Hwanglyunhaedok Pharmacopuncture versus Saline Pharmacopuncture on Chronic Nonbacterial Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome.

PURPOSE: Chronic nonbacterial prostatitis (CP)/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) is known not to have a successful therapy as yet. More recently, acupuncture, some herbal compounds, and trigger point injection have been reported to be beneficial. Pharmacopuncture is an herbal acupuncture having these benefits. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of HP (Hwanglyunhaedok Pharmacopuncture) versus normal saline injection (Saline Pharmacopuncture, SP) on CP/CPPS. METHODS: A retrospective follow up study of 63 patients who were diagnosed with CP/CPPS was performed. All patients were treated with electroacupuncture and injected with either 1 ml of HP or SP at CV1 as a standard treatment for 4 weeks. Thus, the patients were classified in two groups: HP (n = 32) and SP group (n = 31). Treatment was applied twice a week every third day for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, the effect of pharmacopunture in both groups was compared using NIH-CPSI (National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index) and IPSS (International Prostate Symptom Score) before and after treatment. RESULTS: After treatment, the total NIH-CPSI scores were significantly reduced in both groups (p < 0.01). Pain domain scores in both groups showed significant decrease (p < 0.01). In HP group, urination (p < 0.05) and quality of life (p < 0.01) scores reduced significantly. In SP group, impact score showed significant decrease (p < 0.05). However, impact score in HP group and urination and quality of life scores in SP group didn't show any significance. IPSS score was reduced significantly after treatment in both groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that pharmacopuncture and electroacupuncture treatment were effective on CP/CPPS. HP and SP didn't show any significant difference. However, it was also confirmed that HP is more favorable than SP to improve the symptoms of CP/CPPS.

The phase analysis of spark plasma sintered MgB2 after ball milling.

Mg and amorphous B powders below 10 and 3 micro meter were used as raw materials, and mixed by planetary-mill for 9 hours at argon atmosphere. MgB2 bulk was fabricated at the various temperatures by Spark Plasma Sintering. In the sintering process, mixed powders were sintered in graphite mold, at the pressure of 55 Mpa. The fabricated MgB2 samples were evaluated with XRD, EDS, FE-SEM, PPMS. MgB2, MgO and Fe phases were observed from XRD result. In the results, MgO and Fe were impurity which may affect superconducting properties of MgB2 samples, and it's distribution could be confirmed from EDS mapping result. In order to confirm the formation of MgB2 phase, DTA was used as heating rate of 10 degrees C/min at Ar atmosphere from room temperature to 1200 degrees C. In the PPMS result, the Tc (critical temperature) was about 21 K, and the density of spark plasma sintered samples increased to 1.87 g/cm3 by increasing sintering temperature.