Short Time Duration Research Articles

The Role of Magnesium Sulfate to Facilitate Classical LMA Insertion, in Spontaneous Breathing Anesthesia

Background: Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) is a noninvasive supraglottic device that requires Smooth insertion and correct positioning of an LMA requires adequate through mouth opening and sufficient depth of anesthesia to prevent complications such as gagging, coughing, swallowing, head and limb movements and laryngospasm. Propofol is consider the induction agent of choice for LMA insertion but when used alone it provides less than satisfactory LMA insertion conditions. Aim of the study: Is to find The role Of Magnesium Sulfate to facilitate classical LMA insertion ,in spontaneous breathing anesthesia. Patients and method: A prospective randomizes clinical trial study was carried out in General Surgery theatres of Baghdad Teaching Hospital. A 40 patients where included and they were undergoing minor elective surgery, divided into two groups equally, magnesium group (M group, n=16) and control group (C group, n=18), 6 cases were dropped from the study(2 from C group and 4 from M group). All patients were premeditated with Ranitidine 50mg, Metoclopramide 10mg and Dexamethasone 8mg. Then patient would receive either a 100ml of (0.09% N/S) for the C group, or 30mg/Kg of Magnesium Sulfate in 100ml of (0.09% N/S) for the M group. Results: that there were no significant differences between M group (n=16) and C group (n=18) in the age, weight and duration of surgery where p value was (0.571, 0.791 and 0.351 respectively). Also there was no improvement in LMA insertion condition in M group in compares to C group regarding number of insertion attempt where p value was non-significant(0.498),nor did it influence the easiness of LMA grading were P value was found to be(1,0.112 and 0.471 for grades I,II and III respectively),but an accidental finding that M group had a shorter time duration from skin closure until LMA removal which was significant (p=0.021). Conclusion: We concluded that giving magnesium sulfate infusion at 30 mg/Kg prior to induction, does not improve LMA insertion condition in spontaneous breathing anesthesia.

A novel Psidium guajava and Cerium-MOF based dual-responsive bio-composite for the synchronous adsorptive removal and fluorescence detection of tetracycline antibiotics

The apprehensions about water contamination conduced by tetracycline antibiotics have raised serious concerns in scientific community worldwide. The researchers are intensively looking for materials that are sustainable and extend dual applicability in removal as well as detection of these contaminants. However, in this pursuit, fabrication of novel materials is still a great challenge. In this vein, inspired by the prodigious union of MOF and biobased materials, as enunciated by literature reports, present study unveils the fabrication of a novel dual responsive Psidium guajava and Cerium-MOF based bio-composite for simultaneous adsorption and fluorescence detection of tetracycline antibiotics. The fabricated Ce-MOF/0.5-GLP composite displayed excellent adsorption potential for removal of TCs within a very short initial time duration and rendered high adsorption capacities i.e. 81.30, 75.18 and 63.69 mg g−1 for DC, MC and TC, respectively. Conjointly, the fabricated bio-based Ce-MOF/0.5-GLP composite was engaged for selective fluorescence detection of TCs. The sensor exhibited exquisite selectivity and sensitivity for detection of TCs with low detection limit values i.e. 94.3 nM, 71.4 nM and 74.2 nM for DC, MC and TC, respectively. In light of the aforementioned findings, the developed composite illustrates a workable and realistic method for dealing with TCs via removal and detection.

Control of Interface Migration in Nonequilibrium Crystallization of Li2SiO3 from Li2O-SiO2 Melt by Spatiotemporal Temperature and Concentration Fields.

