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Yushan Shi,1,* Zhangmeng Xu,2,* Shuangshuang Pu,1 Kanghong Xu,1 Yanan Wang,1 Chunlai Zhang1 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, 25000, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Health Preservation and Rehabilitation, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610075, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Chunlai Zhang, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jingshi Road, Lixia, Jinan, Shandong, 25000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86+15863139900, Email qd07@163.comPurpose: This study sought to examine the potential association between serum Klotho levels and the prevalence of COPD in the United States.Patients and Methods: This study was a cross-sectional analysis involving 4361 adults aged 40– 79 years participating in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 2013 and 2016. Our investigation utilized multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression to explore the potential correlation between serum Klotho concentrations and the prevalence of COPD. Additionally, we conducted stratified and interaction analyses to evaluate the consistency and potential modifiers of this relationship.Results: In this study encompassing 4631 patients (with an average age of 57.6 years, 47.5% of whom were male), 445 individuals (10.2%) were identified as having COPD. In the fully adjusted model, ln-transformed serum Klotho was negatively associated with COPD (OR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.51– 0.99; p = 0.043). Meanwhile, compared with quartile 1, serum Klotho levels in quartiles 2– 4 yielded odds ratios (ORs) (95% CI) for COPD were 0.84 (0.63~1.11), 0.76 (0.56~1.02), 0.84 (0.62~1.13), respectively. A negative relationship was observed between the ln-transformed serum Klotho and occurrence of COPD (nonlinear: p = 0.140). the association between ln-transformed serum Klotho and COPD were stable in stratified analyses.Conclusion: Serum Klotho was negatively associated with the incidence of COPD, when ln-transformed Klotho concentration increased by 1 unit, the risk of COPD was 29% lower.Keywords: α-Klotho (Klotho), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cross-sectional study, National Health and Nutrition Survey, NHANES

Kaixuan Zhao,1,* Siqi Pu,2,* Liyun Sun,1 Dongmei Zhou1 1Dermatology Department, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 10010, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Liyun Sun, Dermatology Department, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, 23 Art Musuem Back Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100010, People’s Republic of China, Email doctorsunny@sina.cn Dongmei Zhou, Dermatology Department, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, 23 Art musuem Back Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100010, People’s Republic of China, Email 52176857@163.comPurpose: In this study, we aimed to report the biological characteristics of the first successful synthesis of gentiopicroside-loaded chitosan nanoparticles and to evaluate the therapeutic effects and preliminary mechanisms of gentiopicrin-loaded chitosan on psoriasis-like cell and mouse models.Methods: Gentiopicroside-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CHI-GEN) were prepared, and their biological characteristics were evaluated. HaCaT keratinocytes were stimulated with TNF-α to establish a psoriatic keratinocyte model. MTT assay and flow cytometry were used to measure cell viability and apoptosis, respectively. mRNA levels of K17, VEGF A, and IL-6 and IL-23A were detected using qRT-PCR. These tests were used to preliminarily assess the effects of CHI-GEN on keratinocyte proliferation and inflammation. Imiquimod was used to construct a psoriasis-like mice model. The severity of psoriasis was scored based on the psoriasis area severity index (PASI), H&E staining was used to observe the histological changes and the level of inflammation and cell proliferation of skin lesions was evaluated by measuring the mRNA levels of K17, IL-23A, and IL-17A using qRT-PCR.Results: The average particle size of CHI-GEN nanoparticles was approximately 100 nm, and the zeta potential was 2.69 ± 0.87 mV. The cumulative release was 67.2% in solutions of pH 5.5 at 24 h. GEN reduced TNF-α-induced excessive proliferation of HaCaT keratinocytes and downregulated mRNA levels of K17, VEGF A, and inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-23A, which was more obvious in the CHI-GEN treatment group. Additionally, CHI-GEN significantly improved the severity of skin lesions in psoriasis-like mice and downregulated the mRNA expressions of IL-6, IL-23A, and IL-17A in mice skin lesions.Conclusion: In conclusion, we successfully prepared gentiopicrin-chitosan nanoparticles. Our results show that these nanoparticles have anti-psoriasis activity, inhibits keratinocyte proliferation and improves symptoms in psoriasis model mice and can be used to develop an effective strategy for the treatment of psoriasis.Keywords: chitosan, nanoparticles, gentiopicroside, chitosan-loaded nano cream for external use, psoriasis, proliferation and inflammation

