China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in the Treatment of Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy
Published in Richard K. Burt, Alberto M. Marmont, Stem Cell Therapy for Autoimmune Disease, 2019
George Hutton, Yu Oyama, Richard K. Burt, Uday Popat
A group in The Netherlands performed myeloablative high dose chemotherapy and autologous HSCT in a patient with CIDP.66 A 38 year old male developed numbness and tingling in his fingertips in 1988 that progressed to sensory loss in the arms and legs and muscle weakness. In 1990, weakness progressed to MRC (Medical Research Council) grade 4 in all four extremities. Sensory loss was in a glove and stocking distribution. Electrophysiologic studies revealed decreased nerve conduction velocities and prolonged distal latencies and F wave responses. Sural nerve biopsy was consistent with CIDP. Prednisone improved muscle strength to normal, but subsequent attempts of tapering to less than 20 mg per day were unsuccessful due to recurrence of weakness. Addition of azathioprine or methotrexate did not allow prednisone tapering. IVIG therapy was needed repetitively to maintain response. Autologous HSCT was performed 8 years after disease onset. Peripheral blood stem cells were mobilized by cyclophosphamide (4 g/m2) and granulocyte colony stimulating factor (5 mcg/kg) and were CD34+ selected. The conditioning regimen was BEAM (carmustine 300 mg/m2, etoposide 800 mg/ m , cytarabine 800 mg/m2, melphalan 140 mg/m2). Two years after HSCT, neurophysiologic studies have improved, and performance status is normal with only residual fingertip numbness on 5 mg of prednisone per day.
Liquid Metal–Enabled Functional Flexible and Stretchable Electronics
Published in Run-Wei Li, Gang Liu, Flexible and Stretchable Electronics, 2019
With high stretchability and conductivity, LM has formed ultra-flexible e-skin and wearable electronics. Combining with specific sensor or chip, multifunctional soft devices are produced. Attaching the device onto soft skin, stable physiological signals (such as EEG, ECG, sweat, temperature, pulse, and gait) are detected even in human activities. Intelligent electronic skin network (Fig. 8.8A) based on LM flexible electronics is expected to come true in the future with the functions of sensing, monitoring, and treating. Owing to the favorable adhesion of LM to skin, LM can be directly printed on the skin surface by the spraying method (Fig. 8.8B) [37]. Furthermore, LM can be directly written on the palm, and the soft skin circuit can work well once powered on (Figs. 8.8C and 8.8D) [18]. Besides, Wu et al. have designed a stretchable ultra-high frequency radio frequency identity tag printed on human skin and demonstrated that liquid alloy microfluidic electronics can be applied to electronic skin (Fig. 8.5F) [17]. Most recently, LM soft connector with excellently flexible PDMS substrate is developed for neuromuscular stimulation (Fig. 8.8E) [77]. As shown in Fig. 8.8F, the implanted LM electrodes are applied to the sural nerve and tibial nerve of a dead bullfrog.
Biological Effects of Millimeter and Submillimeter Waves
Published in Ben Greenebaum, Frank Barnes, Biological and Medical Aspects of Electromagnetic Fields, 2018
Stanislav I. Alekseev, Marvin C. Ziskin
Alekseev et al. (2010) studied the mm wave effect on the electrical activity of the sural nerve of mice in vivo. The sural nerve innervates the lateral side of the foot along the border between the hairy and glabrous skin. Electrical recordings were made in the nerve region located on the dorsal aspect of the lower leg. Millimeter wave exposure at 42.25 GHz was applied to the receptive field of the sural nerve in the hind paw. Exposure at the peak incident PD of a Gaussian beam ≥45 mW/cm2 inhibited the spontaneous electrical activity of the nerve. The radiant heat exposure reproduced the inhibitory effect of mm wave exposure indicating the thermal mechanism of the mm wave action. It was shown that the cold sensitive fibers were responsible for the inhibitory effect of mm wave and radiant heat exposures. In addition, the nerve responded to the cessation of mm wave exposure with a transient increase of the firing rate. The threshold peak intensity for this effect was 160 mW/cm2. The radiant heat exposure did not reproduce this effect. The receptors and mechanisms involved in inducing the transient response to mm wave exposure are not clear. The authors suggested that mast cells were involved in this effect. It should be noted that in this study, the authors selectively tested only one sciatic nerve branch. In order to determine if other skin sensory receptors are affected by mm waves, it is necessary to conduct experiments in which all the branches of the sciatic nerve are involved.
Implantable medical devices for tendon and ligament repair: a review of patents and commercial products
Published in Expert Review of Medical Devices, 2022
Marco Civera, Ester Devietti Goggia, Matteo De Ros, Vito Burgio, Federica Bergamin, Mariana Rodriguez Reinoso, Cecilia Surace
Several studies seem to suggest that this instrument may provide shorter surgery time [49], fewer complications and faster rehabilitation while avoiding sural nerve lesions, which might occur with percutaneous techniques [50] since the sutures are retrieved by the inner arm of the device [51]. In 2005 Calder et al [52] reported an analysis of 46 patients who had sustained a spontaneous rupture of the Achilles tendon and who underwent operative repair using the Achillon suture system: no re-ruptures and only one superficial wound infection were observed. A similar outlook is presented in a review by Yasser et al. [49]. Twenty-four patients, who had surgery with the device and a minimum 5 years follow-up, were interviewed. While 2 re-ruptures and 5 cases of sural nerve injury had occurred, the mean ATRSs (Achilles Tendon Rupture Scores) were 91.3/100 or higher; adding up the overall patient feedback, the Achillon suture system proved to be a safe and reliable option.