A biodegradable and flexible neural interface for transdermal optoelectronic modulation and regeneration of peripheral nerves.

Optoelectronic neural interfaces can leverage the photovoltaic effect to convert light into electrical current, inducing charge redistribution and enabling nerve stimulation. This method offers a non-genetic and remote approach for neuromodulation. Developing biodegradable and efficient optoelectronic neural interfaces is important for achieving transdermal stimulation while minimizing infection risks associated with device retrieval, thereby maximizing therapeutic outcomes. We propose a biodegradable, flexible, and miniaturized silicon-based neural interface capable of transdermal optoelectronic stimulation for neural modulation and nerve regeneration. Enhancing the device interface with thin-film molybdenum significantly improves the efficacy of neural stimulation. Our study demonstrates successful activation of the sciatic nerve in rodents and the facial nerve in rabbits. Moreover, transdermal optoelectronic stimulation accelerates the functional recovery of injured facial nerves.

Direct Laser Processing and Functionalizing PI/PDMS Composites for an On-Demand, Programmable, Recyclable Device Platform.

Skin-interfaced high-sensitive biosensing systems to detect electrophysiological and biochemical signals have shown great potential in personal health monitoring and disease management. However, the integration of 3D porous nanostructures for improved sensitivity and various functional composites for signal transduction/processing/transmission often relies on different materials and complex fabrication processes, leading to weak interfaces prone to failure upon fatigue or mechanical deformations. The integrated system also needs additional adhesive to strongly conform to the human skin, which can also cause irritation, alignment issues, and motion artifacts. This work introduces a skin-attachable, reprogrammable, multifunctional, adhesive device patch fabricated by simple and low-cost laser scribing of an adhesive composite with polyimide powders and amine-based ethoxylated polyethylenimine dispersed in the silicone elastomer. The obtained laser-induced graphene in the adhesive composite can be further selectively functionalized with conductive nanomaterials or enzymes for enhanced electrical conductivity or selective sensing of various sweat biomarkers. The possible combination of the sensors for real-time biofluid analysis and electrophysiological signal monitoring with RF energy harvesting and communication promises a standalone stretchable adhesive device platform based on the same material system and fabrication process.

Improved adaptive regularization for simulated annealing inversion of transient electromagnetic.

Geophysical inversion usually involves ill-posed problem. Regularization is the most commonly used method to mitigate this problem. There are many regularization parameter selection methods, among which the adaptive regularization method can automatically update parameters during iteration, reducing the difficulty of parameter selection. Therefore, it is widely used in linear inversion. However, there are very few studies on the use of adaptive regularization methods in stochastic optimization algorithms. The biggest difficulty is that in stochastic optimization algorithms, the search direction of any iteration is completely random. Data fitting term and stabilizing term vary in a wide range, making it difficult for traditional methods to work. In this paper, we consider the contributions of the data fitting term and the stabilizing term in the objective function and give an improved adaptive regularization method for very fast simulated annealing (VFSA) inversion for transient electromagnetic (TEM) data. The optimized method adjusts the two terms dynamically to make them in balance. We have designed several numerical experiments, and the experimental results demonstrate that the method in this paper not only accelerates the convergence, but also the inversion results are very little affected by the initial regularization parameter. Finally, we apply this method to field data, and the inversion results show very good agreements with nearby borehole data.

