Three­Dimensional Ultrasonography in Preoperative and Postoperative Volume Assessment of the Undescended Testicle.

BACKGROUND Ultrasound (US) is the preferred imaging method for cryptorchidism, but most guidelines indicate that its value is questionable. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical value of ultrasonic mobility and testicular atrophy index (TAI) based on three­dimensional US (3DUS) in preoperative and postoperative assessment of the undescended testis. MATERIAL AND METHODS Data from 158 children with unilateral extraperitoneal cryptorchidism were collected and their diagnoses were surgically confirmed. They were divided into different age groups and into 2 ultrasonic mobility groups: the mobile group (MG) and the restricted group (RG). Differences in sonographic characteristics between different groups were compared. Three-dimensional ultrasound performed with virtual organ computer-aided analysis (VOCAL) was used to determined preoperative and postoperative TAI and the reliability of TAI was analyzed. RESULTS Measurement of testicular volume with the VOCAL method was significantly more reliable than that done with the two-dimensional Lambert method. In all age groups, preoperative testicular volumes were smaller than that in the contralateral scrotal testis and postoperatively, they increased steadily. Both preoperative and postoperative TAI were higher in the RG than in the MG. In the MG, postoperative TAI decreased significantly in all age groups. In the RG, in contrast, effective volume growth was only achieved in patients who had undergone surgery before they reached age 1 year. CONCLUSIONS TAI values determined with 3DUS using the VOCAL technique objectively reflect recovery of testicular volume following surgery for undescended testicle. Ultrasonic mobility evaluation is beneficial for clinical management of the condition.

Associations of sleep quality and sleep duration with frailty and pre-frailty in an elderly population Rugao longevity and ageing study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggest that poor sleep quality or abnormal sleep duration may be associated with frailty. Here we test the associations of sleep disturbances with both frailty and pre-frailty in an elderly population. METHODS: Participants included 1726 community-dwelling elders aged 70-87 years. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep disturbances. Frailty was defined using phenotype criteria. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratio of the associations. RESULTS: The average PSQI score was 5.4 (SD, 3.1). Overall 43.6% of the participants had poor sleep quality (PSQI> 5), 8.2% had night sleep time ≤ 5 h, and 27.8% had night sleep time ≥ 9 h. The prevalence of frailty and pre-frailty was 9.2 and 52.8%, respectively. The proportions of PSQI> 5 increased with the severity of frailty status (robust: pre-frail: frail, 34.5%: 48%: 56.1%, P < 0.001). After adjustment for multiple potential confounders, poor sleep quality (PSQI> 5) was associated with higher odds of frailty (OR = 1.78, 95% CI 1.19-2.66) and pre-frailty (OR = 1.51, 95% CI 1.20-1.90). Sleep latency, sleep disturbance, and daytime dysfunction components of PSQI measurements were also associated with frailty and pre-frailty. In addition, sleep time 9 h/night was associated with higher odds of frailty and pre-frailty. CONCLUSIONS: We provided preliminary evidences that poor sleep quality and prolonged sleep duration were associated with being frailty and pre-frailty in an elderly population aged 70-87 years. The associations need to be validated in other elderly populations.

Chemresistive Detection of NO2 of ppb Level in Humid Air at 350 K Using Azo-Spaced Polycroconamide.

Organic molecules are of great interest for gas sensing applications. However, achieving high-performance gas sensors with high sensitivity, fast response, low consumption, and workability in humid conditions is still challenging. Herein, we report the rational design and synthesis of an ion-in-conjugation polymer, PADC (poly-4,4'-azodianiline-croconamide), obtained by the condensation of croconic acid with 4-4'diaminoazobenzene for gas sensing under humid conditions. The as-fabricated PADC-based gas sensor exhibits ultrahigh sensitivity (802.7 ppm-1 at 1 ppm), subppb detection limit, and high selectivity under humid air with an 80% humidity effect at a temperature down to 350 K. PADC shows good planarity, excellent thermostability, and a narrow band gap of 1.2 eV because of azobenzene fragments spacing previously repulsed biphenyl rings. Compared to previous humidity immunity works, PADC-based sensors realized humidity immunity at a relatively lower temperature, resulting in lower energy consumption.

