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Background Emergency room (ER) physicians need to face clinically suspected pneumonia patients in the front line of medical care and must do to give major medical interventions if patients show severity in pneumonia. Methods The data of pneumonia-related ER visit rates were categorized based on the International Classification of Disease (ICD) Codes (480-486) between 1998 and 2012. We use an age-period-cohort (APC) model to separate the pneumonia-related ER visit rates to identify the effects of age, time period, and cohort for a total of 1,813,588 patients. Results The age effect showed high risk for pediatric and elder populations. There is a significant increasing period effect, which increased from 1998 to 2012. The cohort effect tended to show an oscillation from 1913 to 1988 and the reverse in a recent cohort. Furthermore, the visit rate of pneumonia showed an increase from 1998 to 2012 for both genders. Conclusion Age is a risk factor for pneumonia-related ER visits, especially for children and adolescents and older patients. Period and cohort effects were also found to increase the pneumonia visit rates. An APC model used to provide an advance clue for trend of pneumonia-related ER visit rates diversified.

Accumulated studies revealed that electromagnetic field can affect human brain and sleep. We explored the effectiveness of electromagnetic field [Schumann resonance (SR)] on nocturia symptoms, quality of life, and sleep in patients with nocturia.This is a randomized, open-label, and active-controlled study, in which 35 participants were randomized into 2 groups. Group A received oxybutynin and the SR device for 12 weeks, while the active-control group received only the medication. We followed these patients every 4 weeks with a number of questionnaires, including the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) for sleep, the American Urological Association Symptom Score (AUASS) for nocturia symptoms, and the Nocturia-Quality-of-Life-questionnaire (N-QOL) for quality of life. Descriptive statistics, pair t-tests, Chi-squared tests, and repeated measures were applied for data analysis.No significant difference was found in the demographic data between the 2 groups. The AUASS, N-QOL, PSQI, and ESS total scores were significantly improved in the SR-sleep-device group (P.001, P = .005, P.001, P = .001) after treatment, but no significant change was found in the active-control group. Several variables of AUASS in the SR-sleep-device group were significantly improved, especially streaming and sleeping (both P = .001), and subjective sleep quality and sleep efficiency also demonstrated significant improvement (both P.001).Our study revealed that electromagnetic field (SR) as an add-on can improve not only sleep and quality of life but also nocturia symptoms in patients with nocturia. These findings suggest that SR can be effective for sleep disturbance secondary to physical disease, which can be a new application of the electromagnetic field.

Background Emergency room (ER) physicians need to face clinically suspected pneumonia patients in the front line of medical care and must do to give major medical interventions if patients show severity in pneumonia. Methods The data of pneumonia-related ER visit rates were categorized based on the International Classification of Disease (ICD) Codes (480–486) between 1998 and 2012. We use an age-period-cohort (APC) model to separate the pneumonia-related ER visit rates to identify the effects of age, time period, and cohort for a total of 1,813,588 patients. Results The age effect showed high risk for pediatric and elder populations. There is a significant increasing period effect, which increased from 1998 to 2012. The cohort effect tended to show an oscillation from 1913 to 1988 and the reverse in a recent cohort. Furthermore, the visit rate of pneumonia showed an increase from 1998 to 2012 for both genders. Conclusion Age is a risk factor for pneumonia-related ER visits, especially for children and adolescents and older patients. Period and cohort effects were also found to increase the pneumonia visit rates. An APC model used to provide an advance clue for trend of pneumonia-related ER visit rates diversified.

Experiment of the fish-shaped phase diagram of the ternary water + octane + 2-butyloxy-ethanol system under atmospheric pressure was performed at constant water/octane mass ratio (1/1) to determine the upper critical solution temperature (UCST = 296.90 ± 0.05 K) and the lower critical solution temperature (LCST = 286.10 ± 0.05 K). The liquid–liquid equilibria of the water + octane + 2-butyloxy-ethanol system at 283.15, 293.15 and 303.15 K were measured under atmospheric pressure. At 283.15 and 303.15 K, there is only one two-liquid-phase-coexisting envelop in the triangle phase diagram. At 293.15 K, in-between the UCST and LCST, the system exhibits three two-liquid-phase-coexisting envelops and one three-liquid-phase-coexisting tie triangle in the triangle phase diagram. The experimental results of liquid–liquid equilibria were further correlated with the nonrandom two-liquid (NRTL) model.