Evaluation of the psychometrics of the Social Impact Scale and its association with depression among asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 carriers experience psychological stresses and mental health issues such as varying degrees of stigma. The Social Impact Scale (SIS) can be used to measure the stigmatisation of COVID-19 carriers who experience such problems. AIMS: To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the SIS, and the association between stigma and depression among asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers in Shanghai, China. METHOD: A total of 1283 asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers from Shanghai Ruijin Jiahe Fangcang Shelter Hospital were recruited, with a mean age of 39.64 ± 11.14 years (59.6% male). Participants completed questionnaires, including baseline information and psychological measurements, the SIS and Self-Rating Depression Scale. The psychometrics of the SIS and its association with depression were examined through exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and receiver operating characteristic analysis. RESULTS: The average participant SIS score was 42.66 ± 14.61 (range: 24-96) years. Analyses suggested the model had four factors: social rejection, financial insecurity, internalised shame and social isolation. The model fit statistics of the four-factor SIS were 0.913 for the comparative fit index, 0.902 for the Tucker-Lewis index and 0.088 for root-mean-square error of approximation. Standard estimated factor loadings ranged from 0.509 to 0.836. After controlling for demographic characteristics, the total score of the 23-item SIS predicted depression (odds ratio: 1.087, 95% CI 1.061-1.115; area under the curve: 0.84, 95% CI 0.788-0.892). CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese version of the SIS showed good psychometric properties and can be used to assess the level of perceived stigma experienced by asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers.

Recent Development of Implantable Chemical Sensors Utilizing Flexible and Biodegradable Materials for Biomedical Applications.

Implantable chemical sensors built with flexible and biodegradable materials exhibit immense potential for seamless integration with biological systems by matching the mechanical properties of soft tissues and eliminating device retraction procedures. Compared with conventional hospital-based blood tests, implantable chemical sensors have the capability to achieve real-time monitoring with high accuracy of important biomarkers such as metabolites, neurotransmitters, and proteins, offering valuable insights for clinical applications. These innovative sensors could provide essential information for preventive diagnosis and effective intervention. To date, despite extensive research on flexible and bioresorbable materials for implantable electronics, the development of chemical sensors has faced several challenges related to materials and device design, resulting in only a limited number of successful accomplishments. This review highlights recent advancements in implantable chemical sensors based on flexible and biodegradable materials, encompassing their sensing strategies, materials strategies, and geometric configurations. The following discussions focus on demonstrated detection of various objects including ions, small molecules, and a few examples of macromolecules using flexible and/or bioresorbable implantable chemical sensors. Finally, we will present current challenges and explore potential future directions.

Validation of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for Suicide Screening in Transgender Women.

Purpose: High prevalence of depression in transgender women highlights the importance of validating the measure to assess depression. Moreover, depression is significantly associated with suicide across research studies. The aims of the current study were to validate a Chinese-language version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and to assess operating characteristics of the PHQ-9 for suicide screening in transgender women. Methods: With the approval of an Institutional Review Board (IRB), a total of 198 transgender women living in Shenyang, China, were recruited, and asked to complete the PHQ-9, including measures of their suicidal ideation, planning and attempt. Results: A one-factor model of the PHQ-9 was supported in the current sample, showing good reliability and validity. The best cutoff point for the PHQ-9 in suicidal ideation was 17, with a sensitivity/specificity of 77.78%; the best cutoff point for PHQ-9 in suicidal planning was 17, with a sensitivity of 81.82% and a specificity of 73.26%; and the best cutoff point for PHQ-9 in suicidal attempt was 20, with a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 90.21%. Conclusion: Findings supported the validity of the PHQ-9. With potential clinical or research application, the PHQ-9 can be an efficient instrument for suicide screening in transgender women.

Relationships of work stress and interpersonal needs with industrial workers' mental health: a moderated mediation model.