Duration of Diabetes, Glycemic Control, and Risk of Heart Failure Among Adults With Diabetes: A Cohort Study.

CONTEXT: The influences of diabetes duration and glycemic control and their potential interplays on the risk of heart failure (HF) remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: This work aimed to investigate the association of diabetes duration and glycemic control with the risk of HF. METHODS: A total of 23 754 individuals with diabetes but without HF during the baseline recruitment of UK Biobank were included in this study. Duration of diabetes was self-reported, and the status of glycemic control was reflected by glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels. Their associations with incident HF were assessed using multivariate Cox models adjusting for traditional risk factors. RESULTS: Duration of diabetes and HbA1c levels both were positively associated with the risk of HF. The hazard ratios (HRs) (95% CI) for diabetes durations of 5 to less than 10, 10 to less than 15, and 15 years or more were 1.09 (0.97-1.23), 1.13 (0.97-1.30), and 1.32 (1.15-1.53), respectively (vs < 5 years); and the HRs for HbA1c of 53.0 to less than 58.5 mmol/mol (7.0% to < 7.5%), 58.5 to less than 63.9 mmol/mol (7.5% to < 8.0%), and 63.9 mmol/mol or greater (8.0%) were 1.15 (1.02-1.31), 1.07 (0.91-1.26), and 1.46 (1.30-1.65), respectively (vs < 53.0 mmol/mol [7.0%]). Individuals with the longest disease duration (≥ 15 years) and poorer glycemic control (HbA1c ≥ 63.9 mmol/mol [8.0%]) had a particularly higher risk of HF (P for interaction = .026). CONCLUSION: The risk of HF among individuals with diabetes increases with a longer duration of diabetes and increasing HbA1c levels. This finding may contribute to the individualized prevention of HF in patients with diabetes if being considered in clinical practices and policy-making.

Association of age at first birth and risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in women: evidence from the NHANES.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have suggested that age at first birth (AFB) is inversely associated with metabolic diseases, but positively associated with liver cancer in women. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a canonical example of metabolic dysfunction and inflammation-based liver disease, while the association between AFB and the risk of NAFLD remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the association between AFB and the odds of NAFLD in women. METHODS: Women older than 20 years at the time of the survey were analyzed using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 1999 to 2018 in the US. AFB was obtained with self-administered questionnaires. NAFLD was diagnosed as fatty liver index (FLI) ≥ 60. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using logistic regression models. RESULTS: Of the 12,188 women included in this study, 5670 (46.5%) had NAFLD. Compared to individuals with AFB of 30-32 years old (reference group), the fully adjusted ORs and 95% CI in women with AFB < 18, 18-20, 21-23, and 24-26 years were 1.52 (95% CI 1.14, 2.03), 1.60 (95% CI 1.21, 2.11), 1.40 (95% CI 1.06, 1.84), and 1.33 (95% CI 1.01-1.76), respectively. Yet there was no significant difference between AFB of 27-29, 33-35, or > 35 years compared to the reference group. CONCLUSIONS: Women with younger AFB have higher odds of NAFLD in later life. Policymakers should consider focusing on those with earlier AFB for screening and prevention of NAFLD.

Halide Perovskite glues activate two-dimensional covalent organic framework crystallites for selective NO2 sensing.

Two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D COFs) are promising for gas sensing owing to the large surface area, abundant active sites, and their semiconducting nature. However, 2D COFs are usually produced in the form of insoluble micro-crystallites. Their poor contacts between grain boundaries severely suppress the conductivity, which are too low for chemresistive gas sensing. Here, we demonstrate that halide perovskites can be employed as electric glues to bond 2D COF crystallites to improve their conductivity by two orders of magnitude, activating them to detect NO2 with high selectivity and sensitivity. Resonant microcantilever, grand canonical Monte Carlo, density functional theory and sum-frequency generation analyses prove that 2D COFs can enrich and transfer electrons to NO2 molecules, leading to increased device conductivity. This work provides a facile approach for improving the conductivity of polycrystalline 2D COF films and may expand their applications in semiconductor devices, such as sensors, resistors, memristors and field-emission transistors.

