Quantitative neuromuscular monitoring with train-of-four ratio using sonomechanomyography (SMMG): Toward more sensitive evaluation of neuromuscular blockade.

In the post-anesthesia care unit, there is a high occurrence of residual neuromuscular blockade, which puts patients at risk of negative consequences such as hypoxia. Assessment based on the train-of-four ratio (TOFR) has been used to avoid residual neuromuscular blockade when the TOFR is greater than 0.9, measured at the adductor pollicis muscle (APM).

Magnetoresistance effect of nitrogen doped graphdiyne.

This investigation elucidates the influence of nitrogen doping (N-doping) on the magnetoresistance (MR) characteristics of graphdiyne (GDY) by methodically adjusting the levels of N-doping. Through exhaustive experimental analyses, encompassing SEM, XPS, and magneto-transport measurements, we demonstrate that N-doping markedly augments carrier concentration, thereby inducing distinct MR behaviors. Specifically, N-GDY manifests negative magnetoresistance (NMR) attributable to weak localization phenomena, whereas N-GDY and N-GDY exhibit positive magnetoresistance (PMR) characterized by significant resistance enhancements.

Reversible Anion-Cation Relay-Intercalation in a T-MnO Cathode to Boost the Efficiency of Aqueous Dual-Ion Batteries.

Benefiting from the merits of intrinsic safety, high power density, environmental friendliness, and high-output voltage, aqueous dual-ion batteries (ADIBs) have shown broad potential applications in future grid-scale energy storage. However, since the ADIBs require the cathodes to undergo the intercalation reactions through different local structures and mechanisms, causing large structural deformation and cathode failure, their reversible cation-anion intercalation in the cathode remains a major challenge. To address this issue, based on a reasonable selection and theoretical simulation, this work finds that Todorokite manganese dioxide (t-MnO) cathode with a metal-ion stabilized 3 × 3 large-tunnel structure should be suitable for cation-anion intercalation of ADIBs.

A comprehensive benchmarking of a U-Net based model for midbrain auto-segmentation on transcranial sonography.

Background And Objective: Transcranial sonography-based grading of Parkinson's Disease has gained increasing attention in recent years, and it is currently used for assistive differential diagnosis in some specialized centers. To this end, accurate midbrain segmentation is considered an important initial step. However, current practice is manual, time-consuming, and bias-prone due to the subjective nature.

Fluorine-Doping Carbon-Modified Si/SiO to Effectively Achieve High-Performance Anode.

To address the significant challenges encountered by silicon-based anodes in high-performance lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), including poor cycling stability, low initial coulombic efficiency (ICE), and insufficient interface compatibility, this work innovatively prepares high-performance Si/SiOx@F-C composites via in situ coating fluorine-doping carbon layer on Si/SiOx surface through high-temperature pyrolysis. The Si/SiO@F-C electrodes exhibit superior LIB performance with a high ICE of 79%, exceeding the 71% and 43% demonstrated by Si/SiO@C and Si/SiO, respectively. These electrodes also show excellent rate performance, maintaining a capacity of 603 mAhg even under a high current density of 5000 mAg.

Body posture can modulate liver stiffness measured by transient elastography: a prospective observational study.

Background: Non-invasive measurement of liver stiffness (LS), traditionally performed in the supine position, has been established to assess liver fibrosis. However, fibrosis degree is not the sole determinant of LS, necessitating the identification of relevant confounders. One often-overlooked factor is body posture, and it remains unclear whether normal daily postures interfere with LS irrespective of fibrosis.

Automatic Transcranial Sonography-Based Classification of Parkinson's Disease Using a Novel Dual-Channel CNXV2-DANet.

Transcranial sonography (TCS) has been introduced to assess hyper-echogenicity in the substantia nigra of the midbrain for Parkinson's disease (PD); however, its subjective and resource-demanding nature has impeded its widespread application. An AI-empowered TCS-based PD classification tool is greatly demanding, yet relevant research is severely scarce. Therefore, we proposed a novel dual-channel CNXV2-DANet for TCS-based PD classification using a large cohort.

