We provide a quantitative analysis on the charge-retention characteristics of sub-threshold operating In-Ga-Zn-O (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with a defective gate-oxide for low-power synaptic ...applications. Here, a defective SiO
is incorporated as the synaptic gate-oxide in the fabricated IGZO TFTs, where a defect is physically playing the role as an electron trap. With this synaptic TFT, positive programming pulses for the electron trapping are applied to the gate electrode, followed by monitoring the retention characteristics as a function of time. And this set of the programming and retention-monitoring experiments is repeated in several times for accumulating effects of pre-synaptic stimulations. Due to these accumulated stimulations, electrons are expected to be getting occupied within a deeper trap-state with a higher activation energy, which can lead to a longer retention. To verify these phenomena, a stretched exponential function and respective inverse Laplace transform are employed to precisely estimate a retention time and trap activation-energy for transient experimental results.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pre-exercise glycerol and sodium-induced hyperhydration on fluid retention (mL), half-marathon (21.1 km) time-trial performance (min) and mean ...core temperature (°C) in trained runners in hot conditions. Descriptive statistics were reported as mean ± SD and results were reported as mean and 95% confidence intervals (lower bound, upper bound). ...the enhanced fluid retention did not provide a thermoregulatory advantage or half-marathon performance benefit in hot conditions.
Urinary retention is a condition in which impaired emptying of the bladder results in postvoidal residual urine. It is generally classified into 'acute' or 'chronic' urinary retention. Because of the ...complex mechanism of micturition, many drugs can interact with the micturition pathway, all via different modes of action. Although the incidence of urinary retention, in particular acute urinary retention, has been well studied in observational studies and randomized controlled trials, data on the incidence of drug-induced urinary retention are scarce. Data from observational studies suggest that up to 10% of episodes might be attributable to the use of concomitant medication. Urinary retention has been described with the use of drugs with anticholinergic activity (e.g. antipsychotic drugs, antidepressant agents and anticholinergic respiratory agents), opioids and anaesthetics, alpha-adrenoceptor agonists, benzodiazepines, NSAIDs, detrusor relaxants and calcium channel antagonists. Elderly patients are at higher risk for developing drug-induced urinary retention, because of existing co-morbidities such as benign prostatic hyperplasia and the use of other concomitant medication that could reinforce the impairing effect on micturition. Drug-induced urinary retention is generally treated by urinary catheterization, especially if acute, in combination with discontinuation or a reduction in dose of the causal drug. Studies have been carried out examining the effects of preventive measures for anaesthesia-related urinary retention, both during and after surgery, particularly into the effect of using opioids in combination with non-opioid analgesic drugs on the incidence of postoperative urinary retention. Although combination therapy reduces the opioid-related adverse events, the effect on urinary retention yields contradictory results. This article reviews the literature on drug-induced urinary retention and focuses on its incidence, the different classes of drugs that have been associated with it, and options for its management and prevention.
The goal of this study was to determine the incidence of postoperative urinary retention (POUR) in men after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and to identify preventable risk factors for the development ...of this complication.
All male patients who underwent CEA from 2014 to June 2018 were identified. Exclusions included CEA with concomitant cardiac surgery, baseline dialysis, and indwelling or straight catheterization. POUR was the primary end point, defined as inability to void requiring catheterization within 24 hours postoperatively or after removal of a preoperatively placed Foley catheter. POUR was further classified as mild (single catheterization), moderate (multiple catheterizations), or severe (catheterization prolonging discharge or discharge with catheter). Logistic regression assessed for POUR risk factors.
