Optimizing Heat Treatment Conditions for Measuring CFRP and GFRP Resin Impregnation.

As the use of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) and glass-fiber-reinforced plastic is frequent in the field of construction, a method for measuring FRP resin content is needed. Herein, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) was employed to optimize the heat treatment conditions (temperature and time) for determining the resin content in which only the resin was removed without fiber heat loss. Accordingly, the measurement was performed in 100 °C increments at a resin pyrolysis temperature up to 800 °C with a heat treatment time of 4 h to continuously observe the degree of thermal decomposition of the resin. The thermal decomposition of unsaturated polyester was confirmed at the melting point (350 ℃) regardless of the type of fibers used as reinforcement. In the case of CFRP, most of the resin decomposition occurred at 300 °C. Notably, the resin was removed at a pyrolysis temperature of 400 ℃ and almost no change in weight was observed. However, at a pyrolysis temperature of 500 °C or higher, the thermal decomposition of the fibers occurred partially. The results show that the composite resin was removed within 10 min at a pyrolysis temperature of 400 °C in an air atmosphere when using TGA.

A Study on Tensile Behavior According to the Design Method for the CFRP/GFRP Grid for Reinforced Concrete.

In the present study, fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) grid-reinforced concrete with very rapid hardening polymer (VRHP) mortar composites were fabricated using three types of design methods for the FRP grid (hand lay-up method, resin infusion method, and prepreg oven vacuum bagging method), along with two types of fibers (carbon fiber and glass fiber) and two types of sheets (fabric and prepreg). The FRP grid was prepared by cutting the FRP laminates into a 10 mm thick, 50 mm × 50 mm grid. The tensile behavior of the FRP grid embedded in composites was systematically analyzed in terms of the load extension, fracture mode, partial tensile strain, and load-bearing rate. The CFRP grid manufactured by the prepreg OVB method showed the best tensile behavior compared to the CFRP grid manufactured by the hand lay-up and resin infusion methods. The load-bearing of each grid point was proportional to the height from the load-bearing part when reaching the maximum tensile load. In addition, finite element analysis was conducted to compare the experimental and analysis results.

Dispersion of Boron Nitride Nanotubes by Pluronic Triblock Copolymer in Aqueous Solution.

Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) have been of interest for their excellent thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties, and they have a broad spectrum of potential applications, such as in piezoelectric materials, reinforcement of materials, and electrothermal insulation materials. For practical use of BNNTs, it is desirable to disperse them in aqueous solution, which improves convenience of handling. However, it is still difficult to make a homogenous and stable BNNT dispersion in aqueous solution, due to their strong van der Waals interactions and hydrophobic surface. To solve these problems, we used Pluronic P85 and F127, which have both hydrophilic groups and hydrophobic groups. Here, we report the wrapped structure of a Pluronic polymer-BNNT dispersion by using small-angle neutron scattering, UV⁻Vis spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and atomic force microscopy.

Nonsurgical integrative inpatient treatments for symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis: a multi-arm randomized controlled pilot trial.

BACKGROUND: Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a chronic condition that causes low back pain and neurogenic claudication, often resulting in significant limitation of daily activities. In this open-label randomized controlled pilot study, we assessed the safety and feasibility of 4-week novel integrative inpatient treatments for LSS. METHODS: Thirty-six symptomatic LSS patients were randomly and equally allocated to one of the three groups: Mokhuri Chuna treatment 1 (MT1) group, Mokhuri Chuna treatment 2 (MT2) group, or conventional management treatment (CMT) group. MT1 patients were treated with herbal medication, Mokhuri Chuna, and acupuncture, and received daily physician consultation; MT2 patients were treated with Mokhuri Chuna and acupuncture without any herbal medication, and received daily physician consultation; and CMT patients received conventional pain management therapy that included epidural steroid injection, oral NSAID, and muscle relaxant medication, along with daily physiotherapy. The primary outcome of this pilot study was safety as measured by the type and incidence of adverse events (AEs). The secondary outcome measures included VAS score for low back pain and leg pain, Oswestry Disability Index, Oxford Claudication Score (OCS), walking capacity on a 50 m flat track and treadmill, and EuroQol-5D score. Magnetic resonance imaging was also performed up to 6 months after treatment cessation. RESULTS: Thirty-four treated patients were included in the analysis, based on the modified intention-to-treat principle. No serious AEs were observed or reported. Compared to the CMT group, the MT1 and MT2 groups did show significant improvement at 3 and 6 months in various domains, including pain (VAS score for leg and back pain) and function (OCS and treadmill walking). CONCLUSION: These novel multimodal integrative treatments for LSS are both clinically safe and logistically feasible. Larger, adequately powered randomized controlled trials will be necessary to assess comparative efficacy and thoroughly analyze the cost-effectiveness of each treatment approach. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER CRIS: KCT0001218.

