ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Epistaxis is the most common cause of otorhinolaryngologic emergencies. There is a longstanding controversy regarding the relationship between epistaxis and hypertension (HTN), in terms of blood pressure (BP) control in the emergency department (ED) setting. The objective of this study is to evaluate the association between HTN, BP control, and recurrent epistaxis among patients initially admitted to the ED for epistaxis. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in the EDs of three different hospitals in Taiwan and included a total of 739 patients admitted for epistaxis. RESULTS: Among ED patients with epistaxis, older age was significantly associated with a history of HTN, and a statistically significant difference in age was noted between groups classified according to the systolic BP/diastolic BP (SBP/DBP) at triage. Patients with a history of HTN had higher BP values at triage than did patients without a history of HTN (SBP: 175.68 ± 32.30 mmHg vs. 148.00 ± 26.26 mmHg, DBP: 95.04 ± 20.98 mmHg vs. 83.30 ± 16.65 mmHg; p < 0.0001). Antihypertensive medications were more commonly administered to patients with a history of HTN (p < 0.0001) and in those patients with SBP/DBP: ≥ 140/≥ 90 mmHg at triage (p < 0.0001). Among patients receiving antihypertensive medications, reductions in SBP by the time of discharge were significantly greater in patients with a history of HTN and in patients with SBP/DBP: ≥ 160/≥ 100 mmHg at triage. ED revisits due to recurrent epistaxis within 72 hours were significantly associated with male sex, a positive history of HTN, level of GOT, observation for recurrent epistaxis at ED, and duration of recurrent bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: A positive history of HTN is related to recurrent epistaxis among ED patients. The effectiveness of administering antihypertensive agents before achieving hemostasis in patients admitted to the ED for epistaxis warrants further study.
ABSTRACT
The silver-embedded gelatin (AgG) thin film produced by the solution method of metal salts dissolved in gelatin is presented. Its simple fabrication method ensures the uniform distribution of Ag dots. Memory devices based on AgG exhibit good device performance, such as the ON/OFF ratio in excess of 105 and the coefficient of variation in less of 50%. To further investigate the position of filament formation and the role of each element, current sensing atomic force microscopy (CSAFM) analysis as well as elemental line profiles across the two different conditions in the LRS and HRS are analyzed. The conductive and nonconductive regions in the current map of the CSAFM image show that the conductive filaments occur in the AgG layer around Ag dots. The migration of oxygen ions and the redox reaction of carbon are demonstrated to be the driving mechanism for the resistive switching of AgG memory devices. The results show that dissolving metal salts in gelatin is an effective way to achieve high-performance organic-electronic applications.
ABSTRACT
A one-transistor and one-resistor (1T1R) architecture with a resistive random access memory (RRAM) cell connected to an organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) device is successfully demonstrated to avoid the cross-talk issues of only one RRAM cell. The OTFT device, which uses barium zirconate nickelate (BZN) as a dielectric layer, exhibits favorable electrical properties, such as a high field-effect mobility of 5 cm²/Vs, low threshold voltage of -1.1 V, and low leakage current of 10-12 A, for a driver in the 1T1R operation scheme. The 1T1R architecture with a TiO2-based RRAM cell connected with a BZN OTFT device indicates a low operation current (10 µA) and reliable data retention (over ten years). This favorable performance of the 1T1R device can be attributed to the additional barrier heights introduced by using Ni (II) acetylacetone as a substitute for acetylacetone, and the relatively low leakage current of a BZN dielectric layer. The proposed 1T1R device with low leakage current OTFT and excellent uniform resistance distribution of RRAM exhibits a good potential for use in practical low-power electronic applications.
ABSTRACT
This study investigates the preparation and electrical properties of Al/cobalt-embedded gelatin (CoG)/ indium tin oxide (ITO) resistive switching memories. Co. elements can be uniformly distributed in gelatin without a conventional dispersion procedure, as confirmed through energy dispersive X-ray analyzer and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy observations. With an appropriate Co. concentration, Co. ions can assist the formation of an interfacial AlOx layer and improve the memory properties. High ON/OFF ratio, good retention capability, and good endurance switching cycles are demonstrated with 1 M Co. concentration, in contrast to 0.5 M and 2 M memory devices. This result can be attributed to the suitable thickness of the interfacial AlOx layer, which acts as an oxygen reservoir and stores and releases oxygen during switching. The Co. element in a solution-processed gelatin matrix has high potential for bio-electronic applications.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to determine the age-period-cohort (APC) effects on the rate of infection-related emergency department (ED) visits from septicemia for predicting the same in recent periods.In our study, we investigated the longitudinal trends in septicemia-related visit rates. Using an APC model to decompose the septicemia visit rates into the effects of age, time period, and cohort, and examine whether their effects varied by sex.The septicemia ED visit rate was classified as the International Classification of Disease Code 038 by primary and secondary diagnosis between 1998 and 2012.In both males and females, the visit rate of septicemia showed an increase from 2003 through 2012. An increase in septicemia visit rate after 2003 was observed in all age groups. An APC model indicated a reversal increasing period effect, which increased prominently from 2003 to 2012 in both males and females. The age effect showed an increasing trend. The cohort effect tended to show a slight oscillation from 1913 to 1988. With reference to the prediction of the logarithms of the age-specific 5-year visit rates, we observed that the younger cohorts exhibited a slightly increasing trend, as compared to the older cohorts.The period effect can explain the increase in septicemia visit rates, suggesting the role of screening for septicemia. Furthermore, it is well known that aging is a relevant risk variable for infectious diseases. The present study concludes that the aged population exhibited a strong increasing future trend for septicemia-related ED visit rates.