Yihan Wang,1,2 Yizhen Wei,1,2 Yichun Wu,1,2 Yue Zong,1,2 Yingying Song,2 Shengyan Pu,2 Wenwen Wu,2 Yun Zhou,1 Jun Xie,2 Haitao Yin1 1Department of Radiotherapy Central Hospital, Affiliated Xuzhou Clinical College of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221009, People’s Republic of China; 2Key Laboratory for Biotechnology on Medicinal Plants of Jiangsu Province, School of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, 221116, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Haitao Yin; Jun Xie, Email yinhaitao@njmu.edu.cn; xiejun@jsnu.edu.cnPurpose: Realgar, as a kind of traditional mineral Chinese medicine, can inhibit multiple solid tumor growth and serve as an adjuvant drug in cancer therapy. However, the extremely low solubility and poor body absorptive capacity limit its application in clinical medicine. To overcome this therapeutic hurdle, realgar can here be fabricated into a nano-realgar hydrogel with enhanced chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT) ability. Our objective is to evaluate the superior biocompatibility and anti-tumor activity of nano-realgar hydrogel.Methods: We have successfully synthesized nano-realgar quantum dots (QDs) coupling with 6-AN molecules (NRA QDs) and further encapsulated with a pH-sensitive dextran hydrogel carrier with hyaluronic acid coating (DEX-HA gel) to promote bioavailability, eventually forming a multifunctional nano-realgar hydrogel (NRA@DH Gel). To better investigate the tumor therapy efficiency of the NRA@DH Gel, we have established the mice in situ bearing GL261 brain glioblastoma as animal models assigned to receive intratumor injection of NRA@DH Gel.Results: The designed NRA@DH Gel as an antitumor drug can not only exert the prominent chemotherapy effect but also as a “sustainable reactive oxygen species (ROS) generator” can inhibit in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) metabolism and reduce the production of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), thereby inhibiting the conversion of glutathione disulfide (GSSG) to glutathione (GSH), reducing GSH concentrations in tumor cells, triggering the accumulation of ROS, and finally enhancing the effectiveness of RT.Conclusion: Through the synergistic effect of chemotherapy and RT, NRA@DH Gel effectively inhibited the proliferation and migration of tumor cells, suppressed tumor growth, improved motor coordination, and prolonged survival in tumor-bearing mice. Our work aims to improve the NRA@DH Gel-mediated synergistic chemotherapy and RT will endow a “promising future” for the old drug in clinically comprehensive applications.Keywords: NRA@DH Gel, glioma, inhibition of the PPP, ROS, radiosensitization, synergistic therapy

Yongming Xu,1,* Qingqing Jiang,2,* Xiaoliang Xu,3,* Shaofeng Pu,1 Yingying Lv,1 Chen Li,1 Junzhen Wu,1,* Dongping Du1,* 1Department of Pain Management Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Neurology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Anesthesiology, Cixi People’s Hospital, Cixi, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Dongping Du; Junzhen Wu, Department of Pain Management Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, 600 Yishan Road, Shanghai, 200233, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-21-24058896, Fax +86-21-240598896, Email dudp@sjtu.edu.cn; analgesia@sjtu.edu.cnBackground: Neuropathic pain is the most common clinical sign of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Currently, lumbar sympathetic block (LSB) is commonly utilized in lower extremity CRPS that has failed to respond to medication therapy and physical therapy, but its effectiveness is unknown. The tourniquet ischemia test (IT) can distinguish between two types of CRPS: IT-positive CRPS and IT-negative CRPS.Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate whether LSB improves pain scores in patients with lower extremity CRPS-1 and to screen factors to predict its efficacy.Study Design: Prospective clinical observational study.Setting: Pain management center.Subjects: Forty-three patients diagnosed with lower extremity CRPS-1 using the Budapest criteria were included as participants.Methods: Forty-three CRPS-1 patients were treated with LSB therapy, and all of them underwent a tourniquet ischemia test (IT) before undergoing LSB therapy. LSB therapy was performed using a combination of ultrasonography and fluoroscopy. Then, numeric rating scale (NRS) scores and the symptom relief rates of patients were evaluated at 1, 4, and 12 weeks. Finally, peripheral blood inflammatory cytokine samples were collected before and after the LSB treatment.Results: At 4 weeks after the treatment, the total effective symptom relief rate of LSB on CRPS-1 was 25.6% (11/43), with 52.6% (10/19) of IT(+) patients and 4.2% (1/24) of IT(-) patients. There was a significant difference between the IT(-) and IT(+) groups (P = 0.001). The multivariate binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the response to the tourniquet IT was the only significant independent predictor of sympathetic block success (p = 0.007).Conclusion: Tourniquet IT is a simple, safe and effective test to distinguish patients with lower extremity CRPS-1. The response to the tourniquet IT is a reliable predictor of LSB effectiveness in lower extremity CRPS-1 patients.Keywords: complex regional pain syndrome, lumbar sympathetic block, tourniquet ischemia test, predict

