Thermoelectric Properties of CuTe Nanoparticle Incorporated N-Type BiTeSe.

To develop highly efficient thermoelectric materials, the generation of homogeneous heterostructures in a matrix is considered to mitigate the interdependency of the thermoelectric compartments. In this study, CuTe nanoparticles were introduced onto BiTeSe n-type materials and their thermoelectric properties were investigated in terms of the amount of CuTe nanoparticles. A homogeneous dispersion of CuTe nanoparticles was obtained up to 0.

Bacterial meningitis and cauda equina syndrome after trans-sacral epiduroscopic laser decompression: A case report.

Rationale: Trans-sacral epiduroscopic laser decompression (SELD) is a noninvasive pain-relieving procedure for treatment of herniated lumbar disc (HLD), and is known to have positive effects in alleviating lower back pain or radicular leg pain after HLD. However, little is known about the possible complications of SELD.

Patient Concerns: A 51-year-old woman received SELD with a holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser for controlling radicular pain due to HLD on L5-S1.

Effect of intradiscal monopolar pulsed radiofrequency on chronic discogenic back pain diagnosed by pressure-controlled provocative discography: a one year prospective study.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous intradiscal monopolar pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) in patients with chronic disabling discogenic back pain.

Method: Twenty-six subjects (7 males; mean age 43.2 years) with chronic back pain refractory to active rehabilitative management were recruited.

Medial lemniscus lesion in pediatric hemiplegic patients without corticospinal tract and posterior thalamic radiation lesion.

Objectives: Using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), we investigated the state of medial lemniscus (ML), corticospinal tract (CST), and posterior thalamic radiation (PTR), which were expected as probable reasons for clinical hemiplegia in pediatric patients, especially those who showed impaired fine motor control and proprioception, but no definite motor weakness or spasticity.

Methods: We recruited 13 hemiplegic patients and 8 age-matched healthy control subjects. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) for the bilateral ML, CST, and PTR were calculated and compared between the affected hemisphere of the patient (AP), the unaffected hemisphere of the patient (UP), and the mean value of the bilateral hemispheres in control subjects (MC).

The effect of a stretching device on hand spasticity in chronic hemiparetic stroke patients.

We attempted to evaluate the effect of a stretching device for treatment of hand spasticity in chronic stroke patients. We recruited 21 chronic hemiplegic stroke patients with severe finger flexor spasticity and randomly assigned them to the intervention group (10 patients) and control group (11 patients). The stretching device consisted of a resting hand splint, finger stretcher, and frame.

Changes in expression of mRNA for interleukin-8 and effects of interleukin-8 receptor inhibitor in the spinal dorsal horn in a rat model of lumbar disc herniation.

Study Design: Autologous nucleus pulposus obtained from coccygeal intervertebral discs was grafted on the proximal of L5 dorsal root ganglion. Pain behavior, mRNA expression of Interleukin-8 (IL-8), and immunohistochemical changes were assessed.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate temporal changes of IL-8 expression in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglion and the pain-related behaviors with time course and to elucidate whether repertaxin (IL-8 receptor inhibitor) attenuates pain-related behaviors in a rat model of lumbar disc herniation.