The association of HDL-cholesterol levels with incident major adverse cardiovascular events and mortality in 0.6 million individuals with type 2 diabetes: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

Background: High levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) are previously considered protective against cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but recent studies suggest an increased risk of adverse events at very high HDL-C levels in the general population. It remains to be elucidated such a relationship in diabetes, a condition with high cardiovascular risks. We examined the association of HDL-C levels with the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and mortality in type 2 diabetes.

Biomaterials for reliable wearable health monitoring: Applications in skin and eye integration.

Recent advancements in biomaterials have significantly impacted wearable health monitoring, creating opportunities for personalized and non-invasive health assessments. These developments address the growing demand for customized healthcare solutions. Durability is a critical factor for biomaterials in wearable applications, as they must withstand diverse wearing conditions effectively.

Wafer-Scale Replication of Plasmonic Nanostructures via Microbubbles for Nanophotonics.

Quasi-3D plasmonic nanostructures are in high demand for their ability to manipulate and enhance light-matter interactions at subwavelength scales, making them promising building blocks for diverse nanophotonic devices. Despite their potential, the integration of these nanostructures with optical sensors and imaging systems on a large scale poses challenges. Here, a robust technique for the rapid, scalable, and seamless replication of quasi-3D plasmonic nanostructures is presented straight from their production wafers using a microbubble process.

Long-term Results and Efficacy of Intermediate Rhinoplasty in Patients With Unilateral Cleft Lip: A Single Surgeon's Experience.

Intermediate rhinoplasty, the correction of cleft lip nose deformities, is performed between the time of primary and secondary rhinoplasties, which is at ~6 years of age. Although intermediate rhinoplasty reduces psychological stress in school-aged children through improvements in appearance, studies on intermediate rhinoplasty are scarce. Hence, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes of intermediate rhinoplasty in patients with unilateral cleft lip.

Effects of volume-matched once-weekly and thrice-weekly high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on body adiposity in adults with central obesity: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: This study aims to examine the comparative effects of 75 min of volume-matched once-weekly and thrice-weekly high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on body adiposity in adults with central obesity.

Methods: This assessor-blinded, three-arm, randomized controlled trial will recruit 315 physically inactive adults with central obesity (aged ≥18 years, body mass index ≥23, waist circumference ≥90 cm for men and ≥80 cm for women). Participants will be randomly allocated to the once-weekly HIIT, thrice-weekly HIIT or usual care control group.

Impact of anatomical abnormalities on velopharyngeal insufficiency in patients with submucous cleft palate.

Background: Submucous cleft palate (SMCP) is a congenital anomaly characterized by the presence of Calnan's triad. However, in clinical practice, it is common for individuals to exhibit one or two anatomical abnormalities within the triad. Furthermore, the definition of SMCP has been diverse and ambiguous in literature.

Remnant Copper Cation-Assisted Atom Mixing in Multicomponent Nanoparticles.

Nanostructured high-/medium-entropy compounds have emerged as important catalytic materials for energy conversion technologies, but complex thermodynamic relationships involved with the element mixing enthalpy have been a considerable roadblock to the formation of stable single-phase structures. Cation exchange reactions (CERs), in particular with copper sulfide templates, have been extensively investigated for the synthesis of multicomponent heteronanoparticles with unconventional structural features. Because copper cations within the host copper sulfide templates are stoichiometrically released with incoming foreign cations in CERs to maintain the overall charge balance, the complete absence of Cu cations in the nanocrystals after initial CERs would mean that further compositional variation would not be possible by subsequent CERs.

The prognostic value of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in acute myocardial infarction: A propensity score-matched analysis.

Aim: Patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) are at increased risk of incident cardiovascular disease. However, the clinical characteristics and prognostic importance of MASLD in patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have yet to be examined.

Methods: This study compared the characteristics and outcomes of patients with and without MASLD presenting with AMI at a tertiary centre in Singapore.

Spongy Ag Foam for Soft and Stretchable Strain Gauges.

Strain gauges, particularly for wearable sensing applications, require a high degree of stretchability, softness, sensitivity, selectivity, and linearity. They must also steer clear of challenges such as mechanical and electrical hysteresis, overshoot behavior, and slow response/recovery times. However, current strain gauges face challenges in satisfying all of these requirements at once due to the inevitable trade-offs between these properties.

Risk of Incident Thyroid Dysfunction in the Post-Acute Phase of COVID-19: A Population-Based Cohort Study in Hong Kong.

Objective: The evidence of thyroid dysfunction in the post-acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of incident thyroid dysfunction in the post-acute phase of COVID-19.

Methods: This retrospective, propensity-score matched, population-based study included COVID-19 patients and non-COVID-19 individuals between January 2020 and March 2022, identified from the electronic medical records of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority.