Shaofeng Pu,1 Yiyang Wu,1 Qingjian Han,2 Jie Chen,3 Yongming Xu,1 Yingying Lv,1 Chen Li,1 Jing Lu,4 Junzhen Wu,1,&ast; Dongping Du1,&ast; 1Department of Pain Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, People’s Republic of China; 2Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, People’s Republic of China; 3Shanghai Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, People’s Republic of China; 4Radiology Department, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Dongping Du, Department of Pain Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 21 2405 8896, Fax +86 21 2405 8330, Email dudp@sjtu.edu.cnPurpose: Thoracic nerve root (TNR) block is performed primarily under computed tomography or X-ray fluoroscopy but is associated with radiation exposure. Ultrasound requires no radiation and distinguishes vessels, nerves, pleura, and other tissues. Few reports of ultrasound-guided TNR (US-TNR) block have been described, and the puncture end point has not been clearly defined. Herein, we evaluated the feasibility of US-TNR block using the midpoint of the inferior articular process (IAP) and parietal pleura (PP) as the puncture end point.Patients and Methods: A prospective series of 10 patients with Herpes Zoster-associated pain underwent US-TNR-guided block performed using an in-plane technique with the midpoint of thoracic IAP and PP as the puncture end points of ultrasonography. The US-TNR block procedure was performed with ultrasound as the primary imaging tool followed by fluoroscopic confirmation.Results: In all patients, the needle tips were visible at the lateral margin of the pedicle in the anteroposterior view and at the extraforaminal zone in the lateral view. The TNR and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) were delineated in all 10 patients. Furthermore, 2 mL of radiopaque agent could delineate the epidural space in 8 patients and the thoracic paravertebral (TPV) space in the other 2 patients. All patients developed numbness along the corresponding dermatome 30 min after injection of local anesthetics. The numeric rating scale (NRS) score at baseline, and at two- and four-week follow-ups were 6.50 ± 1.35, 3.50 ± 0.85 (vs NRS at baseline, P < 0.01), and 4.00 ± 0.82 (vs NRS at baseline, P < 0.01), respectively.Conclusion: This study demonstrated the feasibility of US-TNR block using the in-plane technique with the midpoint of thoracic IAP and PP as the puncture end point to effectively block the TNR and DRG. This technique is an accurate clinical application of TPV nerve block and provides a potential therapeutic option for the treatment of neuropathic pain.Keywords: ultrasound-guided, thoracic nerve root, thoracic paravertebral, midpoint, neuropathic pain

