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Background Electric stimulation (E-stim) has been found to be an effective treatment in improving wound healing rates. However, the wound healing trajectory and its related predictors for complete wound closure (CWC) have not been reported with E-stim treatment. Materials and methods This was a retrospective study. Data on 159 patients treated at an outpatient wound clinic utilizing combined intervention of E-stim and conventional care were included. The Kaplan–Meier healing curve together with linear regression models depicted the percentage of patients with CWC against time. Results With 100, 112 and 140 days of treatment, the percentages of patients with CWC were 59·12%, 61·01% and 65·41%, respectively. Linear regression models predicted that all patients would achieve CWC by 21·55, 22·26 and 24·80 weeks, respectively. The speed for the increase in the number and percentage of patients with CWC peaked between 50–75 days of treatment. To optimize timely healing, referral to other treatment facilities or change of treatment protocol is warranted around the peak time. With the combined intervention of E-stim and conventional care, positive predictors for CWC included a shorter wound duration at initial evaluation (P = 0·005, OR = 3·10), better compliance with appointments (P = 0·007, OR = 3·38) and the diagnosis of venous leg ulcer (P = 0·001, OR = 3·88). Conclusions This study provided preliminary data on wound healing trajectory and predictors with combined E-stim and conventional care. E-stim seemed to expedite wound healing; however, further research studies are needed.

Although Western medical acupuncture (WMA) is commonly practised in the UK, a particular approach called dry needling (DN) is becoming increasingly popular in other countries. The legitimacy of the use of DN by conventional non-physician healthcare professionals is questioned by acupuncturists. This article describes the ongoing debate over the practice of DN between physical therapists and acupuncturists, with a particular emphasis on the USA. DN and acupuncture share many similarities but may differ in certain aspects. Currently, little information is available from the literature regarding the relationship between the two needling techniques. Through reviewing their origins, theory, and practice, we found that DN and acupuncture overlap in terms of needling technique with solid filiform needles as well as some fundamental theories. Both WMA and DN are based on modern biomedical understandings of the human body, although DN arguably represents only one subcategory of WMA. The increasing volume of research into needling therapy explains its growing popularity in the musculoskeletal field including sports medicine. To resolve the debate over DN practice, we call for the establishment of a regulatory body to accredit DN courses and a formal, comprehensive educational component and training for healthcare professionals who are not physicians or acupuncturists. Because of the close relationship between DN and acupuncture, collaboration rather than dispute between acupuncturists and other healthcare professionals should be encouraged with respect to education, research, and practice for the benefit of patients with musculoskeletal conditions who require needling therapy.

The pathophysiology of the chronicity and non-healing status of wounds remains unknown. This paper presents the following hypothesis: abnormal patterns of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs) are the culprits of wound chronicity and non-healing. More specifically, for patients with poor circulation, the decreased VEGFR-2 level is the cause of poor wound healing; for patients with non-compromised circulation, for example, patients with concurrent chronic wounds and active autoimmune diseases, the increased VEGFR-1 level is related to the non-healing status of wounds. The hypothesis is supported by the following facts. VEGFR-1 is the main contributor for inflammation and VEGFR-2 facilitates angiogenesis; soluble VEGFR-1 (sVEGFR-1) inactivates both VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2. Patients with auto-immune disease have abnormally increased VEGFR-1 and decreased sVEGFR. Wounds in patients with active autoimmune diseases have poor response to electric stimulation which facilitates chronic wound healing in patients without active autoimmune diseases via increasing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion. Patients with chronic wounds (including diabetic foot ulcers and venous leg ulcers) but no active autoimmune diseases have decreased VEGFR-2 levels. We thus believe that abnormal patterns of VEGFRs are the culprits of wound chronicity and non-healing. For wounds with compromised circulation, VEGFR-2 decrease contributes to its chronicity; whereas for wounds with non-compromised circulation, VEGFR-1 increase is the leading cause of the non-healing status of chronic wounds. Treatments and research in wound care should be tailored to target these changes based on circulation status of wounds. Complete elucidation of changes of VEGFRs in chronic and non-healing wounds will enhance our understandings in tissue healing and thus better our selection of appropriate treatments for chronic and non-healing wounds.

MgNF3 and Mg2NF are synthesized by solid state reaction of stoichiometric mixtures of Mg3N2 and MgF2 (flowing Ar, 1323—1423 K, 5 d).

Onychomycosis, most commonly caused by two species of dermatophyte fungi—Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes—is primarily treated with regimens of topical and systemic antifungal medications. This study was undertaken to evaluate in vitro the efficacy of low-voltage direct current as an antifungal agent for treating onychomycosis. Agar plate cultures of T rubrum and T mentagrophytes were subjected to low-voltage direct current electrostimulation, and antifungal effects were observed as zones in the agar around the electrodes lacking fungal growth. Zones devoid of fungal growth were observed for T rubrum and T mentagrophytes around anodes and cathodes in a dose-dependent manner in the current range of 500 μA to 3 mA. Low-voltage direct current electrostimulation has great clinical potential for the treatment of onychomycosis and perhaps other superficial maladies of fungal etiology. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 94(6): 565–572, 2004)

Single crystals of magnesium diiodide have been grown and the structure solved for the first time from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. This study confirms that MgI(2) is isostructural with CdI(2) (C6 or 2H structure type). The space group is P-3m1 with the Mg atom on a site with 3m symmetry (Wyckoff site 1a) and the I atom on a site with m symmetry (Wyckoff site 2d). Trends in the 2H structures of dihalides are discussed briefly.

Single crystals of magnesium diiodide have been grown and the structure solved for the first time from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. This study confirms that MgI(2) is isostructural with CdI(2) (C6 or 2H structure type). The space group is P-3m1 with the Mg atom on a site with 3m symmetry (Wyckoff site 1a) and the I atom on a site with m symmetry (Wyckoff site 2d). Trends in the 2H structures of dihalides are discussed briefly.