OBJECTIVES: This study explores whether feelings of defeat (i.e., a sense of failed struggle and losing rank; referred to as defeat for simplicity) mediated the effect of work stress on depression/anxiety, the effect of interpersonal needs on depression/anxiety for Chinese industrial workers, and the possible moderating role of social support. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Shenzhen, China in 2019, in total, 2023 industrial workers (of 2700 invited; response rate = 75%) completed a self-administered survey consisted of Job Stress Scale, Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire, Defeat Scale, Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, two face-valid questions for social support, as well as sociodemographic information. Moderated mediation model was tested and loop plots were applied to probe into the conditional effects of work and interpersonal stress on depression and anxiety symptoms. RESULT: Both the direct and indirect effect of work stress on depression and anxiety through defeat were significant (Work stress→ Depression: B = 0.035, p < .001, Work stress→ Defeat→ Depression: B = 0.034, p < .001; Work stress→ Anxiety: B = 0.038, p < .001, Work stress→ Defeat→ Anxiety: B = 0.045, p < .001). Meanwhile, defeat mediated the relationship of interpersonal needs with depression partially and the relationship of interpersonal needs with anxiety totally (Interpersonal needs→ Anxiety: B = 0.133, p < .001, Interpersonal needs→ Defeat→ Anxiety: B = 0.010, p = .537). Social support moderated the indirect path between interpersonal needs and depression/anxiety and buffered the effect. CONCLUSION: The mediating role of defeat and the moderator role of social support in the relationship between stress and depression/anxiety were confirmed in industrial workers. Workers who reported more work and interpersonal stress would report more defeat feelings, and then exhibited more depression and anxiety symptoms; this mediation effect was stronger for those who had lower social support, respectively.

How Job Stress and Psychological Adaptation Predicting Interpersonal Needs Among Female Migrant Manufacturing Workers in China: A Structural Equation Model.

Background: This study aimed to explore relationships between job stress and psychological adaptation and how they related to interpersonal needs through mood states among female migrant manufacturing workers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 16 factories in Shenzhen, China. Sociodemographic, job stress, psychological adaptation and other psychological information of was collected. Structural equation modeling was performed to delineate the internal relationship between variables. Results: The hypothetical structural equation model exhibited acceptable model fit among female migrant manufacturing workers (χ2 = 11.635, df = 2, χ2/df = 5.82, p = 0.003, RMSEA = 0.090, CFI = 0.972, SRMR = 0.020). Job stress was directly associated with mood states and interpersonal needs; Psychological adaptation was directly associated with mood states and indirectly associated with interpersonal needs; Bootstrapping tests demonstrated mediation effect of mood states in the way from psychological adaptation to interpersonal needs. Conclusion: Female migrant manufacturing workers who suffered stress from job and the process of psychological adaptation may have worse mood states and workers with worse mood states are more likely to develop unmet interpersonal needs, a proximal factor of suicidal ideation.

Exploring the long-term sequelae of childhood sexual abuse on risky sexual behavior among Chinese transgender women.

Introduction: Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a hidden but serious public health issue that can lead to a series of behavioral consequences and health problems in adulthood. It has been well documented that transgender women (TGW) have a high prevalence of CSA victimization. Moreover, risky sexual behaviors are also widespread among TGW; nevertheless, research investigating the associations between CSA victimization and risky sexual behaviors in TGW represents a gap in the literature. Methods: Our research was carried out mainly in Shenyang of China from November 2018 to January 2019. Sociodemographic characteristics, as well as information on participants' HIV awareness and sexual behaviors, were collected through face-to-face interviews. The impact of CSA was examined through hierarchical logistic regression, adjusted for sociodemographic factors and HIV awareness. Results: In the sample of 247 adult TGW, 14.2% of them had a CSA history. In the previous 6 months, 30.8% of the participants reported condomless anal intercourse (CAI) and 38.5% of them had multiple sexual partners (MSP). The findings demonstrated that TGW with CSA history were more likely to take part in CAI (p = 0.001, OR = 4.252) or have MSP (p = 0.004, OR = 3.260) in adulthood. Furthermore, HIV knowledge was not a predictor of CAI or MSP, but higher HIV risk perception was associated with a greater probability of CAI. Conclusion: Transgender women with a history of CSA were more prone to engage in CAI and have MSP in China.

Gender-Specific and U-Shaped Relationship Between Serum Uric Acid and All-Cause Mortality Among Chinese Older Adults: A National Population-Based Longitudinal Study.

