Fe3S4 Nanoparticles Wrapped in an rGO Matrix for Promising Energy Storage: Outstanding Cyclic and Rate Performance.

Iron sulfides/oxides/fluorides have been profoundly investigated as electrodes for rechargeable batteries recently in view of their high-theory capacities, low cost, and environmentally benign nature. Here, Fe3S4 nanoparticles (NPs) wrapped in reduced graphene oxide (Fe3S4 NPs@rGO) have been obtained using a simple one-pot hydrothermal approach, which is characterized using various techniques. As the anode for Li-ion batteries, Fe3S4 NPs@rGO displays a reversible discharge capacity of 950 mA h/g after 100 cycles at 0.1 A/g, and 720 mA h/g capacity can be achieved after 800 cycles even at 1 A/g. Even at 10 A/g, 462 mA h/g capacity can be maintained. The excellent electrochemical properties for Fe3S4 NPs@rGO can be ascribed to a collaborative effect between Fe3S4 NPs and an rGO matrix, which possess high Li-ion storage ability and excellent conductivity, respectively.

Comparison of Continuous Noninvasive Blood Pressure Monitoring by TL-300 With Standard Invasive Blood Pressure Measurement in Patients Undergoing Elective Neurosurgery.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative blood pressure (BP) is one of the basic vital signs monitoring. Compared with standard invasive BP measurement, TL-300 allows for a continuous and beat-to-beat noninvasive intraoperative BP monitoring. The current retrospective study compared the accuracy and precision of this noninvasive technique for continuous BP monitoring with that of standard invasive BP measurement in patients undergoing elective neurosurgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: BP records of 23 patients undergoing elective neurosurgery, measured by both noninvasive TL-300 and invasive radial arterial catheter method, were retrospectively analyzed. Variability in BP data was analyzed by using linear regressions and Bland-Altman analysis. RESULTS: Four thousand three hundred eighty-one pairs of BP measurements from a total of 23 patients were included. The coefficient of determination of systolic, diastolic, and mean BP were 0.908, 0.803, and 0.922, respectively. And their bias was found to be 1.3±5.87 mm Hg (95% limits of agreement: -10.2 to +12.8 mm Hg), 2.8±6.40 mm Hg (95% limits of agreement: -9.8 to +15.3 mm Hg), and 1.8±4.20 mm Hg (95% limits of agreement: -6.4 to +10.1 mm Hg), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: TL-300 system is a promising noninvasive alternative to the invasive arterial catheter method for intraoperative BP monitoring, with a high accuracy and precision. With the limitation of the current retrospective study, further prospective method comparison studies are needed.

Neuromuscular effect of dexmedetomidine on sevoflurane: an open-label, dose-escalation clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Sevoflurane presents reliable central neuromuscular effects. However, little knowledge is available regarding the interaction between sevoflurane and demedetomidine. We evaluated the neuromuscular effect of dexmedetomidine on sevoflurane in patients with normal neuromuscular transmission and calculated the 50% effective concentration (EC50). METHODS: One-hundred and forty-four ASA grade I~II patients with normal neuromuscular transmission, aged 20~60 years old, undergoing lower limbs surgery were enrolled in this open-label, dose-escalation clinical trial. Patients were randomly assigned into 12 groups. Each patient received intravenous 0, 0.5, or 1.0 µg/kg dexmedetomidine 15 min after inhaling 0.7, 1.0, 1.4, or 2.0 MAC sevoflurane. Neuromuscular monitoring was recorded from the adductor pollicis muscle by using acceleromyography with train-of-four (TOF) stimulation of the ulnar nerve (2 Hz every 20 s). TOF ratio was recorded before inhaling sevoflurane, 15 min after keeping constant at target MAC of sevoflurane, 30 min after receiving target dose of dexmedetomidine, and 15 min after sevoflurane washing out. RESULTS: Sevoflurane produced a concentration-dependent decrease in TOF ratio. Mean TOF ratio in 0.7, 1.0, 1.4, and 2.0 MAC groups was 97.9%, 94.9%, 84.7%, and 77.2%, respectively. Neuromuscular EC50 of sevoflurane was 1.31 MAC (95% CI: 1.236~1.388 MAC). Intravenous 0.5 and 1.0 µg/kg dexmedetomidine decreased 3.1% (EC50: 1.27 MAC [95% CI: 1.206~1.327 MAC]) and 10.7% (EC50: 1.17 MAC [95% CI: 1.122~1.217 MAC]) of neuromuscular EC50, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Sevoflurane has a concentration-dependent central neuromuscular effect in patients with normal neuromuscular transmission. Intravenous dexmedetomidine dose-dependently decreases the neuromuscular EC50 of sevoflurane.