Jae-Ho Shim

Comparison of the adductor pollicis, orbicularis oculi, and corrugator supercilii as indicators of adequacy of muscle relaxation for tracheal intubation

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to verify which muscle among the adductor pollicis (AP), orbicularis oculi (OO), and corrugator supercilii (CS) is a better predictor of optimal intubating conditions after administration of rocuronium. METHODS In this prospective trial, 201 patients were randomized into six groups to receive rocuronium at a dose of 0.6 or 1.0 mg kg(-1) during propofol-remifentanil-nitrous oxide anaesthesia. The tracheal intubation was performed after maximal neuromuscular block by acceleromyography at the thumb (AP), the eyelid (OO), and the superciliary arch (CS). The onset time, intubating conditions, peak vital signs, and bispectral index were assessed. RESULTS The onset time of rocuronium in the OO and CS muscle was significantly shorter than in the AP muscle (P<0.001), but excellent intubating conditions were significantly increased in the AP (87%) and the CS (77%) compared with the OO (32%) after a dose of 0.6 mg kg(-1) of rocuronium (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS After administration of rocuronium, twitch monitoring at the OO allows a faster intubation but is associated with an unacceptable incidence of inadequate intubating conditions. Excellent intubating conditions are observed most frequently with AP monitoring but with the longest delay before intubation is attempted. Monitoring of the CS allows intubation earlier than that of AP with fewer patients having excellent but no patients having inadequate intubating conditions.

Development of a novel process for arsenic(V) removal from water using Fe-ettringite

AbstractThe Fe-ettringite formation and its arsenic removal capacity were investigated. The synergetic effect of initially injected ferric iron and formation of ettringite crystal in later stages contributed to improved removal capacity. The As(V) removal capacity by the formation of As(V)-containing Fe-ettringite (As/Fe-ettringite) was estimated through kinetic and equilibrium batch experiments. The As/Fe-ettringite formation was induced by injecting CaO and FeCl3 into synthetic As(V) wastewater (1.33 mM). Different molar ratios of As(V)/Ca/Fe (1:2:1, 1:4:2, 1:6:3, 1:8:4, and 1:10:5) were experimented in batches, the ratio of 1:6:3 showed the best removal efficiency (≈95%) among them. The control experiments in which CaO (8.008 mM) and FeCl3 (4.004 mM) were used individually showed much lower arsenic removal capacities (2.5% for CaO and 32.5% for FeCl3) compared with the combined system of CaO and FeCl3 which led to As/Fe-ettringite formation. Equilibrium experiments were conducted in the pH range from 3...

Characteristic analysis of a diaphragm electrolysis reactor with different electrode materials and concentrated degrees of brine

The current demand for drinking water is rapidly exceeding the water supply. Desalination is one effective way to solve the worldwide water shortage. However, disposal of concentrated brine depends on discharge through oceans and evaporation ponds. Electrolysis is one of the solutions to address discharge of concentrated brine. Electrolysis is mainly categorized into mercury, diaphragm, and membrane types. Diaphragm type electrolysis was adopted here and was applied to a 200 mL reactor. A 10 μm pore size filter was used, and the head was <8 cm. The data in this study were collected to evaluate NaOH concentration, Cl– removal, and current efficiency (CE) by changing the concentrated degree and electrode material. When changing the concentrated brine to degrees of raw, triple, and quintuple, NaOH concentration was 1.6%, 2.3%, and 2.8% and Cl– removal was 75%, 39%, and 28%, respectively. These tendencies were caused by decreasing internal resistance. CE was inversely proportional to temperature, caused by ion quantity. Because iridium has a lower electrical resistivity than ruthenium, electrical resistivity has a decisive effect on electricity consumption. When highly concentrated brine was used in electrolysis, around 3% NaOH alkaline water was produced. Because of the thermal resistance of reactor in acrylic, the maximum temperature of operating reactor was until 90°C. Current density can be higher in the reactor if brine concentration is higher. The right options for catalyst material selection depend on the designated purpose of the catalyst material.