Synthesizing Real-Time Ultrasound Images of Muscle Based on Biomechanical Simulation and Conditional Diffusion Network.

Quantitative muscle function analysis based on the ultrasound imaging, has been used for various applications, particularly with recent development of deep learning methods. The nature of speckle noises in ultrasound images poses challenges to accurate and reliable data annotation for supervised learning algorithms. To obtain a large and reliable dataset without manual scanning and labelling, we proposed a synthesizing pipeline to provide synthetic ultrasound datasets of muscle movement with an accurate ground truth, allowing augmenting, training, and evaluating models for different tasks.

Transcutaneous Electrical Spinal Cord Stimulation Increased Target-Specific Muscle Strength and Locomotion in Chronic Spinal Cord Injury.

Background: The recovery of locomotion is greatly prioritized, and neuromodulation has been emerging as a promising approach in recent times.

Study Design: Single-subject research design.

Settings: A laboratory at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Deciphering the structural and kinetic factors in lithium titanate for enhanced performance in Li/Na dual-cation electrolyte.

The widespread application of LiTiO (LTO) anode in lithium-ion batteries has been hindered by its relatively low energy density. In this study, we investigated the capacity enhancement mechanism of LTO anode through the incorporation of Na cations in an Li-based electrolyte (dual-cation electrolyte). LTO thin film electrodes were prepared as conductive additive-free and binder-free model electrodes.

Research on In-Plane Thermal Conductivity Detection of Fuel Cell Bipolar Plates Based on Laser Thermography.

The thermal properties of bipolar plates, being key elements of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells, significantly affect their heat conduction and management. This study employed an innovative approach known as a heat flow loop integral method to experimentally assess the in-plane thermal conductivity of graphite bipolar plates, addressing the constraints of traditional methods that have strict demands for thermal stimulation, boundary or initial conditions, and sample size. This method employs infrared thermal imaging to gather information from the surface temperature field of the sample, which is induced by laser stimulation.

Shear wave trajectory detection in ultra-fast M-mode images for liver fibrosis assessment: A deep learning-based line detection approach.

Stiffness measurement using shear wave propagation velocity has been the most common non-invasive method for liver fibrosis assessment. The velocity is captured through a trace recorded by transient ultrasonographic elastography, with the slope indicating the velocity of the wave. However, due to various factors such as noise and shear wave attenuation, detecting shear wave trajectory on wave propagation maps is a challenging task.

Using Sequence Analyses to Quantitatively Measure Oropharyngeal Swallowing Temporality in Point-of-Care Ultrasound Examinations: A Pilot Study.

(1) : Swallowing is a complex process that comprises well-timed control of oropharyngeal and laryngeal structures to achieve airway protection and swallowing efficiency. To understand its temporality, previous research adopted adherence measures and revealed obligatory pairs in healthy swallows and the effect of aging and bolus type on the variability of event timing and order. This study aimed to (i) propose a systemic conceptualization of swallowing physiology, (ii) apply sequence analyses, a set of information-theoretic and bioinformatic methods, to quantify and characterize swallowing temporality, and (iii) investigate the effect of aging and dysphagia on the quantified variables using sequence analyses measures.

Automated analysis of pectoralis major thickness in pec-fly exercises: evolving from manual measurement to deep learning techniques.

This study addresses a limitation of prior research on pectoralis major (PMaj) thickness changes during the pectoralis fly exercise using a wearable ultrasound imaging setup. Although previous studies used manual measurement and subjective evaluation, it is important to acknowledge the subsequent limitations of automating widespread applications. We then employed a deep learning model for image segmentation and automated measurement to solve the problem and study the additional quantitative supplementary information that could be provided.

Effects of non-invasive cervical spinal cord neuromodulation by trans-spinal electrical stimulation on cortico-muscular descending patterns in upper extremity of chronic stroke.