There were 294 male patients who underwent CEA during the study period; 82 (28.2%) developed POUR. Of these, 48 (57.8%) were mild, 15 (18.1%) were moderate, and 20 (24.1%) were severe. At baseline, POUR was associated with older age, peripheral artery disease (PAD), chronic kidney disease, diabetes, ambulation deficit, prior urinary retention, and statin and chronic tamsulosin use. Overall, 31.6% (93) of the cohort had a Foley catheter placed before the procedure, and this was protective against POUR (no Foley vs Foley, 31.8% vs 20.4%; P = .043). Independent risk factors for POUR included prior urinary retention (odds ratio OR, 3.4 1.6-7.3; P = .002), diabetes (OR, 2.1 1.1-3.7; P = .016), PAD (OR, 2.3 1.1-5.2; P = .036), and age (per year: OR, 1.1 1.02-1.10; P < .001). Preoperative Foley catheter placement remained protective (OR, 0.4 0.2-0.7; P = .003). Preoperative Foley catheter placement was not associated with urinary tract infection (preoperative Foley catheter: 0% vs 1%; P = .54). However, POUR was associated with an increased risk for urinary tract infections (10% vs 1%; P = .001), which was highest in severe POUR (20% vs 1%; P = .001). POUR was also associated with a discharge to rehabilitation (16% vs 4%; P = .002), with highest rates in the moderate and severe POUR cohorts (20% each).
POUR is common in men undergoing CEA, and almost a quarter of those with POUR have a discharge delay or are discharged with a Foley catheter. Preoperative Foley catheterization is protective against POUR and should be considered in older patients, diabetics, patients with PAD, and those with a history of urinary retention.
Pesticides in agricultural surface water runoff cause a major threat to freshwater systems. Installation of filter systems or constructed wetlands in areas of preferential run-off is a possible ...measure for pesticides abatement. To develop such systems, combinations of filter materials suitable for retention of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic organic pesticides were tested for pesticide removal in planted microcosms. The retention of six pesticides frequently detected in surface waters (bentazone, MCPA, metalaxyl, propiconazole, pencycuron, and imidacloprid) was evaluated in unplanted and planted pot experiments with novel bed material mixtures consisting of pumice, vermiculite, water super-absorbent polymer (SAP) for retention of ionic and water soluble pesticides, and synthetic hydrophobic wool for adsorption of hydrophobic pesticides. The novel materials were compared to soil with high organic matter content. The highest retention of the pesticides was observed in the soil, with a considerable translocation of pesticides into the plants, and low leaching potential, in particular for the hydrophobic compounds. However, due to the high retention of pesticides in soil, environmental risks related to their long term mobilization cannot be excluded. Mixtures of pumice and vermiculite with SAP resulted in high retention of i) water and ii) both hydrophilic and hydrophobic pesticides but with much lower leaching potential compared to the mineral systems without SAP. Mixtures of such materials may provide near natural treatment options in riparian strips and also for treatment of rainwater runoff without the need for water containment systems.
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•Pesticide retention was shown in organic soil and various potential wetland filter materials.•Water leaching occurs from all materials.•Plants reduce leaching of water and pesticides by evapotranspiration with highest effect in organic soil.•Water retention by super absorbent polymer accompanied by retention of dissolved pesticides•Overall pesticide retention: organic soil > super absorbent polymer > pumice/vermiculite
There is a need for improving cohort retention in longitudinal studies. Our objective was to identify cohort retention strategies and implementation approaches used in studies with high retention ...rates.
Longitudinal studies with ≥200 participants, ≥80% retention rates over ≥1 year of follow-up were queried from an Institutional Review Board database at a large research-intensive U.S. university; additional studies were identified through networking. Nineteen (86%) of 22 eligible studies agreed to participate. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews, participants provided retention strategies based on themes identified from previous literature reviews. Synthesis of data was completed by a multidisciplinary team.
The most commonly used retention strategies were: study reminders, study visit characteristics, emphasizing study benefits, and contact/scheduling strategies. The research teams were well-functioning, organized, and persistent. Additionally, teams tailored their strategies to their participants, often adapting and innovating their approaches.
These studies included specialized and persistent teams and utilized tailored strategies specific to their cohort and individual participants. Studies' written protocols and published manuscripts often did not reflect the varied strategies employed and adapted through the duration of study. Appropriate retention strategy use requires cultural sensitivity and more research is needed to identify how strategy use varies globally.