Yu Zhu,1– 3,&ast; Tao Wang,1– 3,&ast; Shuangli He,1– 3 Shiming Pu,1– 3 Hongxia Zhao,1– 3 Zuping Zhou,1– 3 Qiong Wu1– 3 1School of Life Sciences, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of China; 2Guangxi Universities Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Biopharmaceutical Technology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of China; 3Research Center for Biomedical Sciences, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Qiong Wu Tel +86 18978327544Email wubinbin02@163.comPurpose: Our previous study found that white adipose stem cells (W-ASCs) derived from abdominal and femoral sulcus white adipose stem cells (ASCs) have antiaging and age-related obesity effects. Whether interscapular brown adipose stem cells (B-ASCs) have the same effect has not been reported. The study objective was to compare the effects of ASCs from different tissues on aging and aging-related obesity.Patients and Methods: C57BL/6J mice at 22 months of age were transplanted with either B-ASCs or W-ASCs from young mice at 2 months of age. Changes in body weight, biochemistry, cytokines, hormone secretion, cell senescence, lipid metabolism, and ASC function were assessed after transplanted 1 month.Results: W-ASCs were superior to B-ASCs as aging and age-related obesity indicators, based on change in body weight, organ weight, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, lipid metabolism, and liver and kidney function.Conclusion: Difference in the tissue source was reflected by the heterogeneity of antiaging and age-related obesity effects of transplanted ASCs. Based on the study results, we recommend W-ASCs over B-ASCs in aging and age-related obesity applications.Keywords: adipose-derived stromal/stem cells, different tissue sources, obesity, aging

Yanhui Ding, Huijuan Wang, Shuli Pu, Shifeng Huang,* Siqiang Niu* Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Siqiang Niu; Shifeng Huang Email siqiangniu@cqmu.edu.cn; sfhuang@hospital.cqmu.edu.cnPurpose: To analyze the characteristics and trends of drug resistance for Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae), isolated from urinary tract infections (UTIs), to common antibiotics used in clinics.Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in a teaching hospital in Chongqing from 2011 to 2019. Laboratory data of isolated bacteria were collected and analyzed.Results: Among the 17,966 non-repetitive strains isolated from the urine sample, a total of 1543 K. pneumoniae isolates were identified, with an isolation frequency secondary only to Escherichia coli (E. coli) and there was a peak in the K. pneumoniae isolates in the year 2013. During the period, the rate of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing K. pneumoniae fell from 48.4% in 2011 to 32.9% in 2019, and a marked jump of resistance was seen in carbapenems from 2.2% to 18.0%. The peak of carbapenem resistance rate (22.6%) to K. pneumoniae was observed in 2017 along with a low ESBL-producing rate (30.9%). Piperacillin/tazobactam and cefepime resistance levels went up from 4.4% to 25.7% and from 18.2% to 30.5%, respectively. Moreover, the K. pneumoniae isolates resistance rate to carbapenems and amikacin gradually grew up, showing their peaks in 2017, and then dropped year by year. However, ceftazidime and aztreonam resistance levels were relatively stable, fluctuating between 21.8% and 35.6%, 32.2% and 39.4%, respectively.Conclusion: There is a significant upward tendency in carbapenem resistance rate and a downward tendency in ESBL-production rate in K. pneumoniae isolates from UTIs, and continuous surveillance is necessary in the future.Keywords: urinary tract infections, Klebsiella pneumoniae, carbapenem resistance, extended-spectrum β-lactamase

Shaofeng Pu,1 Junzhen Wu,1 Qingjian Han,2 Xin Zhang,3 Yingying Lv,1 Yongming Xu,1 Chen Li,1 Dongping Du1 1Department of Pain Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, People’s Republic of China; 2Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, People’s Republic of China; 3Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USACorrespondence: Dongping DuDepartment of Pain Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai 200233, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 21 2405 8896Fax +86 21 2405 8330Email dudp@sjtu.edu.cnObjective: Postamputation pain (PAP) is a serious problem, and thus far, there is no perfect treatment strategy. Clinically, minimally invasive treatments for peripheral neuromas are simple and feasible. This study aimed to investigate the immediate and long-term effects of ultrasonography-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) on PAP.Methods: Eighteen PAP subjects with painful peripheral neuromas were treated with ultrasonography-guided RFA.Results: A total of 18 PAP subjects were included in the final analyses. Fourteen of the 17 subjects with residual limb pain (RLP) (82.4%) had successful outcomes. A successful outcome was noted in 9 of the 13 subjects with phantom limb pain (PLP) (69.2%). There were no significant associations between symptom relief and sex, age, or the duration of symptoms. There were no severe complications.Conclusions: Ultrasonography-guided RFA for painful stump neuromas can effectively relieve stump pain and PLP in amputees with PAP (follow-up time was 12 months). Ultrasonography-guided RFA is easy and safe and does not involve radiation exposure, making it very suitable for clinical applications.Keywords: postamputation pain, neuroma, ultrasonography-guided, radiofrequency ablation