Trans-spinal electrical stimulation (tsES) to the intact spinal cord poststroke may modulate the cortico-muscular control in stroke survivors with diverse lesions in the brain. This work aimed to investigate the immediate effects of tsES on the cortico-muscular descending patterns during voluntary upper extremity (UE) muscle contractions by analyzing cortico-muscular coherence (CMCoh) and electromyography (EMG) in people with chronic stroke. Twelve chronic stroke participants were recruited to perform wrist-hand extension and flexion tasks at submaximal levels of voluntary contraction for the corresponding agonist flexors and extensors.

Bispectral Index versus the University of Michigan Sedation Scale in assessing sedation depth during pediatric drug-induced sleep endoscopy.

Background And Purpose: Bispectral Index (BIS) and University of Michigan Sedation Scale (UMSS) were two commonly used methods of monitoring the sedation depth, but their correlation was not clear. The purpose of this study is to ascertain if BIS correlates with UMSS in determining the sedation level during pediatric drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE).

Methods: One-hundred children, aged 36-143 months, with ASA I~II grade, were enrolled.

Atomically Dispersed p-Block Aluminum-Based Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

The main group metals are commonly perceived as catalytically inert in the context of oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) due to the delocalized valence orbitals. Regulating the local environment and structure of metal center coordinated by nitrogen ligands (M-N) is a promising approach to accelerate catalytic dynamics. Herein, we, for the first time, report the atomically dispersed Al catalysts coordinated with N and C atoms for 4-electron ORR.

Therapeutic plasma exchange decreases serum triglyceride level rapidly and reduces early recurrence rate but no advantages in improving outcomes for patients with hyperlipidemic acute pancreatitis: a retrospective propensity score matching analysis based on twenty year's experience.

Background: Hyperlipidaemic acute pancreatitis (HLAP) has become the most common cause of acute pancreatitis (AP) not due to gallstones or alcohol (Mosztbacher et al, Pancreatology 20:608-616, 2020; Yin et al, Pancreas 46:504-509, 2017). Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) has been reported to be effective in reducing serum TG levels which is important in management of HLAP (World J Clin Cases 9:5794-803, 2021). However, studies on TPE are mostly focusing on cases reports, TPE remains poorly evaluated till date and need to be compared with conservative therapy with a well-designed study.

Landmark Localization From Medical Images With Generative Distribution Prior.

In medical image analysis, anatomical landmarks usually contain strong prior knowledge of their structural information. In this paper, we propose to promote medical landmark localization by modeling the underlying landmark distribution via normalizing flows. Specifically, we introduce the flow-based landmark distribution prior as a learnable objective function into a regression-based landmark localization framework.

Automatic Assessment of Ultrasound Curvature Angle for Scoliosis Detection Using 3-D Ultrasound Volume Projection Imaging.

Objective: Scoliosis is a spinal deformation in which the spine takes a lateral curvature, generating an angle in the coronal plane. The conventional method for detecting scoliosis is measurement of the Cobb angle in spine images obtained by anterior X-ray scanning. Ultrasound imaging of the spine is found to be less ionising than traditional radiographic modalities.

Secondary Amines Functionalized Organocatalytic Iodine Redox for High-Performance Aqueous Dual-Ion Batteries.

Aqueous dual-ion batteries (ADIBs) based on the cooperative redox of cations and iodine anions at the anode and cathode respectively, are attracting increasing interest because of high capacity and safety. However, the full-cell performance is limited by the sluggish iodine redox kinetics between iodide and polyiodide involving multiple electron transfer steps, and the undesirable shuttling effect of polyiodides. Here, this work reports a versatile conjugated microporous polymer functionalized with secondary amine groups as an organocatalytic cathode for ADIB, which can be positively charged and electrostatically adsorb iodide, and organocatalyze iodine redox reactions through the amine groups.

On-demand engineerable visible spectrum by fine control of electrochemical reactions.

Tunability of optical performance is one of the key technologies for adaptive optoelectronic applications, such as camouflage clothing, displays, and infrared shielding. High-precision spectral tunability is of great importance for some special applications with on-demand adaptability but remains challenging. Here we demonstrate a galvanostatic control strategy to achieve this goal, relying on the finding of the quantitative correlation between optical properties and electrochemical reactions within materials.