Micropatterned Polymer Nanoarrays with Distinct Superwettability for a Highly Efficient Sweat Collection and Sensing Patch.

Wearable sweat sensor offers a promising means for noninvasive real-time health monitoring, but the efficient collection and accurate analysis of sweat remains challenging. One of the obstacles is to precisely modulate the surface wettability of the microfluidics to achieve efficient sweat collection. Here a facile initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) method is presented to grow and pattern polymer nanocone arrays with distinct superwettability on polydimethylsiloxane microfluidics, which facilitate highly efficient sweat transportation and collection. The nanoarray is synthesized by manipulating monomer supersaturation during iCVD to induce controlled nucleation and preferential vertical growth of fluorinated polymer. Subsequent selective vapor deposition of a conformal hydrogel nanolayer results in superhydrophilic nanoarray floor and walls within the microchannel that provide a large capillary force and a superhydrophobic ceiling that drastically reduces flow friction, enabling rapid sweat transport along varied flow directions. A carbon/hydrogel/enzyme nanocomposite electrode is then fabricated by sequential deposition of highly porous carbon nanoparticles and hydrogel nanocoating to achieve sensitive and stable sweat detection. Further encapsulation of the assembled sweatsensing patch with superhydrophobic nanoarray imparts self-cleaning and water-proof capability. Finally, the sweat sensing patch demonstrates selective and sensitive glucose and lactate detection during the on-body test.

Impact of some antiviral drugs on health care utilization for patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to assess the impact of antiviral drugs (fluvoxamine,remdesivir, lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r), molnupiravir, andnirmatrelvir/ritonavir (NRV/r)) on health care utilization (HCU) inCOVID-19 patients. We summarized findings from randomized controlledtrials (RCTs) and observational studies. METHODS: We systematically searched four medical databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library) for COVID-19 studies up to February 15, 2023. A comprehensive review, meta-analysis, sensitivity analysis, and subgroup analysis were conducted. Pooled effects with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for antiviral drugs' impact on hospitalization, mechanical ventilation (MV), and intensive care unit (ICU) outcomes. RESULTS: Our analysis included 34 studies (584,978 patients). Meta-analysisindicated potential benefits: remdesivir and molnupiravir potentiallyreduced MV risk, and NRV/r correlated with lower hospitalizationrates. However, LPV/r did not notably curb HCU. Remdesivir waspreferable for high-risk COVID-19 patients, while molnupiravir andNRV/r were recommended for those aged 60 and above. CONCLUSION: Remdesivir, molnupiravir, and NRV/r may reduce HCU during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, due to limited study details and significant heterogeneity in effect estimates, further precise evidence is crucial, especially concerning emerging variants.

Ultrathin hierarchical hydrogel-carbon nanocomposite for highly stretchable fast-response water-proof wearable humidity sensors.

Wearable humidity sensors play an important role in human health monitoring. However, challenges persist in realizing high performance wearable humidity sensors with fast response and good stretchability and durability. Here we report wearable humidity sensors employing an ultrathin micro-nano hierarchical hydrogel-carbon nanocomposite. The nanocomposite is synthesized on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films via a facile two-step solvent-free approach, which creates a hierarchical architecture consisting of periodic microscale wrinkles and vapor-deposited nanoporous hydrogel-candle-soot nanocoating. The hierarchical surface topography results in a significantly enlarged specific surface area (>107 times that of planar hydrogel), which along with the ultrathin hydrogel endow the sensor with high sensitivity and a fast response/recovery (13/0.48 s) over a wide humidity range (11-96%). Owing to the wrinkle structure and interpenetrating network between the hydrogel and PDMS, the sensor is stable and durable against repeated 180° bending, 100% strain, and even scratching. Furthermore, encapsulation of the sensor imparts excellent resistance to water, sweat, and bacteria without influencing its performance. The sensor is then successfully used to monitor different human respiratory behaviors and skin humidity in real time. The reported method is convenient and cost-effective, which could bring exciting new opportunities in the fabrication of next-generation wearable humidity sensors.

Bibliometric analysis of medical and health research collaboration between China and ASEAN countries.