During liquid-solid transformation, bulk mass and thermal diffusion, along with the evolved interfacial latent heat, work in tandem to generate interfacial thermodynamic and kinetic forces, the interplay of which decides the solidification velocity and consequently the solidified phase attributes. Hence, access to interface dynamics information in dependence of bulk transfer processes is pivotal to tailor the desired quantity of solid phases of unique compositions. It finds particular application for engineering concentrated Lithium (Li) phases out of Li-ion battery slags, thus generating a high value-added product from a conventional waste process stream. However, considerable challenge exists to predict the impact of the diverse external cooling rates on the evolving internal transfer processes and thus tuning solidification routes for achieving phases of interest. Hence, in this work, a thermodynamically consistent nonequilibrium model, by considering spatiotemporal temperature and concentration fields, is developed and applied to study solidification of Li2SiO3 from a Li2O-SiO2 melt that constitutes an important subsystem of the Li containing battery-recycling slags. The approach treats the sharp solid/liquid interface as a moving heat source. In the presence of different heat extraction profiles, it evaluates the spatial temperature heterogeneity and its implicit correlation to internal material fluxes resulting from maximization of dissipation and consequently the interrelation to interface velocities. Model calculations revealed that irrespective of the external cooling rate, for an initial short time duration, the magnitude of which increased with decreasing cooling rates, the interface velocities show a reducing trajectory directly relatable to the reducing thermodynamic forces due to localized interfacial temperature rise from the generated latent heat of fusion from the initial solidification. This is followed by a thermodynamically controlled regime, whereby for each cooling rate, the interface velocities increase until a maxima, the magnitude of which decreases with decreasing cooling rates. Finally, the interface propagation speeds decrease as controlled by the kinetic regime.

Performance analysis of DFIG support microgrid using GA optimized restricted Boltzmann Machine algorithm

Voltage and reactive power regulation in a deregulated microgrid can be achieved by strategically placing the Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) in coordination with other renewable energy sources, thus ensuring high-end stability and independent control. STATCOM plays a crucial role in effectively addressing power quality issues such as voltage fluctuation and reactive power imbalances caused by the intermittent nature of wind energy conversion systems. To successfully integrate STATCOM into the existing system, it is essential that the control system employed for STATCOM coordination aligns with the Doubly-Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) controller within the microgrid. Therefore, an efficient control algorithm is required in the microgrid, capable of coordinating with the DFIG controller while maintaining system stability. The utilization of a Genetic Algorithm (GA) in calibrating the Restricted Boltzmannn Machine (RBM) can streamline the process of determining optimal hyperparameters for specific tasks, eliminating the need for computationally intensive and time-consuming grid searches or manual tuning. This approach is particularly advantageous when dealing with large datasets within short time durations. In this research, a Simulink model comprising a DFIG-based microgrid and STATCOM has been developed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control system using RBM in managing STATCOM and facilitating microgrid operations.

How to decrease teenage pregnancy: rural perspectives in Ecuador.

This study aimed to understand the sociocultural context of teenage pregnancy in an Ecuadorian city with a large indigenous population, to gauge the acceptability of a multifaceted pregnancy prevention program for adolescents, and to elicit perspectives on the optimal program design from adolescents and adult key informants. We ascertained qualitative data via an online, electronic survey administered from August to September 2020. Open- and closed-ended questions elicited perspectives relating to burden of adolescent pregnancies, acceptability of pregnancy prevention programs, and optimal design of future programs. Twenty-four adolescents (13-19 years of age) and 15 adult key informants working in the healthcare, business, and education sectors in Cotacachi completed the survey. Survey responses were analyzed using a structural and in vivo coding, and an inductive approach to consensus-building around key themes. Most adolescent survey respondents (75%) believed that teen pregnancy is "fairly common" in Cotacachi, and 41.7% believed differences in teen pregnancy rates are not associated with ethnicity. In comparison, 66.7% of adult survey respondents said teen pregnancy disproportionately occurs among indigenous teenagers. Additionally, 45.8% of adolescent and 80% of adult survey respondents believed that a comprehensive sexual education program would help reduce teenage pregnancy rates by imparting reliable sexual health knowledge. Adult respondents noted that the past programs were unsuccessful in preventing teenage pregnancy because of these programs' inability to fully engage teenagers' attention, very short time duration, or inappropriate consideration of cultural context. In Cotacachi, Ecuador, a sexual health education program is both desired and feasible according to adult and teenager key informants. A successful program must adapt to the cultural context and engage youth participation and attention.

Low-Dose Alfentanil Inhibits Sufentanil-Induced Cough During Anesthesia Induction: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind Study.

