Ultra-fine Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/soya protein isolates fibers were prepared via electrospinning technique. The structure and morphology of the electrospun fibers were determined by scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermal analysis (DSC-TGA) and optical micrographs. The effects of melt stability, concentration,electrical potential and the distance between the spinning tip and the collector upon the morphology of electrospun fibers were also discussed. The results showed that glycerin was surface active agent in the melt PHB/soya protein blends. It was also found that electrospinning process promotes the crystallation ,which may be caused by the orientation of molecule chains due to electrical force stretching.
Biocompatible Materials ; chemistry ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; Electrochemistry ; Glycerol ; chemistry ; Hydroxybutyrates ; chemistry ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Nanostructures ; Polyesters ; chemistry ; Polymers ; chemistry ; Soybean Proteins ; chemistry

Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Exanthema ; etiology ; Histiocytic Necrotizing Lymphadenitis ; complications ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Lymphatic Diseases ; etiology ; Male

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable plasma cell neoplasm with an incidence of 100 patients per year in Singapore. Major advances have been made in the diagnosis, risk stratification and treatment of MM in the recent past. The reclassification of a subset of patients with smouldering MM, based on high-risk biomarkers, and the development of the revised international staging system are among the key new developments in diagnosis and staging. The use of novel agent-based treatment has resulted in significant improvements in the survival and quality of life of many patients with MM. Determining the optimal use of proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulators and, more recently, monoclonal antibodies is an area of ongoing investigation. In this guideline, we aim to provide an overview of the management of MM, incorporating the latest developments in diagnosis and treatment.
Aged ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; chemistry ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Medical Oncology ; standards ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Myeloma ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex ; Quality of Life ; Risk ; Singapore ; Societies, Medical ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Transplantation Conditioning

The United States (U.S.) is facing a national opioid epidemic, and medical systems are in need of non-pharmacologic strategies that can be employed to decrease the public's opioid dependence. Acupuncture has emerged as a powerful, evidence-based, safe, cost-effective, and available treatment modality suitable to meeting this need. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective for the management of numerous types of pain conditions, and mechanisms of action for acupuncture have been described and are understandable from biomedical, physiologic perspectives. Further, acupuncture's cost-effectiveness can dramatically decrease health care expenditures, both from the standpoint of treating acute pain and through avoiding addiction to opioids that requires costly care, destroys quality of life, and can lead to fatal overdose. Numerous federal regulatory agencies have advised or mandated that healthcare systems and providers offer non-pharmacologic treatment options for pain. Acupuncture stands out as the most evidence-based, immediately available choice to fulfil these calls. Acupuncture can safely, easily, and cost-effectively be incorporated into hospital settings as diverse as the emergency department, labor and delivery suites, and neonatal intensive care units to treat a variety of commonly seen pain conditions. Acupuncture is already being successfully and meaningfully utilized by the Veterans Administration and various branches of the U.S. Military, in some studies demonstrably decreasing the volume of opioids prescribed when included in care.