Purpose
To describe clinical features and outcomes of viral lumbosacral radiculitis (Elsberg syndrome).
Methods
Nationwide population-based cohort study of all adults hospitalised for viral ...lumbosacral radiculitis at departments of infectious diseases in Denmark from 2015 to 2020.
Results
Twenty-eight patients with viral lumbosacral radiculitis were included (mean annual incidence: 1.2/1,000,000 adults). The median age was 35 years (IQR 27–43), and 22/28 (79%) were female. All patients had urinary retention, with 17/28 (61%) needing a catheter. On admission, at least one sign or symptom of meningitis (headache, neck stiffness, photophobia/hyperacusis) was present in 18/22 (82%). Concurrent genital herpetic lesions were present in 11/24 (46%). The median cerebrospinal fluid leukocyte count was 153 cells/µL (IQR 31–514). Magnetic resonance imaging showed radiculitis/myelitis in 5/19 (26%). The microbiological diagnosis was herpes simplex virus type 2 in 19/28 (68%), varicella-zoster virus in 2/28 (7%), and unidentified in 7/28 (25%). Aciclovir/valaciclovir was administered in 27/28 (96%). At 30 days after discharge, 3/27 (11%) had persistent urinary retention with need of catheter. At 180 days after discharge, moderate disabilities (Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 4) were observed in 5/25 (20%).
Conclusions
Urinary retention resolved within weeks in most patients with viral lumbosacral radiculitis, but moderate disabilities according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale were common at the end of follow-up.
Summary
This systematic review and meta‐analysis provide an update of an earlier meta‐analysis examining the impact of gestational weight gain (GWG) on postpartum weight retention (PPWR). Thirty‐four ...observational studies were included, and results from 18 studies were combined in meta‐analyses. We found that women with excessive GWG retained an additional 2.98 kg (95% CI: 0.59, 5.37 kg, I2 = 91%) at 0.5 years, 1.89 kg (95% CI: 0.90, 2.88 kg, I2 = 61%) at > 0.5–1 year and 2.89 kg (95% CI: 1.74, 4.04 kg, I 2 = 0%) at 2–4 years, compared to women who met the National Academy of Medicine GWG recommendations. Moreover, synthesis of confounder‐adjusted regression coefficients showed that each 1 kg increase of GWG corresponded to 0.62 kg (95% CI: 0.22, 1.02 kg, I2 = 96%) additional PPWR at 6–9 months, 0.48 kg (95% CI: 0.14, 0.81 kg, I2 = 93%) at 1–3 years, and 0.31 kg (95% CI: −0.24, 0.86 kg, I2 = 89%) at 5–7 years postpartum. Findings suggest that higher GWG contributes to increased maternal body weight in the short‐ and long‐term after childbirth, independent of prepregnancy body mass index. The heterogeneity of reported data and methodological differences across studies complicate the ability to synthesize data and interpret findings.
Companies in a variety of sectors are increasingly managing customer chum proactively, generally by detecting customers at the highest risk of chuming and targeting retention efforts towards them. ...While there is a vast literature on developing chum prediction models that identify customers at the highest risk of chuming, no research has investigated whether it is indeed optimal to target those individuals. Combining two field experiments with machine learning techniques, the author demonstrates that customers identified as having the highest risk of chuming are not necessarily the best targets for proactive chum programs. This finding is not only contrary to common wisdom but also suggests that retention programs are sometimes futile not because firms offer the wrong incentives but because they do not apply the right targeting rules. Accordingly, firms should focus their modeling efforts on identifying the observed heterogeneity in response to the intervention and to target customers on the basis of their sensitivity to the intervention, regardless of their risk of chuming. This approach is empirically demonstrated to be significantly more effective than the standard practice of targeting customers with the highest risk of chuming. More broadly, the author encourages firms and researchers using randomized trials (or A/B tests) to look beyond the average effect of interventions and leverage the observed heterogeneity in customers' response to select customer targets.
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