Purpose
Polyethylene glycol is known to improve recovery following its use in repair of acute peripheral nerve injury. The duration till which PEG works remains a subject of intense research. We ...studied the effect of PEG with augmentation of 20Htz of electrical stimulation (ES) following neurorrhaphy at 48 h in a rodent sciatic nerve neurotmesis model.
Method
Twenty-four Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups. In group I, the sciatic nerve was transected and repaired immediately. In group II, PEG fusion was done additionally after acute repair. In group III, repair and PEG fusion were done at 48 h. In group IV, ES of 20Htz at 2 mA for 1 h was added to the steps followed for group III. Weekly assessment of sciatic functional index (SFI), pinprick, and cold allodynia tests were done at 3 weeks and euthanized. Sciatic nerve axonal count and muscle weight were done.
Results
Groups II, III, and IV showed significantly better recovery of SFI (II: 70.10 ± 1.24/III: 84.00 ± 2.59/IV: 74.40 ± 1.71 vs I: 90.00 ± 1.38) (
p
< 0.001) and axonal counts (II: 4040 ± 270/III: 2121 ± 450/IV:2380 ± 158 vs I: 1024 ± 094) (
p
< 0.001) at 3 weeks. The experimental groups showed earlier recovery of sensation in comparison to the controls as demonstrated by pinprick and cold allodynia tests and improved muscle weights. Addition of electrical stimulation helped in better score with SFI (III: 84.00 ± 2.59 vs IV: 74.40 ± 1.71) (
p
< 0.001) and muscle weight (plantar flexors) (III: 0.49 ± 0.02 vs IV: 0.55 ± 0.01) (
p
< 0.001) in delayed repair and PEG fusions.
Conclusion
This study shows that PEG fusion of peripheral nerve repair in augmentation with ES results in better outcomes, and this benefit can be demonstrated up to a window period of 48 h after injury.
Plastic pollution in various forms has emerged as the most severe environmental threat. Small plastic chunks, such as microplastics and nanoplastics derived from primary and secondary sources, are a ...major concern worldwide due to their adverse effects on the environment and public health. Several years have been spent developing robust spectroscopic techniques that should be considered top-notch; however, researchers are still trying to find efficient and straightforward methods for the analysis of microplastics but have yet to develop a viable solution. Because of the small size of these degraded plastics, they have been found in various species, from human brains to blood and digestive systems. Several pollution-controlling methods have been tested in recent years, and these methods are prominent and need to be developed. Bacterial degradation, sunlight-driven photocatalyst, fuels, and biodegradable plastics could be game-changers in future research on plastic pollution control. However, recent fledgling steps in controlling methods appear insufficient due to widespread contamination. As a result, proper regulation of environmental microplastics is a significant challenge, and the most equitable way to manage plastic pollution. Therefore, this paper discusses the current state of microplastics, some novel and well-known identification techniques, strategies for overcoming microplastic effects, and needed solutions to mitigate this planetary pollution. This review article, we believe, will fill a void in the field of plastic identification and pollution mitigation research.
Myocardial positron emission tomography (PET) to detect cardiac sarcoidosis requires adequate patient preparation; however, in many cases physiologic myocardial 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) ...uptake may not be adequately suppressed. We sought to evaluate the efficacy of a structured patient preparation protocol as recommended by the joint SNMMI/ASNC expert consensus document on the role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in cardiac sarcoid detection and therapy monitoring. The SNMMI/ASNC preparation protocol recommends at least two high-fat (> 35 g), low-carbohydrate (< 3 g) (HFLC) meals the day before testing followed by fasting for at least 4-12 hours.
All unique PET scans performed for cardiac sarcoidosis before (group 1) and after (group 2) application of the new preparation protocol were included in the study. In group 1, patients were given a preparation protocol of HFLC meals with suggested meals examples, while patients in group 2 received detailed diet instructions, together with accepted and non-accepted meal examples along. In group 2, reinforcement of instructions by nursing staff and review of dietary log were performed prior to testing. All PET images were evaluated for suppression of physiologic myocardial 18F-FDG uptake.
Group 1 included 124 unique patients, and group 2 included 232 unique patients. There were no significant differences in baseline patient characteristics between the two groups. Suppression of physiologic myocardial 18F-FDG uptake was achieved in 91% of patients in group 2, compared to 78% of patients in group 1 (P < .001). A “diffuse” myocardial uptake pattern, indicating inadequate 18F-FDG suppression, was seen in 2% of studies in group 2 vs 12% in group 1 (P < .001).
In this single-center study, application of a structured preparation protocol was highly successful in achieving suppression of physiologic myocardial 18F-FDG uptake in patients undergoing myocardial PET for cardiac sarcoidosis.
Copper doped NiO thin films have been prepared using chemical spray pyrolysis technique. Investigation of these films has been done using X-ray diffraction, Atomic force microscopy, two-probe ...resistivity measurements and UV–visible spectroscopy. Interesting results have been obtained from the study of optical spectra. A peak corresponding to 439 nm has been observed in the absorption spectra for 1%, 5% and 10% copper doped samples. The area of the peak increases with the increase in copper concentration. This result is consistent with the AFM data. The resistivity results show that the activation energy decreases with the increase in the copper concentration. The low temperature conduction has been explained by variable range-hopping mechanism, which fits very well for the whole temperature range and again is consistent with the absorbance data. Value addition to this study is the observation of higher absorption in the visible region, thereby a tendency towards tunability for applications.
Background
Periampullary cancers are uncommon malignancies, often amenable to surgery. Several studies have suggested a role for adjuvant chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy in improving survival of ...patients with periampullary cancers, with variable results. The aim of this meta‐analysis was to determine the survival benefit of adjuvant therapy for periampullary cancers.
Methods
A systematic review was undertaken of literature published between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2015 to elicit and analyse the pooled overall survival associated with the use of either adjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy versus observation in the treatment of surgically resected periampullary cancer. Included articles were also screened for information regarding stage, prognostic factors and toxicity‐related events.
Results
A total of 704 titles were screened, of which 93 full‐text articles were retrieved. Fourteen full‐text articles were included in the study, six of which were RCTs. A total of 1671 patients (904 in the control group and 767 who received adjuvant therapy) were included. The median 5‐year overall survival rate was 37·5 per cent in the control group, compared with 40·0 per cent in the adjuvant group (hazard ratio 1·08, 95 per cent c.i. 0·91 to 1·28; P = 0·067). In 32·2 per cent of patients who had adjuvant therapy, one or more WHO grade 3 or 4 toxicity‐related events were noted. Advanced T category was associated worse survival (regression coefficient −0·14, P = 0·040), whereas nodal status and grade of differentiation were not.
Conclusion
This systematic review found no associated survival benefit for adjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of periampullary cancer.
No benefit
PDF
