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Background Malnutrition is confirmed to be associated with poor outcomes in stroke patients. The present study aimed to confirm that being at risk of malnutrition assessed by Nutritional Risk Screening Tool 2002 (NRS-2002) and the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score predicts poor outcomes at 3 months in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. Methods In total, 682 patients with AIS were recruited within 7 days of stroke onset consecutively and 110 were dropped out. They were screened for risk of malnutrition using NRS-2002 and the CONUT score. The primary outcome is the follow-up modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score. Poor outcomes were defined as an (mRS) score [greater than or equal to] 3 at 3 months post discharge. Results There was a significant difference in the mRS score at 3 months between patients at risk of malnutrition compared to those not at risk assessed by NRS-2002(P < 0.001) and CONUT (P = 0.011). The logistic regression model showed that the risk of malnourishment (according to NRS-2002), low risk of malnourishment (according to CONUT), and the moderate-to-severe risk of malnourishment (according to CONUT) were associated with higher risk of poor outcomes at 3 months (P < 0.001, P = 0.033, and P = 0.007). The multivariate logistic regression model (adjusted for confounding factors) demonstrated that the risk of malnourishment, according to the NRS-2002, was associated with the increasing risk of poor outcomes at 3 months (odds ratio = 2.31; 95% CI: 1.24-4.30; P = 0.008). Conclusions The risk of malnutrition assessed by NRS-2002 and CONUT can predict poor outcomes at 3 months in AIS patients. NRS-2002 is superior to CONUT in predicting poor outcomes at 3 months., Author(s): Zhong-ming Cai [sup.1], Yan-zhi Wu [sup.1], Hao-man Chen [sup.1], Ren-qian Feng [sup.1], Cheng-wei Liao [sup.1], Sheng-lie Ye [sup.1], Zhi-peng Liu [sup.1], Man-man Zhang [sup.2], Bei-lei Zhu [sup.2] Author Affiliations: [...]

Purpose: To explore the predictive value of nutritional risk for all-cause death and functional outcomes among elderly acute stroke patients.Patients and Methods: A total of 479 elderly acute stroke patients were enrolled in this study. The nutritional risk of patients was screened by the GNRI and NRS-2002. The primary outcome was all-cause death, and the secondary outcome was poor prognosis defined as a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score ≥ 3.Results: Based on the NRS-2002, patients with nutritional risk had a higher risk of all-cause death at 3 months (adjusted OR: 3.642, 95% CI 1.046~12.689) and at 3 years (adjusted OR: 2.266, 95% CI 1.259~4.076) and a higher risk of adverse functional outcomes at 3 months (adjusted OR: 2.748, 95% CI 1.518~4.972. Based on the GNRI, compared to those without nutritional risk, patients with mild malnutrition also had a higher risk of all-cause death at 3 months (adjusted OR: 7.186, 95% CI 1.550~33.315) and at 3 years (adjusted OR: 2.255, 95% CI 1.211~4.199) and a higher risk of adverse functional outcomes at 3 months (adjusted OR: 1.947, 95% CI 1.030~3.680), so patients with moderate and severe malnutrition had a higher risk of all-cause death at 3 months (adjusted OR: 6.535, 95% CI 1.380~30.945) and at 3 years (adjusted OR: 2.498, 95% CI 1.301~4.799) and a higher risk of adverse functional outcomes at 3 months (adjusted OR: 2.213, 95% CI 1.144~4.279).Conclusion: Nutritional risk increases the risk of poor short-term and long-term outcomes in elderly patients with acute stroke. For elderly stroke patients, we should pay attention to early nutritional risk screening, and effective intervention should be provided to improve the prognosis of such patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutritional Risk Screening index is a standard tool to assess nutritional risk, but epidemiological data are scarce on controlling nutritional status (CONUT) as a prognostic marker in acute haemorrhagic stroke (AHS). We aimed to explore whether the CONUT may predict a 3-month functional outcome in AHS. In total, 349 Chinese patients with incident AHS were consecutively recruited, and their malnutrition risks were determined using a high CONUT score of ≥ 2. The cohort patients were divided into high-CONUT (≥ 2) and low-CONUT (< 2) groups, and primary outcomes were a poor functional prognosis defined as the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of ≥ 3 at post-discharge for 3 months. Odds ratios (OR) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for the poor functional prognosis at post-discharge were estimated by using a logistic analysis with additional adjustments for unbalanced variables between the high-CONUT and low-CONUT groups. A total of 328 patients (60·38 ± 12·83 years; 66·77 % male) completed the mRS assessment at post-discharge for 3 months, with 172 patients at malnutrition risk at admission and 104 patients with a poor prognosis. The levels of total cholesterol and total lymphocyte counts were significantly lower in high-CONUT patients than low-CONUT patients (P = 0·012 and < 0·001, respectively). At 3-month post discharge, there was a greater risk for the poor outcome in the high-CONUT compared with the low-CONUT patients at admission (OR: 2·32, 95 % CI: 1·28, 4·17). High-CONUT scores independently predict a 3-month poor prognosis in AHS, which helps to identify those who need additional nutritional managements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, uricase, eatalase, and electron mediator were coimmobilized on the surface of the tin oxide (Sn[O.sub.2])/indium tin oxide (ITO) glass, to develop a disposable potentiometric uric acid biosensor. The Sn[O.sub.2]/ITO glass was employed as a pH sensor, fabricated by sputtering Sn[O.sub.2] thin films on the ITO glass. 3-Glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTS) was utilized to immobilize uricase, catalase and the electron mediator (ferrocenecarboxylic acid, FcA) on the sensing window. The experimental results reveal that the optimal weight ratio of uricase, FcA to catalase (CAT) is 4:1:2. The sensor responds linearly between 2 mg/dl and 7 mg/dl at pH 7.5, in 20 mM of test solution, with a correlation coefficient of 0.99213. Accordingly, no significant interference was observed when interfering substances, glucose, urea and ascorbic acid, were added to the uric acid solution. Moreover, the recorded voltage was relatively constant during the first 28 days of measurement. Consequently, a potentiometric uric acid biosensor was realized with the advantages of low cost and simple fabrication. Index Terms--Electron mediator, pH sensor, Sn[O.sub.2], uricase, 3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTS).