Zhu Y, Wang T, He S, et al. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2021;14:4535–4546. The authors have advised due to an error at the time of figure assembly, Figure 5D on page 4543 is incorrect. The correct Figure 5 is shown in Download Article. The authors apologize for this error and advise it does not affect the results of the paper. Read the original article

Yanping Li,1 Ting Zhang,2 Qinhui Liu,1 Jinhang Zhang,1 Rui Li,1 Shiyun Pu,1 Tong Wu,1 Liang Ma,3 Jinhan He11Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacy and Adverse Drug Reaction; 2Department of Pharmacy; 3Division of Nephrology, Kidney Research Institute, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People’s Republic of ChinaBackground: SKLB023, a novel 5-benzylidenethiazolidine-2,4-dione based-derivative, specifically inhibits inducible nitric oxide synthase and shows promise for treating non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, its poor water solubility and low bioavailability limits its clinical use. Here the drug was loaded into phosphatidylcholine-bile salt-mixed micelles (PBMM/SKLB023) to overcome these limitations.Methods: PBMM/SKLB023 was developed using a simple co-precipitation method, and formulation parameters were optimized. The pharmacokinetics of PBMM/SKLB023 were investigated in Wistar rats, and therapeutic efficacy was assessed in a mouse model of NASH induced by a diet deficient in methionine- and choline.Results: PBMM/SKLB023 particles were 11.36±2.08 nm based on dynamic light scattering, and loading the drug into micelles improved its water solubility 300-fold. PBMM/SKLB023 inhibited proliferation and activation of HSC-T6 cells more strongly than free SKLB023. PBMM/SKLB023 showed longer mean retention time and higher bioavailability than the free drug after intravenous injection in Wistar rats. In the mouse model of NASH, PBMM/SKLB023 alleviated hepatic lipid accumulation, inflammation, and fibrosis to a significantly greater extent than free SKLB023.Conclusion: PBMM/SKLB023 shows therapeutic potential for treating NASH and liver fibrosis.Keywords: phosphatidylcholine-bile salt-mixed micelles, bioavailability, solubilizing efficiency, NASH

Xin Zhang,1,2 Haifeng Shi,1,3 Jin Zhou,1 Yongming Xu,1 Shaofeng Pu,1 Yingying Lv,1 Junzhen Wu,1 Yueping Cheng,1 Dongping Du1 1Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Management Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, China; 2Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA; 3Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, China Background: Cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injection (CTFESI) is used to provide pain relief and restore function in patients with cervical radiculopathy. Traditionally, it is performed under the guidance of fluoroscopy or computed tomography. Here, we introduce a novel technique – ultrasound-guided CTFESI – with which operators can easily distinguish the close soft tissue (nerve, vessels) around the cervical foramina to avoid intravascular injection during the procedure. Objective: To present the immediate and long-term effectiveness of ultrasound-guided CTFESI in patients with cervical radiculopathy in an academic pain-management center with prospective clinic experiments. Methods: Fifteen patients with cervical radiculopathy who were resistant to conservative therapies and ultrasound-guided selective cervical spinal nerve-root injections, were treated with ultrasound-guided CTFESI. During the injection procedures, the needle tips were reconfirmed by real-time fluoroscopy. Pain numeric rating-scale and neck-disability-index scores were assessed from onset to six months after the procedures. Results: During the procedures, based on real-time fluoroscopic confirmation, the injection solution outlined the spinal nerve root and spread into the epidural space in most cases (14 of 15). All patients reported pain relief within 10 minutes after the injection. The majority of patients (eleven of 15) experienced pain relief and neck-disability index-score improvement throughout the 6-month study period. No patient experienced any complication. Conclusion: We suggest that ultrasound-guided CTFESI is an effective, safe, and simple procedure free of radiation or magnetization and provides sustained pain relief in patients with cervical radiculopathy who have failed previous conservation therapies. Keywords: cervical radiculopathy, ultrasound-guided, cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injection, steroid