Cough is one of the most common complications following intravenous administration of sufentanil during anesthesia induction. The study aimed to investigate the protective effect of alfentanil, afentanyl derivative with short onset time and short duration, in reducing sufentanil-induced cough. Eighty patients that scheduled for thyroid surgery under general anesthesia were randomly divided into the alfentanil group and normal saline group, with 40 cases per group. Patients in the alfentanil group received intravenous administration of 2 μg/kg alfentanil prior to sufentanil injection during general anesthesia induction, while the same dose of normal saline was administered in the normal saline group. The outcomes measures included the incidence and severity of cough and common side effects of opioids following the administration of sufentanil during the induction of general anesthesia, intraoperative hemodynamics parameters and major adverse events during anesthesia recovery period. The incidence of cough within one minute after the injection of sufentanil during anesthesia induction was 40% in the normal saline group, and the pretreatment of alfentanil significantly reduced the incidence of sufentanil-induced cough to 5% (p < 0.05). Correspondingly, the patients in the alfentanil group had decreased severity of sufentanil-induced cough compared with the normal saline group (p < 0.05). No significant differences in the incidences of common side effects of opioids (dizziness, nausea and vomiting, chest tightness and respiratory depression) within one minute after sufentanil injection were found (p > 0.05). Furthermore, there were no significant differences between the two groups in intraoperative hemodynamic parameters, extubation time, or the incidences of emergence agitation, respiratory depression, delayed recovery from anesthesia and postoperative nausea and vomiting during Postanesthesia Care Unit stay (p > 0.05). Pretreatment with low-dose alfentanil (2 μg/kg) effectively and safely reduced both the incidence and severity of sufentanil-induced cough during anesthesia induction. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (identifier: ChiCTR2300069286).

Cosmic Ray Jump Detection for the Roman Wide Field Instrument

We investigate algorithms for detecting and correcting for jumps due to cosmic rays in infrared detectors, with emphasis on Roman telescope’s Wide Field Instrument. We use a statistic S based on the excess difference between adjacent resultants (average over a group of reads) normalized to the square root of the expected variance that accommodates the uneven resultants of Roman. We show that it is important to account for the covariance of excess difference with that of the estimated count rate. Due to averaging of reads, the ability to detect jumps is reduced, specially if the jump is in the first or the last resultant. Having the first and last resultants as a single-read resultants improves the ability to detect cosmic rays. The signal due to a jump is split across two resultant differences and this motivates small adjustments to the basic algorithm which improves the jump detection. Bias and false negative rate are investigated using Monte Carlo simulations for a few readout patterns. In order to investigate other scenarios approximate formulas for predicting the bias and the misclassification rate are presented. Using cosmic ray properties based on JWST darks, we show that for high count rates (1000 e−1 s−1) most of the cosmic rays remain undetected, with 65% missed identifications. When averaging over multiple exposures, due to low event rates of cosmic rays, the overall bias in estimated count rate due to undetected cosmic rays is negligible. However, for a single exposure with an undetected cosmic ray, one can have a bias of a few percent. This will manifest as abrupt changes in brightness of targets. Fortunately, the bias ranges between 1 and 5 the measurement uncertainty, and this fact can be used to screen out cosmic rays for scientific applications that seek to detect short duration time domain events.

Time-varying damping ratios and velocities in a high-rise during earthquakes and ambient vibrations from coda wave interferometry

Coda wave interferometry is applied to data from Community Seismic Network MEMS accelerometers permanently installed on nearly every floor of a 52-story steel moment-and-brace frame building in downtown Los Angeles. Wavefield data from the 2019 M7.1 Ridgecrest, California earthquake sequence are used to obtain impulse response functions, and time-varying damping ratios and shear-wave velocities are computed from them. The coda waves are used because of their increased sensitivity to changes in the building’s properties, and the approach is generalized to show that a building’s nonlinear response can be monitored through time-varying measurements of representative pseudo-linear systems in the time domain. The building was not damaged, but temporary nonlinear behavior observed during the strong motions provides a unique opportunity to test this method’s ability to map time-varying properties. Reference damping parameters and velocities are obtained from a month-long period during which no significant seismic activity had occurred. Damping ratios measured over narrow frequency bands increase by up to a factor of 4 over short time durations spanning the main shock, as well as M &gt; 4.5 aftershocks and a foreshock. The largest damping ratio increases occur for the highest frequencies, and the increase is attributed to friction associated with structural and non-structural surface discontinuities which experience relative motion and impact during shaking, resulting in energy loss. Shear-wave velocities in the building’s east–west and north–south directions are found by applying a waveform stretching method to the direct and coda waves. The broadband velocities are reduced by as much as 10% during building shaking, and their restoration to pre-earthquake levels is found to be a function of shaking amplitudes. Until recently, these techniques had been limited by temporal and spatial sparsity of measurements, but in this study, variations of the impulse response functions are resolved over time scales of tens of seconds and on a floor-by-floor spatial scale.