Objective: To reveal the characteristics, development trend and potential opportunities of China-ASEAN collaboration in the medical and health field based on bibliometrics. Methods: Scopus and International Center for the Study of Research Lab (ICSR Lab) was used to analyze the scale, collaboration network and distribution, impact of cooperative papers, collaboration dominance and evolution of the literature on China-ASEAN medical and health collaboration in the Scopus database from 1992 to 2022. Results: From 1992 to 2022, 19,764 articles on medical and health collaboration between China and ASEAN were filtered for analysis. The number of China-ASEAN collaborations has shown a clear upward trend over the years, indicating a gradually closer and improved collaboration relationship overall. The institutional collaboration network between China and ASEAN countries was obviously clustered, and the network connectivity was limited. The substantial differences between the median and mean values of citation impact of China-ASEAN medical and health research collaboration reflected that the collaboration was 'less' but 'better'. The dominance share of collaboration between China and the main ASEAN countries was fluctuating upward and has become more and more stable after 2004. Most of the China-ASEAN collaboration focused on their own characteristic research topics. In recent years, collaboration in infectious diseases and public health had expanded significantly, while other research topics had maintained in a complementary development trend. Conclusion: Collaboration between China and ASEAN in the medical and health field has exhibited a progressively closer relationship, and the trend of complementary research has remained stable. However, there are still areas of concern, including the limited scale of collaboration, narrow scope of participation and weak dominance.

Effects of Probiotic Supplementation on Exercise and the Underlying Mechanisms.

Long-term, high-intensity exercise can trigger stress response pathways in multiple organs, including the heart and lungs, gastrointestinal tract, skeletal muscle, and neuroendocrine system, thus affecting their material and energy metabolism, immunity, oxidative stress, and endocrine function, and reducing exercise function. As a natural, safe, and convenient nutritional supplement, probiotics have been a hot research topic in the field of biomedical health in recent years. Numerous studies have shown that probiotic supplementation improves the health of the body through the gut-brain axis and the gut-muscle axis, and probiotic supplementation may also improve the stress response and motor function of the body. This paper reviews the progress of research on the role of probiotic supplementation in material and energy metabolism, intestinal barrier function, immunity, oxidative stress, neuroendocrine function, and the health status of the body, as well as the underlying mechanisms.

Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Burden and Its Attributable Risk Factors in China: Estimates and Forecasts from 1990 to 2050.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an uncommon and aggressive malignant head and neck cancer, which is highly prevalent in southern and southwestern provinces in China. The aim of this study was to examine the disease burden and risk factors of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in China from 1990 to 2019 and to predict the incidence trends from 2020 to 2049. All data were extracted from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study. Joinpoint regression and age-period-cohort (APC) models were chosen to analyze prevalence trends. The temporal trends and age distribution of risk factors were also analyzed descriptively. Bayesian APC models were used to predict the prevalence from 2020 to 2049. The results indicate a higher disease burden in men and older adults. Their attributable risk factors are smoking, occupational exposure to formaldehyde, and alcohol use. We predict that the incidence will be on the rise in all age groups between 2020 and 2049, with the highest incidence in people aged 70 to 89 years. In 2049, the incidence rate is expected to reach 13.39 per 100,000 (50-54 years), 16.43 (55-59 years), 17.26 (60-64 years), 18.02 (65-69 years), 18.55 (70-74 years), 18.39 (75-79 years), 19.95 (80-84 years), 23.07 (85-89 years), 13.70 (90-94 years), and 6.68 (95+ years). The findings of this study might deserve consideration in China's NPC prevention and control policy design.

Lip and Oral Cavity Cancer Burden and Related Risk Factors in China: Estimates and Forecasts from 1990 to 2049.

Lip and oral cavity cancer is a common malignancy faced by many developing countries, and the disease burden is high in China. This study explored this cancer burden and its risk factors using data from China in the GBD 2019, along with predicting the incidence trends in 2020-2049. Data on age-standardized rates (ASR), incidence, death and disability-adjusted life years (DALY), by sex, age and risk factors were collected from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). Joinpoint regression and Age-Period-Cohort (APC) models were selected to analyze the epidemic trend of this cancer in China, and descriptive analysis was used for the time trend and age distribution of risk factors. The Bayesian APC model was selected to foresee the incidence trend in 2020-2049. This cancer burden was found to be in an upward trend in China in 1990-2019. The upward trend was more pronounced among men than among women. These cancer deaths and DALYs are overwhelmingly attributable to smoking and drinking. On APC analysis, the younger generation in China demonstrated a lower cancer risk. In 2049, the incidence of this cancer is projected to be 3.99/100,000, 6.07/100,000, 7.37/100,000, 10.49/100,000, 14.82/100,000, 19.19/100,000, 20.71/100,000, 23.64/100,000, 16.42/100,000 and 9.91/100,000 among those aged 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, 85-89, 85-89 and over 95 years, respectively. Disease control policies and early screening should focus on men and the elderly and target different risk factors.