Xin Zhang, Yongming Xu, Jin Zhou, Shaofeng Pu, Yingying Lv, Yueping Chen, Dongping Du Pain Management Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China Background: Post-amputation pain (PAP) is highly prevalent after limb amputation, and stump neuromas play a key role in the generation of the pain. Presently, PAP refractory to medical management is frequently treated with minimally invasive procedures guided by ultrasound, such as alcohol neurolysis and radiofrequency ablation (RFA).Objective: To record the immediate and long-term efficacy of alcohol neurolysis and RFA. We first used alcohol neurolysis and then, when necessary, we performed RFA on PAP patients.Study design: Prospective case series.Setting: Pain management center.Methods: Thirteen subjects were treated with ultrasound-guided procedures.Results: All patients were treated with neurolysis using alcohol solutions guided by ultrasound. Seven (54%) of 13 subjects achieved pain relief after 1–3 alcohol injection treatments. The remaining 6 subjects obtained pain relief after receiving 2 administrations of ultrasound-guided RFA. After a 6-month follow-up evaluation period, pain quantities were also assessed. Both stump pain (including intermittent sharp pain and continuous burning pain) and phantom pain were relieved. The frequency of intermittent sharp pain was decreased, and no complications were noted during the observation.Conclusion: The use of ultrasound guidance for alcohol injection and RFA of painful stump neuromas is a simple, radiation-free, safe, and effective procedure that provides sustained pain relief in PAP patients. In this case series, RFA was found to be an effective alternative to alcohol injection. Keywords: post-amputation pain, neuroma, ultrasound-guided, alcohol neurolysis, radiofrequency ablation

A triphenylamine-based "turn-on" fluorescent chemosensor, (E)-3-(benzyloxy)-N′-{[4′-(diphenyl-amino)-4-hydroxy[1,1′-biphenyl]-3-yl]methylidene}benzohydrazide (BDHBMB), containing a 3-benzyloxy-benzo-hydrazide moiety was successfully synthesized. It showed high selectivity, excellent anti-interference performance, and remarkable sensitivity for Al3+ ions in methanol solution. After the addition of Al3+, BDHBMB exhibited strong fluorescence emission (18 times enhancement) at λ 573 nm due to the formation of a rigid conjugate structure based on chelation-enhanced fluorescence (CHEF) mechanism. A great linearity with a correlation coefficient R2 of 0.99 was observed in the concentration range 0–60 μM. The binding constant and the limit of detection (LOD) for Al3+ were calculated to be 1.48×103 M–1 and 8.94×10–8 M, respectively. The "turn-on" fluorescent probe was successfully applied to visual detection of Al3+ in test paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simultaneous measurement of magnetic field and temperature is proposed and experimentalized with a magnetic fluid-clad long period fiber grating structure. Magnetic fluid is used as the surrounding material of the long period fiber grating. Both of the wavelength and intensity of the spectral resonance valley of the proposed structure can be influenced by the applied magnetic field and ambient temperature variation. A two-parameter matrix method is proposed and utilized to measure the magnetic field and temperature simultaneously. The linear relationship between the corresponding wavelength shift/intensity variation and magnetic field/temperature change is obtained at certain ranges of magnetic field and temperature, which is favorable for sensing applications.

Generally, the yield of most crops relies the intensity of drought and the stage of plant growth period where it occurs. Various wheat genotypes viz. IBWSN-1010, IBWSN-1025 (Salt tolerant liens), TD-1, ESW-9526 (Hybrid lines) Khirman (Commercial cultivated cultivar) and Chakwal-86 (Drought tolerant) were evaluated to examine the growth and physiological responses to drought stress. Growth and water relations were investigated in the fourth leaf over a twenty-day timescale under drought and control conditions. The results were used to evaluate whether the salt tolerant cultivars IBWSN-1010 and IBWSN-1025 are also tolerant to drought stress. In the drought treatment, the cultivars Chakwal-86 (drought tolerant), IBWSN-1010, IBWSN-1025 (salt tolerant liens) and TD-1 and ESW-9525 (Lines) had a significantly higher number of live leaves, leaf and shoot fresh and dry mass, retained higher leaf and relative water content, and had a lower leaf mortality compared to Khirman. The salt and drought tolerant cultivars all showed significantly higher leaf water potential compared to the hybrid lines and Khirman. No significant differences were observed in soil water content and potential, meaning that all cultivars depleted soil water equally. Longer leaf longevity and greater fresh mass retention show that salt tolerant cultivars are also drought tolerant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]