Objectives: This study aimed to prospectively investigate gender-specific relationship between hyperuricemia and all-cause mortality among Chinese older adults. Methods: The study was based on the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) 2008-2018, a prospective nationwide cohort of older adults in China. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for all-cause mortality. Restricted cubic splines (RCS) were conducted to explore the dose-response relationship between SUA levels and all-cause mortality. Results: For older women, compared to the participants in the third quartile of SUA level, those in the highest quartile of SUA was associated with significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality in the fully adjusted model (HR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.03-1.92). No significant associations between SUA levels and all-cause mortality were observed in older men. The present study further found a U-shaped non-linear relationship between SUA levels and all-cause mortality in both sexes of older population (P for non-linear <0.05). Conclusions: This study provided prospective epidemiological evidence for the predictive role of SUA on all-cause mortality among the Chinese aging population over 10 years of follow-up, while revealing considerable gender-related differences.

Reliability and Validity of the Defeat Scale among Internal Migrant Workers in China: Decadence and Low Sense of Achievement.

INTRODUCTION: Internal migrant workers have a great chance to experience defeat due to their low social status and economic situation. It has been reported that defeat might play a prospective role in predicting depression and anxiety; however, defeat is rarely explored among internal migrant workers due to the lack of appropriate measurement scales. The defeat scale (DS) can measure the feeling of defeat, social hierarchy reduction, and loss in social struggle. But its reliability and validity among internal migrant workers have not been reported. This study aimed to verify the content validity and structural validity of the DS among internal migrant workers in China and to explore its correlations with anxiety and depression. METHODS: 1805 internal migrant workers (IMWs) were recruited by stratified multistage sampling from 16 factories in Shenzhen, China. The content validity index (CVI) was used to assess content validity. Cronbach's coefficient alpha of each factor and the total scale were calculated to assess the reliability of DS. The scree test was used to determine the number of factors. Convergent validity and discriminant validity were estimated by calculating the average variance extracted and composite reliability. Logistic regression was performed to explore the effects of DS scores on anxiety and depression. RESULTS: Mean score of DS among IMWs was 18.42 ± 9.40. There were 606 (33.6%) IMWs who were considered to have depression symptoms, and 524 (29.0%) IMWs were considered to have anxiety symptoms. A two-factor model was obtained and fitted well (CFI = 0.956, GFI = 0.932, IFI = 0.956, RMSEA = 0.068, SRMR = 0.052). Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient for the DS was 0.92. Logistic regression showed that DS scores were positively associated with anxiety and depression among IMWs. CONCLUSIONS: DS performed well among IMWs on content validity and structural validity, and it was suitable as a measurement instrument to assess defeat among this population. Defeat was positively associated with anxiety and depression and might play an important role in the mental health of IMWs.

Fully Biodegradable and Long-Term Operational Primary Zinc Batteries as Power Sources for Electronic Medicine.

Given the advantages of high energy density and easy deployment, biodegradable primary battery systems remain as a promising power source to achieve bioresorbable electronic medicine, eliminating secondary surgeries for device retrieval. However, currently available biobatteries are constrained by operational lifetime, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, limiting potential therapeutic outcomes as temporary implants. Herein, we propose a fully biodegradable primary zinc-molybdenum (Zn-Mo) battery with a prolonged functional lifetime of up to 19 days and desirable energy capacity and output voltage compared with reported primary Zn biobatteries. The Zn-Mo battery system is shown to have excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability and can significantly promote Schwann cell proliferation and the axonal growth of dorsal root ganglia. The biodegradable battery module with 4 Zn-Mo cells in series using gelatin electrolyte accomplishes electrochemical generation of signaling molecules (nitric oxide, NO) that can modulate the behavior of the cellular network, with efficacy comparable with that of conventional power sources. This work sheds light on materials strategies and fabrication schemes to develop high-performance biodegradable primary batteries to achieve a fully bioresorbable electronic platform for innovative medical treatments that could be beneficial for health care.