Lead-Free Halide Cs2PtI6 Perovskite Favoring Pt-N Bonding for Trace NO Detection.

In recent years, the performance research of perovskite materials is not only concentrated in the field of solar cells or optics, but the field of gas sensing has gradually entered the public view. However, the detection of nitric oxide (NO) by lead-free halide perovskites has not yet been reported. Herein, we use Cs2PtI6 to realize the first example of a halide perovskite applied to NO sensing. Due to favoring Pt-N binding, the material has some excellent properties such as a NO detection limit as low as 100 parts-per-billion (ppb), ultrahigh selectivity to NO, and can work at room temperature for more than 2 months. In situ sum frequency generation (SFG) spectra and crystal orbital Hamilton population (COHP) analysis reveal that the strong bonding interaction between Pt 5s and N 2s ensure the high adsorption energy, and Pt 5d electron back donation to N 2px, N 2pz antibonding causes the conductive change of the sensors. In addition, its flexible wearable technology shows the application potential of the device and promotes the further development of perovskite materials.

Surfactant-Free, One-Step Synthesis of Lead-Free Perovskite Hollow Nanospheres for Trace CO Detection.

Owing to their special photoelectric properties, halide perovskites have always attracted research attention. Hollow-structured halide perovskites have many practical applications but are challenging to prepare as most template methods violate their poor chemical and thermal stability. In this study, novel halide perovskite Cs2 PdBr6 hollow nanospheres are prepared using a template-free method; specifically, large quantities of highly pure lead-free halide perovskite Cs2 PdBr6 hollow nanospheres are produced at 30 °C without a surfactant. These ultrapure nanospheres exhibit superiority in chemresistive detection of CO with a detection limit of 50 ppb, which is the lowest among all the reported CO sensing materials. Moreover, in situ sum-frequency-generation spectra and density functional theory calculations reveal that the high sensitivity is attributable to the large specific surface area and surfactant-free surface of rich Br- vacancies that favor CO binding. Overall, this work provides insight on regulation of the halide perovskite structure and the use of hollow spheres in gas-sensing applications.

Frailty phenotype, frailty index and risk of mortality in Chinese elderly population- Rugao longevity and ageing study.

BACKGROUND: To explore the associations of frailty phenotype and frailty index (FI) defined frailty and pre-frailty with mortality in a Chinese elderly population. METHODS: Data of 1788 community-dwelling elders aged 70-84 years from the ageing arm of Rugao Longevity and Ageing Study, a prospective cohort study, were used. Frailty phenotype was defined using modified Fried's phenotype (FP) criteria and FI was constructed using 45 health deficits. Mortality was ascertained using the Death Registry of Rugao's Civil Affairs Bureau. RESULTS: During 3-year follow-up, 149 (8.3%) of the 1788 elderly subjects died. For frailty phenotype, about 9.5% of the elderly were frail and 43% were pre-frail. For FI, frail (FI > 0.21) was approximately 27.5%, and pre-frail (FI: 0.1-0.21) was approximately 51.3%. Highest mortality was observed among frail participants defined by both FP and FI criteria (all Log Rank P < 0.05). Frailty defined by the frailty index was associated with a 2.31 fold (95% CI 1.16-4.6) risk of all-cause death compared with robust elderly. Compared with the robust elderly, not only frailty (HR 2.24, 95% CI 1.31-3.83) defined by frailty phenotype but also pre-frailty (HR 1.51, 95% CI 1.03-2.21) was associated with risk of all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Frailty, defined by either phenotype or index, is associated with increased risks of mortality in elderly Chinese community population.