Ultrasound-guided sphenopalatine ganglion block for effective analgesia during awake fiberoptic nasotracheal intubation: A case report.

Background: Awake fiberoptic nasotracheal intubation (AFNI) is the preferred airway management strategy for patients with difficult airways. However, this procedure can cause significant physical and psychological distress. This case report explores the application of a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) block as an alternative analgesic modality to mitigate the discomfort associated with AFNI.

Improving generalization performance of electrocardiogram classification models.

Recently, many electrocardiogram (ECG) classification algorithms using deep learning have been proposed. Because the ECG characteristics vary across datasets owing to variations in factors such as recorded hospitals and the race of participants, the model needs to have a consistently high generalization performance across datasets. In this study, as part of the PhysioNet/Computing in Cardiology Challenge (PhysioNet Challenge) 2021, we present a model to classify cardiac abnormalities from the 12- and the reduced-lead ECGs.

Feeding strategy for single-stage deammonification to treat moderate-strength ammonium under low free ammonia conditions.

Single-stage deammonification (SSD) processes have been successfully operated using the step-feeding strategy to treat high-strength NH (>300 mg/L), but often failed to treat moderate-strength NH (100-300 mg/L). Because it is hard to maintain the free ammonia (FA) above 1 mg/L, which is a concentration in which the activity of NO oxidizing bacteria (NOB) can be selectively suppressed. In this study, to evaluate the effectiveness of the step-feeding strategy on the long-term stability of treating moderate-strength NH, two SSD sequential-batch reactors (SBRs) were operated under one-step feeding and multi-step feeding strategies.

CNN-based Two Step R Peak Detection Method: Combining Segmentation and Regression.

For semantic segmentation, U-Net provides an end-to-end trainable framework to detect multiple class objects from background. Due to its great achievements in computer vision tasks, U-Net has broadened its application to biomedical signal processing, especially, segmentation of waveforms in ECG signal. Despite its superior performance for QRS complex detection to other traditional signal processing methods, direct application of the U-Net to R peak detection has limitation since the U-Net structures tend to predict high probability around true peak.

Origin of macroscopic adhesion in organic light-emitting diodes analyzed at different length scales.

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have been widely studied because of their various advantages. OLEDs are multi-layered structures consisting of organic and inorganic materials arranged in a heterojunction; the nature of adhesion at their heterogeneous interfaces has a significant effect on their properties. In this study, the origin of macroscopic adhesion was explored in OLEDs using a combination of microscopy techniques applied at different length scales.

Evenly transferred single-layered graphene membrane assisted by strong substrate adhesion.

We explored the transfer of a single-layered graphene membrane assisted by substrate adhesion. A relatively larger adhesion force was measured on the SiO substrate compared with its van der Waals contribution, which is expected to result from the additional contribution of the chemical bonding force. Density functional theory calculations verified that the strong adhesion force was indeed accompanied by chemical bonding.

Determination of ferroelectric contributions to electromechanical response by frequency dependent piezoresponse force microscopy.

Hysteresis loop analysis via piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) is typically performed to probe the existence of ferroelectricity at the nanoscale. However, such an approach is rather complex in accurately determining the pure contribution of ferroelectricity to the PFM. Here, we suggest a facile method to discriminate the ferroelectric effect from the electromechanical (EM) response through the use of frequency dependent ac amplitude sweep with combination of hysteresis loops in PFM.

Probing of multiple magnetic responses in magnetic inductors using atomic force microscopy.

Even though nanoscale analysis of magnetic properties is of significant interest, probing methods are relatively less developed compared to the significance of the technique, which has multiple potential applications. Here, we demonstrate an approach for probing various magnetic properties associated with eddy current, coil current and magnetic domains in magnetic inductors using multidimensional magnetic force microscopy (MMFM). The MMFM images provide combined magnetic responses from the three different origins, however, each contribution to the MMFM response can be differentiated through analysis based on the bias dependence of the response.

Comparison of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR imaging versus four-phase multi-detector row computed tomography in assessing tumor regression after radiofrequency ablation in subjects with hepatocellular carcinomas.

Purpose: To assess the diagnostic value of gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in follow-up of patients with hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) who were treated with radiofrequency (RF) ablation and to compare it with that of four-phase multi-detector row computed tomography (CT).

Materials And Methods: From July 2007 to May 2008, 36 patients (43 HCCs) were enrolled who were treated with RF ablation (tumor size, 20-47 mm; mean, 24.5 mm) and underwent gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR imaging and four-phase (precontrast, arterial, portal venous, and equilibrium) multidetector CT for follow-up.