Domesticating technology: Learning from the use of mobile phone of small women rural entrepreneurs in India during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic and the worldwide lockdowns that followed the same have led to drastic changes in our lifestyles. While the lockdowns marked a global transition to a world of online services and products, the change was neither easy nor smooth for many. From lack of access to technology to the absence of skills to use it, the act of “going digital” was littered with challenges for people across the world. In the South-Asian country of India, this lack of access was further amplified by the presence of a gender digital divide. Among the women from various factions of the society, one such category affected by it was female entrepreneurs from small rural areas in India. These entrepreneurs were cut off from their clientele owing to a nationwide lockdown in the country imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19. Most of these women had no prior experience with technology (which is mobile phones in their case) but they not only negotiated access but used it to sustain and grow their entrepreneurial endeavors in a short duration of time. This study, through in-depth qualitative interviews with female entrepreneurs from small rural areas in India maps their usage patterns and their negotiations for domesticating mobile phones. The research found that the first two stages of domestication theory (appropriation and objectification) were easier to navigate for the women entrepreneurs, but gender expectations from them made the last two stages of incorporation and conversion challenging.

Ambient Noise Interferometry Using Ocean Bottom Seismometer Data From Active Source Experiments Conducted in the Southernmost Mariana Trench

AbstractOcean bottom seismometers (OBSs) have been used to detect submarine structural and tectonic information for decades. According to signal source controllability, OBS data have generally been classified into active and passive source data categories. The former mainly focuses on the compressional wave (P‐wave) velocity inversion and always lacks valid information about the shear wave (S‐wave) velocity structure. While the latter provides structural information with limited resolution due to the aperture of the stations. Overcoming the barriers between processing these two data types will allow the reuse of a vast amount of data from active source experiments to explore the submarine S‐wave velocity structural properties. Here, we creatively applied ambient noise interferometry to invert the S‐wave velocity structure using data from active source OBS deployment conducted in the southernmost Mariana subduction zone, which had already been utilized to detect submarine P‐wave velocity structure. Considering the short time duration and relatively low quality of this type of data, a combined method of short‐segment cross‐correlation and selected time‐frequency domain phase‐weighted stacking was adopted to obtain stable cross‐correlation functions, which were subsequently used to invert S‐wave velocity structures. Compared to previous studies using different methods, our result sheds new light on the crust and upper mantle structure of the southernmost Mariana subduction zone. This method could be used to detect more information based on the reutilization of existing active source OBS data.

The time course of the spatial representation of ‘past’ and ‘future’ concepts: New evidence from the STEARC effect

Humans use space to think of and communicate the flow of time. This spatial representation of time is influenced by cultural habits so that in left-to-right reading cultures, short durations and past events are mentally positioned to the left of long durations and future events. The STEARC effect (Space Temporal Association of Response Codes) shows a faster classification of short durations/past events with responses on the left side of space and of long durations/future events with responses on the right side. We have recently showed that during the classification of time durations, space is a late heuristic of time because in this case, the STEARC appears only when manual responses are slow, not when they are fast. Here, we wished to extend this observation to the semantic classification of words as referring to the ‘past’ or the ‘future’. We hypothesised that the semantic processing of ‘past’ and ‘future’ concepts would have engaged slower decision processes than the classification of short versus long time durations. According to dual-route models of conflict tasks, if the task-dependent classification/decision process were to proceed relatively slowly, then the effects of direct activation of culturally preferred links between stimulus and response (S-R), i.e., past/left and future/right in the case of the present task, should attain higher amplitudes before the instruction-dependent correct response is selected. This would imply that, at variance with the faster classification of time durations, during the slower semantic classification of time concepts, in incongruent trials, the direct activation of culturally preferred S-R links should introduce significant reaction time (RT) costs and a corresponding STEARC at the fastest manual responses in the experiment too. The study's results confirmed this hypothesis and showed that in the classification of temporal words, the STEARC also increased as a function of the length of RTs. Taken together, the results from sensory duration and semantic classification STEARC tasks show that the occurrence, strength and time course of the STEARC varies significantly as a function of the speed and level of cognitive processing required in the task.