In situ laser-assisted synthesis and patterning of graphene foam composites as a flexible gas sensing platform.

Gas-sensitive semiconducting nanomaterials (e.g., metal oxides, graphene oxides, and transition metal dichalcogenides) and their heterojunctions hold great promise in chemiresistive gas sensors. However, they often require a separate synthesis method (e.g., hydrothermal, so-gel, and co-precipitation) and their integration on interdigitated electrodes (IDE) via casting is also associated with weak interfacial properties. This work demonstrates in situ laser-assisted synthesis and patterning of various sensing nanomaterials and their heterojunctions on laser-induced graphene (LIG) foam to form LIG composites as a flexible and stretchable gas sensing platform. The porous LIG line or pattern with nanomaterial precursors dispensed on top is scribed by laser to allow for in situ growth of corresponding nanomaterials. The versatility of the proposed method is highlighted through the creation of different types of gas-sensitive materials, including transition metal dichalcogenide (e.g., MoS2), metal oxide (e.g., CuO), noble metal-doped metal oxide (e.g., Ag/ZnO) and composite metal oxides (e.g., In2O3/Cr2O3). By eliminating the IDE and separate heaters, the LIG gas sensing platform with self-heating also decreases the device complexity. The limit of detection (LOD) of the LIG gas sensor with in situ synthesized MoS2, CuO, and Ag/ZnO to NO2, H2S, and trimethylamine (TMA) is 2.7, 9.8, and 5.6 ppb, respectively. Taken together with the high sensitivity, good selectivity, rapid response/recovery, and tunable operating temperature, the integrated LIG gas sensor array can identify multiple gas species in the environment or exhaled breath.

Transition Metal-Promoted Carbon-Silicon Solid Acid Catalysts for the Synthesis and Process Optimization of Benzaldehyde Glycol Acetal.

A series of transition metal (M)-promoted carbon-silicon (C-M-Si; M=Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Zr) solid acid catalysts with designated molar ratio of M/Si=1 : 8 were fabricated and exploited for acetalization of benzaldehyde (BzH) with ethylene glycol (EG). The physical and chemical properties of these C-M-Si catalysts prepared by sol-gel method were characterized by various techniques, namely, SEM, EDS, TGA-DTG, BET, XRD, FTIR, XPS, and NH3 -TPD. Among various examined acidic C-M-Si catalysts, the C-Fe-Si catalyst exhibited the optimal catalytic activity with the benzaldehyde glycol acetal (BEGA) yield of 97.67 %, in excellent agreement with the value (97.88 %) predicted by the response surface methodology (RSM) based on a Box-Behnken design (BBD). C-Fe-Si catalyst with the high catalytic activities and excellent stability and reusability may be ascribed to the suitable acidity and uniform surface distribution of active sites requisite for the acid-catalyzed acetalization reaction.

Psychosocial Problems and Condomless Anal Sex among Transgender Women in Two Cities of China: Study Based on the Syndemic Framework.

Studies examining the association between psychosocial problems and condomless anal sex (CAS) among transgender women (TGW) are rare. In this study, close attention was paid to the effect of co-occurring psychosocial problems on sexual risk behaviors. A cross-sectional study, including 247 TGW, was conducted in Kunming and Shenyang, China. The prevalence of condomless anal sex among TGW in the previous 6 months was 30.8%. Most of the psychosocial factors were associated with one another in bivariate logistic regression models. Low self-esteem (ORm = 2.99, 95% CI = 1.25-7.18), sexual compulsivity (ORm = 2.13, 95% CI = 1.13-4.00), and intimate partner violence (ORm = 2.21, 95% CI = 1.19-4.11) were discovered to be related to condomless anal sex in the multivariate regression model. No significant interactive effects of the syndemic factors on condomless anal sex were detected. More programmatic and effective HIV prevention interventions targeting psychosocial problems are required to reduce HIV infection within the population.