The effectiveness and safety of nonsurgical integrative interventions for symptomatic lumbar spinal spondylolisthesis: A randomized controlled multinational, multicenter trial protocol.

BACKGROUND: Surgery is generally accepted as the main therapeutic option for symptomatic lumbar spondylolisthesis. However, new nonsurgical therapeutic options need to be explored for this population. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness and safety of a 5-week Mokhuri treatment program compared with conventional nonsurgical treatments for symptomatic lumbar spondylolisthesis. METHODS: This is a study protocol for a multinational, multicenter clinical randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness and safety of 5 weeks of nonsurgical integrative treatments (a Mokhuri treatment program consisting of Chuna, acupuncture, and patient education) with nonsurgical conventional treatments (drugs for pain relief, epidural steroid injections, and physical therapy). Clinical outcomes including visual analogue scale (VAS) scores ranging from 0 to 100 for low back pain and leg pain, EQ-5D scores, Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores, Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) scores, Zurich Claudication Questionnaire (ZCQ) scores, walking duration and distance without leg pain, and a 5-minute treadmill test, and the ratio between the actual duration of participation and the originally scheduled duration in each group, the presence of any additional spondylolisthesis treatments, the types of concomitant treatments during the follow-up period, and adverse events (AEs) will be assessed at 7 weeks, 18 weeks, 30 weeks, 54 weeks, and 102 weeks after the end of the treatments. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION: The results of this study will provide clinical evidence on nonsurgical integrative interventions for patients with symptomatic lumbar spondylolisthesis. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY:: clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03107468).

Pulsed dye laser therapy for pediatric warts.

Viral wart infections constitute one of the most common pediatric skin diseases, and various modalities have been used to manage them. Although pulsed dye laser therapy is known to be a safe and efficacious modality, the reported cure rates for this method have varied, and no studies have reported treatment of pediatric patients alone. This prospective, nonblinded, nonrandomized study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pulsed dye laser therapy for pediatric warts. We found that this method is safe, relatively effective, and worth considering as an additional therapeutic option for viral warts in children, although not as a first-line therapy.

Eruptive pseudoangiomatosis.

Eruptive pseudoangiomatosis (EPA) is a rare, self-limiting exanthem, which is known to occur primarily in children. It is characterized by an eruption of distinctive erythematous angioma-like papules often surrounded by a pale halo, with histological findings distinct from that of true angiomas. We describe three women with angioma-like papules. The biopsy specimens from them showed a unique histological appearance consisting of dilated dermal blood vessels with plump endothelial cell and perivascular lymphocytes. On the basis of the clinical and histological findings, we present the adult cases of eruptive pseudoangiomatosis and their etiology.

Calcinosis cutis of the fingertip associated with Raynaud's phenomenon.

Cutaneous calcification may be divided into four major categories: (i) dystrophic; (ii) metastatic; (iii) idiopathic; and (iv) iatrogenic. Dystrophic calcification is the most common type of calcinosis cutis and is associated with a variety of diseases. It most notably occurs in connective tissue diseases. Diffuse and limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis is an example of connective tissue diseases that frequently show calcinosis. We experienced a case of fingertip calcinosis cutis associated with Raynaud's phenomenon. The patient had no previous trauma, skin lesion or systemic connective tissue disease. We propose that calcinosis cutis of the fingertip may result from chronic ischemic injury caused by Raynaud's phenomenon.

