Long-Term Follow-Up of Intensive Integrative Treatment including Motion Style Acupuncture Treatment (MSAT) in Hospitalized Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation: An Observational Study.

This study aimed to investigate the long-term effects of and satisfaction with integrative Korean medicine treatment and motion style acupuncture treatment (MSAT) in patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH). We retrospectively analyzed medical charts and prospectively surveyed adult patients aged between 19 and 64 years treated for lumbar disc herniation for at least 6 days at three Korean hospitals from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2020. The primary outcome was the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for back pain. Secondary outcome measures included the NRS for radiating leg pain, the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and the European Quality of Life-5 Dimension-5 Level (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire. The NRS scores for low back pain decreased from 5.40 ± 1.58 to 2.92 ± 2.09, NRS for radiating leg pain from 5.57 ± 1.56 to 1.78 ± 2.36, and ODI from 46.39 ± 16.72 to 16.47 ± 15.61 at baseline and survey, respectively. The EQ-5D-5L increased from 0.57 ± 0.19 to 0.82 ± 0.14. In conclusion, Korean medicine and MSAT could be effective treatment methods for patients with LDH. The results of this study can be used as helpful information for clinicians who treat patients with LDH in real clinical settings.

Hierarchically assembled one-dimensional TiO2 nanostructures: echinoid- and labyrinth-shaped TiO2 crystals for dye sensitized solar cell.

TiO2 nanostructures have been studied intensively for decades for their photocatalytic properties. Recently, several interesting TiO2 nanostructures with controlled surface facets or shapes were reported. However, systemic approaches to obtain designed nanostructures are still rare. Here, various hierarchical 1D TiO2 nanostructures, including TiO2 nanorods, echinoid-shaped TiO2, and labyrinth-structured TiO2, were fabricated by a one-pot hydrothermal process. Concentrated HCl was added to a solution having a Ti4+/H+ ratio that ranged from 1/4 to 1/8. The highly concentrated acid stabilized hydrolysis and hindered condensation, thereby balancing nucleation and growth of TiO2 nanostructures in the hydrothermal treatment step. Dye-sensitized solar cells prepared using the hierarchical 1D TiO2 nanostructures have shown higher photon to current conversion efficiency in the wavelength over 600 nm compared to those prepared with TiO2 nanoparticles.

Caudal analgesia reduces the sevoflurane requirement for LMA removal in anesthetized children.

BACKGROUND: An anesthetic state can reduce adverse airway reaction during laryngeal mask airway (LMA) removal in children. However, the anesthetic state has risks of upper airway obstruction or delayed emergence; so possibly less anesthetic depth is advisable. Caudal analgesia reduces the requirement of anesthetic agents for sedation or anesthesia; it is expected to reduce the sevoflurane requirement for LMA removal. Therefore, we determined the EC(50) of sevoflurane for LMA removal with caudal analgesia and compared that to the EC(50) without caudal analgesia. METHODS: Forty-three unpremedicated children aged 1 to 6 yr were enrolled. They were allocated to receive or not to receive caudal block according to their parents' consent. General anesthesia were induced and maintained with sevoflurane and oxygen in air. EC(50) of sevoflurane for a smooth LMA removal with and without caudal analgesia were estimated by the Dixon up-and-down method. The LMA was removed when predetermined end-tidal sevoflurane concentration was achieved, and the sevoflurane concentration of a subsequent patient was determined by the success or failure of the previous patient with 0.2% as the step size; success was defined by the absence of an adverse airway reaction during and after LMA removal. EC(50) of sevoflurane with caudal block, and that without caudal block, were compared by a rank-sum test. RESULTS: The EC(50) of sevoflurane to achieve successful LMA removal in children with caudal block was 1.47%; 1.81% without caudal block. The EC(50) were significantly different between the two groups (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Caudal analgesia significantly reduced the sevoflurane concentration for a smooth LMA removal in anesthetized children.

[Studies On The Larval Trematodes From Brackish Water Fishes: 2. Observation On Pseudexorchis Major (Hasegawa, 1935) Yamaguti, 1938]

The Parasitological investigation on the encysted metacercariae in brackish water fish, Tribolodon taczanowskii, in the downstream of Hyungsan river which is located in Kyungpook Province of Korea, were carried out serially and the following results were obtained. 1)Metacercariae of Pseudexorchis major were found in six fishes(15.8 %) out of 38 examined. 2)Parasitic frequencies of the encysted metacercaria of Psedexorchis major in Tribolodon taczanowskii were 15.8 %(6 out of 38) in the scale, 10.5 %(4 out of 38) in the fin, 13.2 %(5 out of 38) in the gill, 10.5 %(4 out of 38) in the oral cavity and 7.9 %(3 out of 38) in the flesh. 3)The worms were identified as Pseudexorchis major (Hasegawa, 1935) Yamaguti, 1938 by morphological studies on the metacercariae, excysted metacercariae, adults and eggs, and compared with prereported Pseudexorchis species.