During cardiac muscle contractions, basal descent along the long axis causes the short axis in the MR image to shift, leading to errors in measurement of myocardial function. This study used magnetization vector spatial modulation of magnetization (SPAMM) to tag myocardial motions. After SPAMM image acquisition, a SPAMM image processing algorithm was used to obtain myocardial grid lines. Experience shows that specific internal parameters of the algorithm significantly affect the quality of the grid line output. In this research, grid search enhanced the quality of the grid line output by finding near–optimal combinations within the parameter set. Both geometric and physiological performance metrics were employed. The Hausdorff distance (the geometric metric) improved significantly when the parameters were optimized. Furthermore, the 2-D and 3-D wall thickness discrepancy (the physiological metrics) decreased significantly with the use of optimized parameters.

The effects of addition of alcohols (ethanol, 1-propanol, and 1-butanol) to Pluronic F88 aqueous solutions on heat of micellization of Pluronic F88 are carefully examined by using high sensitivity differential scanning calorimeter and dynamic light scattering. With addition of ethanol to Pluronic F88 aqueous solutions, the critical micelle temperature (CMT) increases, the heat of micellization significantly decreases, and the F88 concentration region of the unusual positive heat capacity change (attributed to impurity aggregates) occurs at higher Pluronic F88 concentrations. The addition of ethanol increases the solubility of copolymer and impurities and, hence, hinders the formation of impurity aggregates. Introduction of butanol to F88 aqueous solutions would significantly reduce the CMT but only slightly change the heat of micellization, indicating exothermic interactions of 1-butanol with poly(propylene oxide) blocks. With addition of 1-propanol, both CMT and heat of micellization decrease. With addition of 5 wt.% 1-propanol would substantially expand the F88 concentration region of the unusual positive heat capacity change, indicating a significant dissociation of impurity aggregates into micelles. In addition, the effect of alcohols on the cloud points of Pluronic F88 solutions is also carefully examined and discussed. The enthalpy-entropy compensation phenomenon for the micellization of Pluronic F88 over the concentration regions of negative/positive heat capacity changes is discussed.

Ba(Ti 1―x Mn x )O 3 ceramics were synthesized by a traditional solid-state reaction. The Ba(Ti 1―x Mn x )O 3 samples with x = 0.15, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 of MnO, Mn 2 O 3 , and Mn 3 0 4 were sintered at 1450°C for 2 h, then cooled to room temperature to obtain hexagonal barium titanate. The microstructures and dielectric properties of the Ba(Ti 1―x Mn x )O 3 samples were analyzed by dielectric property measurement, X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that the lattice parameters decrease as the x value increases from 0.15 to 0.5, and a secondary phase, which is similar to BaFeO 3 structure (JCPDS 74-0646), was detected at x = 0.5. With an increasing x, the grains developed a plate-like morphology. For samples with MnO additive, the secondary phase, which is similar to Ba 2 TiO 4 structure (JCPDS 38-1481), was detected on the grain boundaries due to the excess of divalent Ba ions. For samples with Mn 2 0 3 and Mn 3 0 4 additives, the liquid phase and nanocrystalline Mn 2 O 3 grains were detected due to the excess of Ti and Mn atoms. For dielectric properties, the quality factor (Q × f) reaches the maximum value (18344 GHz) at x = 0.3 for the addition of Mn 3 O 4 . The TEM analysis was focused on the Ba(Ti 0.5 Mn 0.5 )O 3 specimens in order to identify the relationship between the 6H- and 12R-structures, and their formation mechanism.