Acquired ichthyosis associated with an overlap syndrome of systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus.

Acquired ichthyosis is a condition accompanying many systemic illnesses such as lymphoma, sarcoidosis, dermatomyositis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Overlap syndromes are defined as clinical entities which satisfy each of the diagnostic criteria of two different connective tissue diseases concurrently or consecutively. The coexistence of SLE with systemic sclerosis has been very rarely reported. We describe a 33-year-old woman with an overlap syndrome consisting of systemic sclerosis and SLE who developed ichthyosis on her extremities.

Two cases of telangiectasia macularis eruptiva perstans demonstrated by immunohistochemistry for c-kit (CD 117).

Telangiectasia macularis eruptiva perstans (TMEP) is an uncommon form of cutaneous mastocytosis that occurs exclusively in adults. Histologically, TMEP presents with scattered mast cells lined up around the dilated capillaries and venules of the superficial vascular plexus. In some cases, the number of mast cells falls within the range observed in normal skin and therefore cannot be detected by routine histologic examination. We used immunohistochemical staining for c-kit (CD 117) for the definitive diagnosis in two patients with TMEP. One of them was successfully treated with topical application of pimecrolimus.

Age-dependent change of uric acid level in the dermis using cutaneous microdialysis.

BACKGROUND: We had proposed the usefulness of cutaneous microdialysis for the study of antioxidants in the skin. OBJECTIVE: We designed a study analyzing the level of uric acid in the skin, one of the major antioxidants, for an age-dependent change. METHODS: 16 healthy male volunteers were divided into two groups according to age. Eleven subjects were in their 3rd decade, under 30 years of age (young group) and the others were their 8th decade (old group), over 70 years of age. Dialysate samples were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. RESULTS: In the young group the mean level of uric acid was 31.9+/-16.1 microg/ml, while in old group it was 13.4+/-5.2 microg/ml. CONCLUSION: This result demonstrated an in vivo state of antioxidant level in the human skin and the age-dependent difference was concordant with other in vitro or ex vivo studies; therefore, cutaneous microdialysis could be used in analysis and monitoring studies including human antioxidants and anti-aging.

Plasma cell cheilitis treated with intralesional injection of corticosteroids.

Plasma cell cheilitis is an idiopathic, benign, inflammatory condition characterized by a dense band-like infiltrate of plasma cells in the oral mucosa. In addition to the lips, the disease can affect the penis, vulva, buccal mucosa, palate, gingiva, tongue, epiglottis, and larynx. Some authors have shown the effectiveness of topical or intralesional corticosteroids; however, there have been many reports describing poor therapeutic responses to topical steroids. We describe three patients with plasma cell cheilitis whose clinical condition responded rapidly to the intralesional injection of corticosteroids.

Mucinous eccrine nevus.

A 46-year-old man with an erythematous, tender, swollen patch on the dorsum of his left fourth toe visited us. The biopsied tissue showed a proliferation of normally structured eccrine glands and ducts surrounded with abundant materials confirmed as mucin by toluidine blue stain. Mucinous eccrine nevus is an extremely rare entity, and only two cases have been reported in the literature. We describe a case of mucinous eccrine nevus which was late in onset and presented as a swollen patch.

Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis in a six-year-old boy.

Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) presents with an abrupt onset of widespread pustules on erythematous base and rapid spontaneous healing. AGEP may have a variety of causative factors such as drugs, viral infection and exposure to mercury. We report a case of AGEP in a 6-year-old boy who presented with acute onset of fever and widespread pustular eruption on erythematous bases. Histologic examination showed neutrophilic subcorneal spongiform pustule. It is an uncommon condition in children.

Generalized perforating granuloma annulare in an infant.

Generalized perforating granuloma annulare presents with flesh- to red-colored, 1-5 mm papules with a central umbilicated crust or scale that usually involves the extremities, face, neck, and trunk. Perforating granulomas are demonstrated on histopathology. Our patient is a 68-day-old girl with generalized perforating granuloma annulare.