Outcome of Transfer Flexor Carpi Ulnaris And Plmaris Longus Tendons for Hand Deformity in Persistance Radial Nerve Palsy

Objective; the aim of our study is to evaluate the functional outcome of transfer flexor carpi ulnaris and palmaris longus for patients with persistence radial nerve palsy by minimal tendon transfer technique.&#x0D; Methods; The study included 10 patients 8 male and two female, mean age 25 years, range from 20 to 30 years. They underwent transfer of flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) and palmaris longus (PL) tendon for patient with persistence radial nerve palsy, the duration of outcome of tendon transfer after radial nerve injury evaluated after one year. Clinical evaluation include wrist joint range of movement by Geniometry and compared with the contralateral normal side.&#x0D; Results; The average ranges of wrist movements were as the follows: the mean wrist flexion was 52⁰(range 46⁰–56⁰), the mean wrist extension was 34⁰(range 30–38), radial deviation 18⁰(range 16⁰–20⁰) and ulnar deviation 21⁰ (range 18–23). The mean extension of the fingers in wrist extension was 7⁰(range 5⁰–10⁰) and in wrist neutral position was 12⁰(range 9⁰–16⁰). The mean abduction of the thumb was 38⁰(range 35⁰–44⁰). In comparison to the measure of joints in the contralateral normal hand, the final extension of the wrist was less, but extension of the fingers and MCP joints was similar to that of the normal hand. All of the patients in our study were able to extend their fingers with the wrist in the neutral position. Thumb abduction and extension was sufficient to deal with daily activities and, even, heavy jobs in most of the patients. Postoperative follow up of the patients was ranged (12–24) months. After 45 days, 8o% of the patients were able to do the normal non heavy daily work. In 20% of cases recovery was not progressing satisfactorily at 5 weeks. These were referred to physiotherapy for a planned exercise program, which the two patients improved their movements.&#x0D; Conclusion; The purpose of this study was to evaluate function of the hand after transfer of the FCU to EDC and PL to EPL, with persistence high nerve injuries. The FCU &amp; PL tendons transfer has some advantages over the other techniques, short duration of operation time, no morbidity, improve range of motion of hand and less surgical scares. It is a viable option to restore hand function and strength following radial nerve injuries.

A Novel Ayurvedic treatment - Arthrothermia® for Osteoarthritis

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report promising data revealed by a novel Ayurvedic treatment; Arthothermia® for patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Method: We enrolled 30 patients with OA who received Arthothermia® treatment. The Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) was used to evaluate the treatment outcome. The five subscales of KOOS: Pain, Other Symptoms, Function in daily living (ADL), Function in Sport and Recreation (Sport/Rec), and knee-related Quality of Life (QOL) were scored separately. The KOOS data was calculated for the 30 patients before and after Arthothermia® treatment. Results: The KOOS before Arthothermia® ranged from 3.37 to 31.3. The KOOS was significantly improved after Arthothermia® and it ranged from 83.67 to 98.53. The difference in KOOS between before and after Arthothermia® treatment was calculated for the 30 patients as a group (unpaired t-test) as well as for each patient individually (paired t-test). The difference in KOOS was highly significant (p&lt;0.0001) for both; unpaired and paired t-test analysis. Conclusion: The present study documented that the “Arthothermia®” – a unique Ayurveda treatment approach (combination of alkaline cautery and indirect micro thermal cautery) brought significant changes in KOOS in the OA patients in very short time duration. The promising data hold a ray of hope for better management of OA and needs wide explorations to bring magnificent outcome for patients suffering with OA.

Compressing the Chronology of a Temporal Network with Graph Commutators.

Studies of dynamics on temporal networks often represent the network as a series of "snapshots," static networks active for short durations of time. We argue that successive snapshots can be aggregated if doing so has little effect on the overlying dynamics. We propose a method to compress network chronologies by progressively combining pairs of snapshots whose matrix commutators have the smallest dynamical effect. We apply this method to epidemic modeling on real contact tracing data and find that it allows for significant compression while remaining faithful to the epidemic dynamics.

