A Rare Case of Craniocervical Penetrating Injury by a Steel Bar.

RATIONALE: Non-missile penetrating injuries caused by foreign bodies, such as knives or sharp wood, are infrequent. We report a 49-year-old male suffering from severe craniocervical penetrating injury by a steel bar was successfully treated by surgery. CHIEF COMPLAINT: The male patient was a 49-year-old builder. Although working on the construction site, an approximately 60 cm steel bar penetrated the patient's brain vertically through the left top of the head presenting with unconsciousness and intermittent irritability. DIAGNOSIS: Computed tomography of the head showed the entrance and exit of the skull damaged by the steel bar. Three-dimensional reconstruction showed that the steel bar entered the skull from the posterior left coronal suture and penetrated the ipsilateral occipital bone, about 5 cm into the neck soft tissue. INTERVENTION: We successfully performed the operation and removed the steel bar. OUTCOMES: The patient was followed up for 5 years; muscle strength returned to normal. LESSONS: Penetrating injuries caused by steel bars are rare, which always cause severe intracranial injury combined with peripheral tissue injury, by sharing our experience in the treatment of this rare case, we hope to provide a reference for similar injuries in the future.

Biodegradable microfibers deliver the antitumor drug temozolomide to glioma C6 cells in vitro.

To develop effective implants for delivery of 3,4-dihydro-3-methyl-4-oxoimidazo[5,1-d]-as-tetrazine-8-carboxamide (temozolomide; TM) with low initial burst and less neurotoxicity, TM-loaded poly-propylene carbonate (PPC) fiber was fabricated by electrospinning. Some of the fiber sheets were then covered with alginate (ALG). Influences of several preparation parameters on drug delivery behavior were investigated. The micro-morphology of these fibers was studied using scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. In vitro release properties of two forms of samples were observed and their cytotoxicity against C6 glioma cells was assessed. Using strict preparation parameters, smooth and uniform fiber could only be obtained when the PPC concentration was 8 % by weight, at 20cm and a voltage of 15 kV between the nozzle and the collection instrument. Fiber diameter was about 3 microm. The initial burst of drug-fiber sheets was reduced after the fiber sheets were covered with ALG. Cytotoxicity test results suggested that both forms of drug fibers inhibit the C6 glioma cells continuously; the pure drug-fiber sheets were strongly cytotoxic. We conclude that (a) electrospinning is a reliable fabrication method for M-loaded PPC fibers; and (b) an ALG coating reduces the initial burst of the fiber sheets.

Three-dimensionally ordered macroporous Li3V2(PO4)3/C nanocomposite cathode material for high-capacity and high-rate Li-ion batteries.

A three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) Li3V2(PO4)3/C cathode material with small-sized macropores (50-140 nm) is successfully synthesized using a colloidal crystal array. The 3DOM architecture is built up from fully densely sintered Li3V2(PO4)3/C nanocomposite ceramics particles. Such a 3DOM Li3V2(PO4)3/C micrometer sized particle combines the advantages of both Li3V2(PO4)3 nanocrystal and micrometer sized particle. The resultant 3DOM Li3V2(PO4)3/C nanocomposite exhibits a stable and highly reversible discharge capacity up to 151 mA g(-1) at 0.1 C, and an excellent high-rate capability of 132 mA g(-1) at 5 C in the voltage range of 3.0-4.4 V. Compared to the corresponding bulk nanocomposite, the 3DOM Li3V2(PO4)3/C cathode exhibits a significantly improved high-rate performance, which promises new opportunities in the development of high energy and high power lithium-ion batteries.

Sustained delivery of dbcAMP by poly(propylene carbonate) micron fibers promotes axonal regenerative sprouting and functional recovery after spinal cord hemisection.

This study describes the use of poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) electrospun fibers as vehicle for the sustained delivery of dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (dbcAMP) to the hemisected spinal cord. The dbcAMP and PPC were uniformly mixed with acetonitrile; then, electrospinning was used to generate micron fibers. The release of dbcAMP was assessed by ELISA in vitro. Our results showed that the encapsulation of dbcAMP in the fibers led to stable and prolonged release in vitro. The PPC micron fibers containing dbcAMP and the PPC micron fibers without dbcAMP were then implanted into the hemisected thoracic spinal cord, followed by testing of the functional recovery and immunohistochemistry. Compared with the control group, sustained delivery of dbcAMP promoted axonal regenerative sprouting and functional recovery and reduced glial scar formation, and the PPC micron fibers without dbcAMP did not have these effects. Our findings demonstrated the feasibility of using PPC electrospun fibers containing dbcAMP for spinal cord injury. The approach described here also will provide a platform for the potential delivery of other axon-growth-promoting or scar-inhibiting agents.