Development and Validation of a Prognostic Model to Predict Overall Survival for Lung Adenocarcinoma: A Population-Based Study From the SEER Database and the Chinese Multicenter Lung Cancer Database.

Background: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common subtype of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of our study was to determine prognostic risk factors and establish a novel nomogram for lung adenocarcinoma patients. Methods: This retrospective cohort study is based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and the Chinese multicenter lung cancer database. We selected 22,368 eligible LUAD patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2015 from the SEER database and screened them based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Subsequently, the patients were randomly divided into the training cohort (n = 15,657) and the testing cohort (n = 6711), with a ratio of 7:3. Meanwhile, 736 eligible LUAD patients from the Chinese multicenter lung cancer database diagnosed between 2011 and 2021 were considered as the validation cohort. Results: We established a nomogram based on each independent prognostic factor analysis for 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) . For the training cohort, the area under the curves (AUCs) for predicting the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS were 0.806, 0.856, and 0.886. For the testing cohort, AUCs for predicting the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS were 0.804, 0.849, and 0.873. For the validation cohort, AUCs for predicting the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS were 0.86, 0.874, and 0.861. The calibration curves were observed to be closer to the ideal 45° dotted line with regard to 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS in the training cohort, the testing cohort, and the validation cohort. The decision curve analysis (DCA) plots indicated that the established nomogram had greater net benefits in comparison with the Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) staging system for predicting 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS of lung adenocarcinoma patients. The Kaplan-Meier curves indicated that patients' survival in the low-risk group was better than that in the high-risk group (P < .001). Conclusion: The nomogram performed very well with excellent predictive ability in both the US population and the Chinese population.

Predicting the risk of HIV infection among internal migrant MSM in China: An optimal model based on three variable selection methods.

Introduction: Internal migrant Men who have sex with men (IMMSM), which has the dual identity of MSM and floating population, should be more concerned among the vulnerable groups for HIV in society. Establishing appropriate prediction models to assess the risk of HIV infection among IMMSM is of great significance to against HIV infection and transmission. Methods: HIV and syphilis infection were detected using rapid test kits, and other 30 variables were collected among IMMSM through questionnaire. Taking HIV infection status as the dependent variable, three methods were used to screen predictors and three prediction models were developed respectively. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test was performed to verify the fit of the models, and the net classification improvement and integrated discrimination improvement were used to compare these models to determine the optimal model. Based on the optimal model, a prediction nomogram was developed as an instrument to assess the risk of HIV infection among IMMSM. To quantify the predictive ability of the nomogram, the C-index measurement was performed, and internal validation was performed using bootstrap method. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration plot and dynamic component analysis (DCA) were respectively performed to assess the efficacy, accuracy and clinical utility of the prediction nomogram. Results: In this study, 12.52% IMMSMs were tested HIV-positive and 8.0% IMMSMs were tested syphilis-positive. Model A, model B, and model C fitted well, and model B was the optimal model. A nomogram was developed based on the model B. The C-index of the nomogram was 0.757 (95% CI: 0.701-0.812), and the C-index of internal verification was 0.705. Conclusions: The model established by stepwise selection methods incorporating 11 risk factors (age, education, marriage, monthly income, verbal violence, syphilis, score of CUSS, score of RSES, score of ULS, score of ES and score of DS) was the optimal model that achieved the best predictive power. The risk nomogram based on the optimal model had relatively good efficacy, accuracy and clinical utility in identifying internal migrant MSM at high-risk for HIV infection, which is helpful for developing targeted intervention for them.

Disease burden in patients with acute hepatic porphyria: experience from the phase 3 ENVISION study.