Rapid cooling method for synthesis of high conducting rhombohedral phase stabilized LiZr2(PO4)3 solid electrolyte

LiZr2(PO4)3 (LZP) solid electrolyte shows excellent stability with Li metal anode and other electrode materials but suffers due to poor ionic conductivity at ambient temperatures. It synthesizes as a low conducting (10−8 S cm−1) triclinic phase at room temperature (RT), which undergoes a phase transition to a high conducting (10−5 S cm−1) rhombohedral phase at around 60 °C. Partial substitution of Zr4+ in LZP with La3+, Sr3+, Al3+, etc. is found to stabilize this high conducting phase at RT. In this work, rhombohedral phase stabilized LZP samples are prepared via the method of rapid cooling, wherein the samples are sintered at high temperatures for relatively short durations of time followed by rapid cooling/quenching to RT. Sample properties are characterized using XRD, SEM, and impedance spectroscopy (IS) techniques. Pristine LZP which was quenched to RT after sintering for 1200 °C/5h exhibited a high RT ionic conductivity value of 0.9 × 10−5 S cm−1. This high ionic conductivity value for pristine LZP has never been reported before. Pristine LZP is mostly found to possess ionic conductivity value in the range of 10−8–10−7 S cm−1 at RT.

Abstract WMP28: Developing a New Hospital Into a Primary Stroke Center in Just Over a Year

Background: Stroke programs are often developed and implemented in well-established health care facilities. There is little data on certified stroke programs being established in new hospitals. Our primary goal was to establish a strong culture of engagement in the care of stroke patients from the day the hospital opened. Methods: A multidisciplinary stroke oversight committee was formed, which guided development of the stroke program and integrated leaders from all areas involved with direct or indirect stroke patient care. We began trending processes and overall stroke care based on the Get with the Guidelines (GWTG) STK measures. In this study we compared data from the opening of a 160-bed hospital until achieving Primary Stroke Center (PSC) certification (October 2021 - February 2023) to after certification (March 2023 - June 2023). Our primary outcome was to examine the proportion of IV thrombolysis prior to and after PSC certification. Secondary outcomes included: proportion of door-to-needle time within 60 minutes, proportion of EMS arrival and proportion of patients transferred prior to and after PSC certification. Primary and secondary outcomes were analyzed using backwards Wald binomial logistic regression models which were adjusted for age, sex and NIHSS. Results: Among 300 patients evaluated for potential stroke symptoms, 228 (76%) were assessed prior to PSC and 72 (24%) after. Mean age was 63.15±17.37 years and median [IQR] NIHSS was 1 [0, 2]. GWTG STK measures were achieved (&gt; 85%) both before and after PSC certification. There was a higher proportion of patients treated with IV thrombolysis after PSC compared to before (9.7% versus 2.6%), adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) = 3.66 [95% Confidence Interval (CI), 1.17 - 11.43], p = .026. There was no statistical difference in the proportion of IV thrombolysis patients treated within 60 minutes of arrival after versus before PSC, (57% versus 20%), aOR = 5.33 [95%CI, 0.38 - 75.78], p = 0.22. Additionally, there were similar proportions of EMS arrival and transfers after compared to before PSC, all p &gt; .05. Conclusions: A successful stroke program can be implemented in a new hospital within a short duration of time.

Factors predicting remission in hyperthyroid patients after low-dose I-131 therapy: 20years retrospective study from a tertiary care hospital.

To assess the therapeutic outcome and factors predicting remission in hyperthyroid patients treated with low-dose I-131 (radioactive iodine) from a tertiary care hospital in South India. This 20-year single-institutional retrospective study was carried out on 3891 hyperthyroid adult patients. Only those patients with complete clinical records were audited. Selection criteria were based on patients with scintigraphic diagnosis of either Graves' disease (GD), toxic multinodular goitre (TMNG) or autonomous toxic nodule (ATN) and the records of those who received low-dose I-131 therapy (LDT) between March 2000 and 2020 at Amrita Institute, Cochin were analysed. SPSS 10 software was used for statistical analysis. The records of 3891 hyperthyroid predominantly female patients were analysed. 65% patients had GD, 33% had TMNG and 3% were ATN. High rates of remission as early as 12 weeks (in 61% patients) was observed with a single dose of LDT while on strict iodine-free diet for 3-4weeks prior to LDT. Study reveals that those with lower free T4 (fT4), small goitre (thyroid volume < 25cm3), < 15% thyroid trapping function, shorter time duration from onset of hyperthyroidism to LDT, and treatment-naïve patients were factors determining high remission rates. Mann Whitney U test and Chi-square test was used to correlate variables in the remission and relapse groups. We found a positive correlation between fT4, thyroid volume (r = 0.35, p < 0.01) and trapping function (r = 0.34, p < 0.01), which were independent of age, sex, body mass index and TSH levels in our study. High therapeutic outcome was observed with a single dose of LDT while on iodine-free diet. Remission with single dose of LDT occurred in 90% patients by 5th month. Of them 56% patients were treatment naive prior to LDT. LDT is thus a safe and effective therapy in hyperthyroid patients and can be recommended as a primary modality of management.

