlC sample after healing at 1400 for 4 h,about 13%higher than the original strength.Damages were healed by the formed℃TiCx from the decomposition of Ti_(2)AlC.The decomposition-induced crack healing as a new mechanism in the low oxygen partial pressure condition was disclosed for the MAX ceramics.The present study illustrates that key components made of Ti_(2)AlC can prolong their service life and keep their reliability during use at high temperatures in low oxygen partial pressures.

Tough superabsorbent poly(acrylic acid) nanocomposite physical hydrogels fabricated by a dually cross-linked single network strategy

In this work, we report a facile method for the preparation of tough and highly stretchable physical hydrogels by dual cross-linking composed of vinyl-hybrid silica nanoparticles（VSNPs） as multivalent covalent cross-linking and hydrogen bonding as physical cross-linking. Poly（acrylic acid） nanocomposite physical hydrogels（NCP gels） are obtained without adding any organic chemical cross-linkers. When the content of VSNPs is 0.7 wt%（relative to the monomer）, the NCP gels exhibit good mechanical properties（fracture strength = 370 k Pa, elongation at break = 2200%） and a high swelling capacity in both deionized water（2300 g/g） and saline（220 g/g）. Meanwhile, the NCP gels have good recovery ability.