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Background and Objectives: The risks of uveitis development among pediatric patients with Down syndrome (DS) remain unclear. Therefore, we aimed to determine the risk of uveitis following a diagnosis of DS. Materials and Methods: This multi-institutional retrospective cohort study utilized the TriNetX database to identify individuals aged 18 years and younger with and without a diagnosis of DS between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2023. The non-DS cohort consisted of randomly selected control patients matched by selected variables. This included gender, age, ethnicity, and certain comorbidities. The main outcome is the incidence of new-onset uveitis. Statistical analysis of the uveitis risk was reported using hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Separate analyses of the uveitis risk among DS patients based on age groups and gender were also performed. Results: A total of 53,993 individuals with DS (46.83% female, 58.26% white, mean age at index 5.21 ± 5.76 years) and 53,993 non-DS individuals (45.56% female, 58.28% white, mean age at index 5.21 ± 5.76 years) were recruited from the TriNetX database. Our analysis also showed no overall increased risk of uveitis among DS patients (HR: 1.33 [CI: 0.89–1.99]) compared to the non-DS cohort across the 23-year study period. Subgroup analyses based on different age groups showed that those aged 0–1 year (HR: 1.36 [CI: 0.68–2.72]), 0–5 years (HR: 1.34 [CI: 0.75–2.39]), and 6–18 years (HR: 1.15 [CI: 0.67–1.96]) were found to have no association with uveitis risk compared to their respective non-DS comparators. There was also no increased risk of uveitis among females (HR: 1.49 [CI: 0.87–2.56]) or males (HR: 0.82 [CI: 0.48–1.41]) with DS compared to their respective non-DS comparators. Conclusions: Our study found no overall increased risk of uveitis following a diagnosis of DS compared to a matched control population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Maintenance of the optimal fluid status in hemodialysis patients is still a challenging task in daily clinical practice. A bioelectric impedance technique has been applied for evaluation of hydration status in the dialysis population in recent years, but serial observations of its role in clinical dry weight determination are lacking. In this study, serial follow-up data of a body composition monitor based on bioimpedance spectroscopy (BCM-BIS) applied in dialysis patients were analyzed to define the technique's feasibility, precision and possible role in dry weight determination. Methods BCM-BIS was applied monthly to 194 hemodialysis patients for 6 months. Intra-patient precision was analyzed. Bland–Altman analysis and repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to define the relationship between the dry weights determined by BCM-BIS and by clinical judgment. Results The coefficients of variation (CVs) of fluid parameters were <5%. Serial changes in dry weight differences were compared in groups with different post-dialysis hydration status and dry weight differences decreased gradually. Bland–Altman analysis revealed that the range of these differences was significantly narrower towards the latter part of the study. The upper limit of agreement with 95% confidence interval (CI) was 1.47 L and the lower limit was −3.02 L. Conclusions BCM-BIS is precise and can be easily applied in the clinical setting. Discrepancy between the dry weights determined by BCM-BIS and by clinical judgment significantly decreased during the study. It is sensitive in dry weight determination, especially for those patients with obvious over-hydration (OH) by BCM-BIS. Patients with post-dialysis OH results beyond some critical values (>1.5 L or <−3 L) should be closely monitored. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, a novel circuit topology of aCMOS divide-by-4 direct injection-locked frequency divider is presented for millimeter-wave applications. To enhance the locking range for circuit operations with a division ratio of 4, a series peaking technique is introduced in the proposed divider structure such that improved input injection efficiency can be achieved. Using a standard 0.18-\mu\ m CMOS process, a V-band frequency divider is fabricated for demonstration. Operated at a supply voltage of 1.8 V, the divider core consumes a dc power of 12.6 mW. At an incident power of 0 dBm, the fabricated circuit exhibits an input locking range of 2.44 GHz in the vicinity of 60 GHz. The measured output power and locked phase noise at 1-MHz offset are -\7 dBm and -\133 dBc/Hz, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few population-based studies have looked at the risk of uveitis among syphilis patients. Our study addresses the knowledge gap by reporting on uveitis risk in syphilis patients through a retrospective cohort study. The Taiwan National Health Insurance database was used for this study, covering the period from January 1st, 2009, to December 31st, 2020. We created a 1:4 propensity score matched cohort between the syphilis patients and controls, which accounted for gender, age, and comorbidities. The primary endpoint was the incidence of newly recorded uveitis. The assessment of uveitis risk in syphilis patients included the use of the Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate Cox proportional hazard model. A total of 31,597 syphilis patients and 126,379 matched comparisons were recruited. The uveitis incidence rate from our syphilis patients was 1.25 per 1000 person-years. The uveitis incidence rate from our non-syphilis group was 0.8 per 1000 person-years. After matching, the syphilis group was found to have a higher risk of developing uveitis (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) [95% CI]: 1.57 [1.36-1.81], P  < .001). Among males and individuals aged 20-34 years, subgroup analysis showed an increased risk of uveitis in the presence of syphilis infection. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed a significant difference in uveitis incidence between syphilis and non-syphilis groups (log-rank test P  < .001). In summary, our study revealed that Taiwanese syphilis patients were at a higher risk of developing uveitis. These results highlight the need for regular ocular monitoring and screening in individuals with syphilis.