A Metal‐Free KOtBu‐Mediated Protocol towards the Synthesis of Quinolines, Indenoquinolines and Acridines

AbstractAn expeditious strategy has been developed for the synthesis of diverse quinolines, indenoquinolines and acridines using KOtBu‐mediated reaction conditions. The designed process utilizes 2‐aminoaryl carbaldehydes/2‐aminoaryl ketones and methyl/methylene group containing ketones as readily available feedstock. The chemical transformation was affected at room temperature within a short duration of time to obtain diverse N‐heterocycles yields up to 92 %. The established process also exhibits considerable functional group tolerance with an operational simplicity.

Social Psychology Inspired Reinforcement Learning Framework for Conflict Management in Connected Vehicles

In any connected network, resource scarcity, perceived road blocks, and incongruent objectives can potentially ensue conflicts among stakeholders. In the existing literature, trust has been cited as a crucial component in effective conflict management. Besides trust, empathy, and social intelligence play decisive roles in enhancing cooperation, encouraging information sharing, and promoting problem solving. In this paper, we discuss the three major components of conflict management and propose a computational model, which is inspired from social psychology for conflict management in connected vehicles (CV). Our mathematical algorithm focuses on three factors, namely trust, empathy, and social intelligence that are learned via social interactions among vehicles to ensure safety of vehicles and passengers. The triad of trust, empathy, and social intelligence is used to aid reinforcement learning (RL) for obtaining the optimal q-values and rewards in the shortest duration of time in the CV network. We have examined how the three factors influence the learning process and analysed their conflict management potentials. Results show that the proposed model is 118:18% more efficient than the trust-only-based RL algorithm.

Comparison of Oropharyngeal Seal Pressure in Ambu AuraGain vs I-gel among Paediatric Surgery Patients: A Randomised Clinical Study

Introduction: The Oropharyngeal Seal Pressure (OSP) achieved by the supraglottic device holds significant importance as it indicates the feasibility of positive pressure ventilation, the degree of airway protection from supra cuff soiling, and also relates to postoperative morbidity. Supraglottic Airway Devices (SADs) have been increasingly used to mitigate the complications of endotracheal intubation. Aim: To compare the OSP in Ambu AuraGain versus I-gel SADs used in young children under general anaesthesia. Materials and Methods: The present randomised, singleblinded, interventional study included 88 patients aged between 1-5 years, weighing 10-30 kg, with American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) Grade-I and II, undergoing elective inguinal and urology procedures under general anaesthesia. The children were randomly allocated to two groups of 44 each. In Group A, Ambu AuraGain was used, while in Group B, I-gel was inserted to secure the airway. The OSP was determined at the time of insertion and 30 minutes after insertion as the primary objective. The secondary objectives included the first attempt success rate, ease of SAD insertion, ease of gastric tube insertion, fiberoptic visibility of the glottic aperture, intraoperative vitals, and any adverse effects. Unpaired t-test was used to compare clinical indicators for quantitative data between the two independent groups. The Chi-square test was used for qualitative data when comparing two or more groups. The level of significance was set at a p-value &lt;0.05. Results: The mean age in group A and group B was 3.45±1.41 years and 3.29±1.16 years, respectively. The mean weight in group A and group B was 15.13±3.67 kg and 14.25±3.18 kg, respectively. The OSP soon after insertion and 30 minutes after insertion was more in group B than group A. The p-values were 0.006 and 0.002, respectively, which were statistically significant. The first attempt success rate was higher in group A (97.7% versus 95.5%), and it was easier to insert with a shorter duration of time (17.70±2.707 versus 18±2.48 seconds). Gastric tube insertion was easier in group B (88.6% versus 84.1%), but the fiberoptic visibility was better in group A (77.3% versus 77.2%). Lesser intraoperative manipulation was required in group A (97.7% versus 93.2%), and the occurrence of postoperative complications was higher in group B. Conclusion: I-gel is better in terms of OSP, while Ambu AuraGain was superior in terms of ease of insertion, better fiberoptic visibility, and fewer postoperative complications.