A light harvest layer composed of gradual change from formamidinium lead triiodide (FAPbI₃) to methylammonium lead triiodide (MAPbI₃) was fabricated using a novel two-step process. That is, a graded halide layer structure without extra processing steps is demonstrated. Conventionally, in the fabrication of MAPbI₃ perovskite solar cells (PSCs) using two-step process, PbI₂ layer was the first deposited on a mesoporous TiO₂ coated substrate. The methylammonium iodide (MAI) solvent was then spin-coated on the surface of PbI₂ layer and heated to form the MAPbI₃ perovskite layer. Double perovskite layers such as FAPbI₃ plus MAPbI₃ requires twice of the second step which FAI and MAI should be spin-coated individually. This can be tedious and time consuming. We report here a facile way to form a graded perovskite layer, consisting FAPbI₃ to MAPbI₃, in a single step. FAI was first added into dimethylformamide (DMF) solution that was used to form PbI₂ layer, then MAI solution was dripped on top of the FAI/PbI₂ layer. The graded perovskite layer structure (FAPbI₃/MAPbI₃) in a gradient manner are readily formed, where the structure is confirmed by EDS to be FTO/compact TiO₂/mesoporous TiO₂/FAPbI₃(thin)/MAPbI₃/Spiro-OMeTAD/Ag. The J sc , and V oc of solar cells with this graded perovskite layer are enhanced and the efficiency increases from 11.62% to 14.06%.

We report the development of an implantable multifunctional (glucose and cholesterol) needle type biosensor with integrated RF wireless circuitry for continuous in vivo monitoring of metabolites during short term stays in emergency room or intensive care unit. Silicon-based MEMS technologies are used for the fabrication of micro needle sensors. The whole device is covered by a biocompatible Parylene layer with opening structure at the active areas of electrodes. Electropolymerization of active biomolecules and conducting polymer provides in situ nanoscale physical entrapments of various oxidoreductases (Glucose oxidase and cholesterol oxidase) and functions as a viable matrix for the construction of micro amperometric biosensors. Hybrid CMOS fabrication processes are used to accomplish the 433 MHz ASK RF transmitter and receiver (0.18&#956;m CMOS 1P6M process) and the data converter (0.35&#956;m CMOS 2P4M process). We will present and discuss the detail design and the integrated system performance in this paper.