BACKGROUND: Acute hepatic porphyria (AHP) is a family of four rare genetic diseases, each involving deficiency in a hepatic heme biosynthetic enzyme. Resultant overproduction of the neurotoxic intermediates δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and porphobilinogen (PBG) leads to disabling acute neurovisceral attacks and progressive neuropathy. We evaluated the AHP disease burden in patients aged ≥ 12 years in a post hoc analysis of the Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled ENVISION trial of givosiran (NCT03338816), an RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutic that targets the enzyme ALAS1 to decrease ALA and PBG production. We analyzed baseline AHP severity via chronic symptoms between attacks, comorbidities, concomitant medications, hemin-associated complications, and quality of life (QOL) and evaluated givosiran (2.5 mg/kg monthly) in patients with and without prior hemin prophylaxis on number and severity of attacks and pain scores during and between attacks. RESULTS: Participants (placebo, n = 46; givosiran, n = 48) included patients with low and high annualized attack rates (AARs; range 0-46). At baseline, patients reported chronic symptoms (52%), including nausea, fatigue, and pain; comorbidities, including neuropathy (38%) and psychiatric disorders (47%); concomitant medications, including chronic opioids (29%); hemin-associated complications (eg, iron overload); and poor QOL (low SF-12 and EuroQol visual analog scale scores). A linear relationship between time since diagnosis and AAR with placebo suggested worsening of disease over time without effective treatment. Givosiran reduced the number and severity of attacks, days with worst pain scores above baseline, and opioid use versus placebo. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AHP, regardless of annualized attack rates, have considerable disease burden that may partly be alleviated with givosiran.

A flexible and highly sensitive organic electrochemical transistor-based biosensor for continuous and wireless nitric oxide detection.

As nitric oxide (NO) plays significant roles in a variety of physiological processes, the capability for real-time and accurate detection of NO in live organisms is in great demand. Traditional assessments of NO rely on indirect colorimetric techniques or electrochemical sensors that often comprise rigid constituent materials and can hardly satisfy sensitivity and spatial resolution simultaneously. Here, we report a flexible and highly sensitive biosensor based on organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) capable of continuous and wireless detection of NO in biological systems. By modifying the geometry of the active channel and the gate electrodes of OECTs, devices achieve optimum signal amplification of NO. The sensor exhibits a low response limit, a wide linear range, high sensitivity, and excellent selectivity, with a miniaturized active sensing region compared with a conventional electrochemical sensor. The device demonstrates continuous detection of the nanomolar range of NO in cultured cells for hours without significant signal drift. Real-time and wireless measurement of NO is accomplished for 8 d in the articular cavity of New Zealand White rabbits with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture injuries. The observed high level of NO is associated with the onset of osteoarthritis (OA) at the later stage. The proposed device platform could provide critical information for the early diagnosis of chronic diseases and timely medical intervention to optimize therapeutic efficacy.

Blood lipid levels and all-cause mortality in older adults: the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey 2008-2018.

OBJECTIVES: Proper blood lipid levels are essential for survival in older adults, but inconsistent relationships have been reported between blood lipids and all-cause mortality in the elderly. METHODS: This retrospective longitudinal study analyzed data from 1,067 Chinese older adults enrolled in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey collected in 2008 and followed up until death or December 31, 2018. The outcome was all-cause mortality. Multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) with stratification by age (60-80, 80-100, or ≥100 years) for further analysis. The survival probability according to lipid profile quartiles was calculated using Kaplan-Meier curves and the log-rank test. RESULTS: The participants' mean age was 84.84 years, and 57.0% were female. In total, 578 individuals died, and 277 were lost to follow-up. The mean total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were higher among those who died than among those who survived. Participants in the second HDL-C quartile and the highest LDL-C and triglyceride (TG) quartiles had 28% higher, 23% lower, and 49% lower risks of all-cause mortality, respectively. After further adjustment, the associations remained except for HDL-C, and additional associations were observed between all-cause mortality and the third TC and LDL-C quartiles and the second TG quartile (HR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.01 to 2.06; HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.49 to 0.94; HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.62 to 0.99, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Older adults should maintain an LDL-C level of 1.91-2.47 mmol/L and a TG level of no less than 1.66 mmol/L.