A Prospective 1-Year Follow-up of Glycemic Status and C-Peptide Levels of COVID-19 Survivors with Dysglycemia in Acute COVID-19 Infection.

Backgruound: We evaluated changes in glycemic status, over 1 year, of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors with dysglycemia in acute COVID-19.

Methods: COVID-19 survivors who had dysglycemia (defined by glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c] 5.7% to 6.

Transdermal scopolamine for the treatment of recurrent parotid sialocele: a case report.

Recurrent parotid sialocele is rare and challenging to treat. Treatment options are limited for cases of parotid sialocele that recur despite ductal ligation. This case study presents a patient who underwent wide excision of the right buccal mucosa due to squamous cell carcinoma.

Thyroid dysfunction in COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected over 772 million people globally. While lung damage is the major contributor to the morbidity and mortality of this disease, the involvement of multiple organs, including the endocrine glands, has been reported. This Review aims to provide an updated summary of evidence regarding COVID-19 and thyroid dysfunction, incorporating highlights of recent advances in the field, particularly in relation to long COVID and COVID-19 vaccination.

Rapid Self-Healing Hydrogel with Ultralow Electrical Hysteresis for Wearable Sensing.

Self-healing hydrogels are in high demand for wearable sensing applications due to their remarkable deformability, high ionic and electrical conductivity, self-adhesiveness to human skin, as well as resilience to both mechanical and electrical damage. However, these hydrogels face challenges such as delayed healing times and unavoidable electrical hysteresis, which limit their practical effectiveness. Here, we introduce a self-healing hydrogel that exhibits exceptionally rapid healing with a recovery time of less than 0.

Nutrient Density, Added Sugar, and Fiber Content of Commercially Available Fruit Snacks in the United States from 2017 to 2022.

Fruit snacks have become a popular and convenient snacking choice and have the potential to contribute to a well-balanced diet. However, the nutritional quality of fruit snack products has not yet been studied. The objective of the present study is to provide a nutritional assessment of the fruit snack product category.

Machine embroidery of light-emitting textiles with multicolor electroluminescent threads.

Advances in electroluminescent threads, suitable for weaving or knitting, have opened doors for the development of light-emitting textiles, driving growth in the market for flexible and wearable displays. Although direct embroidery of these textiles with custom designs and patterns could offer substantial benefits, the rigorous demands of machine embroidery challenge the integrity of these threads. Here, we present embroiderable multicolor electroluminescent threads-in blue, green, and yellow-that are compatible with standard embroidery machines.

Telehealth of cardiac devices for CVD treatment.

This review covers currently available cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) as well as updated progress in real-time monitoring techniques for CIEDs. A variety of implantable and wearable devices that can diagnose and monitor patients with cardiovascular diseases are summarized, and various working mechanisms and principles of monitoring techniques for Telehealth and mHealth are discussed. In addition, future research directions are presented based on the rapidly evolving research landscape including Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Cushing's syndrome caused by ACTH precursors secreted from a pancreatic yolk sac tumor in an adult-a case report and literature review.

Here, we report the first adult case of pancreatic yolk sac tumor with ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) syndrome. The patient was a 27-year-old woman presenting with abdominal distension, Cushingoid features, and hyperpigmentation. Endogenous Cushing's syndrome was biochemically confirmed.

Transparent Intracellular Sensing Platform with Si Needles for Simultaneous Live Imaging.

Vertically ordered Si needles are of particular interest for long-term intracellular recording owing to their capacity to infiltrate living cells with negligible damage and minimal toxicity. Such intracellular recordings could greatly benefit from simultaneous live cell imaging without disrupting their culture, contributing to an in-depth understanding of cellular function and activity. However, the use of standard live imaging techniques, such as inverted and confocal microscopy, is currently impeded by the opacity of Si wafers, typically employed for fabricating vertical Si needles.

Wearable Sensor Patch with Hydrogel Microneedles for In Situ Analysis of Interstitial Fluid.

Continuous real-time monitoring of biomarkers in interstitial fluid is essential for tracking metabolic changes and facilitating the early detection and management of chronic diseases such as diabetes. However, developing minimally invasive sensors for the in situ analysis of interstitial fluid and addressing signal delays remain a challenge. Here, we introduce a wearable sensor patch incorporating hydrogel microneedles for rapid, minimally invasive collection of interstitial fluid from the skin while simultaneously measuring biomarker levels in situ.

Clinical characteristics, densitometric parameters and outcomes of patients with atypical femoral fractures related to bisphosphonate treatment for osteoporosis.

Purpose: We described the clinical and densitometric characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients who developed atypical femoral fractures (AFF) while on bisphosphonate for osteoporosis.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study including all adults aged ≥50 years who developed AFF while on bisphosphonates between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2020, and subsequently managed in the Osteoporosis Centre at Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong. A control group of patients who developed fragility hip fractures while on bisphosphonates in the same period was included for comparison.