The surface formation oxide assists of visible to ultraviolet photoelectric conversion in α-In2Se3 hexagonal microplates has been explored. Hexagonal α-In2Se3 microplates with the sizes of 10s to 100s of micrometers were synthesized and prepared by the chemical vapor transport method using ICl3 as a transport agent. Many vacancies and surface imperfection states have been found in the bulk and on the surface of the microplate because of the intrinsic defect nature of α-In2Se3. To discover physical and chemical properties and finding technological uses of α-In2Se3, several experiments including transmission electron miscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), surface photovoltage (SPV), photoluminescence (PL), surface photoresponse (SPR), photoconductivity (PC), and thermoreflectance (TR) measurements have been carried out. Experimental results of TEM, XPS, SPV, PL, and SPR measurements show that a surface oxidation layer α-In2Se3-3xO3x (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) has formed on the crystal face of α-In2Se3 in environmental air with the inner layer content close to In2Se3 but the outermost layer content approaching In2O3. The near band edge transitions of α-In2Se3 microplates have been probed experimentally by TR and PC measurements. The direct band gap of α-In2Se3 has been determined to be 1.453 eV. The SPV result shows a maximum quantum efficiency of the surface oxide α-In2Se3-3xO3x (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) that presents a peak photoresponse near 2.18 eV. The analyses of SPV, SPR, PL, TR, and PC measurements revealed that the surface oxide layer facilitates the conversion of the ultraviolet to the visible range while the native defects (Se and In vacancies) sustain photoconductivity in the near-infrared region. On the basis of the experimental results a wide-energy-range photodetector that combines PC- and SPR-mode operations for α-In2Se3 microplate has been made. The testing results show a well-behaved function of photoelectric conversion in the near-infrared to ultraviolet region via the auxiliary forming of surface oxide on the crystalline face of the α-In2Se3 microplates.

A new fabrication method of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is presented in this chapter. The traditional fabrication methods of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) using high-temperature processes for working electrodes have been ameliorated. In the new method, TiO2 powder was ground with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for the fabrication of working electrodes and graphite powder was ground with PDMS for relative electrodes. The mixtures for both the working and relative electrodes were coated on ITO-glass substrates by the doctor blade technique. PDMS was able to enhance the adhesion of the film and the substrate as well as reduce film cracks. The process temperature of the proposed fabrication method was 150°C. The low process temperature allows the usage of the plastic substrate for the DSSC. This leads to the advantages of low costs and substrate flexibility. The proposed method demonstrates a promising future for the flexible applications of DSSCs.

BACKGROUND In Taiwan, most women with lower urinary tract symptoms live quietly with their symptoms without seeking medical help. These women's voices have not been heard or investigated. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to generate descriptive theory on the basis of the lived experiences of Taiwanese women with lower urinary tract symptoms. METHODS A qualitative study on the basis of grounded theory was used. Sixteen Taiwanese women with lower urinary tract symptoms aged 41-75 years participated in in-depth interviews. The data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. RESULTS "Doing the best to control" was the core category for describing the process of women who used their own unique ways of controlling urination problems. During the process, "Irritating urination problems" was the term identified as the antecedent condition. The woman would then begin the process of "doing the best to control," which would be marked by action and interaction among four categories: (a) self-limited activities, (b) modify daily life, (c) always looking for the toilet while outdoors, and (d) feeling stress and uneasiness. After this phase, some women would begin "seeking medical help," "trying to practice a helpful lifestyle," or both. However, a few women just "did nothing, just living with it." DISCUSSION Women do their best to improve self-control of their urination problems. However, stress and uneasiness permeate the process and overshadow their lives.

We assessed the signs and symptoms, pulmonary function changes and residual chemical body burden of school children in the vicinity of an accidental exposure to volatile xylene and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI).After the exposure episode, children with significant symptoms after MDI exposure (e.g., dizziness, nausea, sore throat, and breathing difficulties) were sent to nearby emergency medical units for evaluation and admission if necessary. Clinical work-up included pulmonary function tests and measurement of residual MDI in the body by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of urine.203 students appeared to develop symptoms associated with contaminant exposure, and 173 affected students were sent to nearby emergency units. In the subsequent surveillance, 22 of 203 affected students (10.8%) revealed a positive history of asthma, which was strongly correlated with the incidence of dyspnea arising from the incident. For children with no previous history of asthma, 60.8% (110 of 181) complained of dyspnea during the episode, and 16.2% required inhaled bronchodilator therapy at the emergency medical units for relief of wheezing symptoms. In a simulation, we found the raw material used for tract surfacing, primarily MDI dissolved in xylene, to be present at a concentration (870 ppm w/w) more than 8000-fold the level defined as safe for a working environment.We have detected a direct cause-effect relationship between the accidental spillage of MDI and the appearance of an acute asthma-like syndrome among previously unexposed school children.

The online version of the original article can be found at https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-015-3662-0 .