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Background Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are increasingly first-line investigations for suspected prostate cancer, and essential in the decision for biopsy. 5-alpha reductase inhibitor (5-ARI) use has been shown to reduce prostate size and prostate cancer risk. However, insufficient data exists on how 5-ARI use affects MRI findings and yield of biopsy. This study explores the differences in imaging and prostate cancer diagnoses between patients receiving and not receiving 5-ARI therapy. Methods From 2015 to 2020, we collected retrospective data of consecutive patients undergoing prostate biopsy at one centre. We included patients who were biopsy-naïve, had prior negative biopsies, or on active surveillance for low-grade prostate cancer. Clinical and pathological data was collected, including 5-ARI use, Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PIRADS) classification and biopsy results. Results 351 men underwent saturation biopsy with or without targeted biopsies. 54 (15.3%) had a history of 5-ARI use. On mpMRI, there was no significant difference between the 5ARI and non-5-ARI groups in PIRADS distribution, number of lesions, and lesion location. Significantly fewer cancers were detected in the 5-ARI group (46.3% vs. 68.0%; p Conclusion Our study found significant differences in biochemical, imaging and biopsy characteristics between 5-ARI and non-5-ARI groups. While both groups had similar PIRADS distribution, 5-ARI patients had a lower rate of positive biopsies across all PIRADS categories, which may suggest that the use of 5ARI may confound MRI findings. Further studies on how 5-ARI therapy affects the imaging characteristics of prostate cancer should be performed.

This study aimed to assess time to hepatitis C (HCV) treatment (i.e., the time between the initial clinic visit for HCV evaluation and the HCV treatment start date), to compare clinical characteristics between patients who received HCV treatment ≥ and < 6 months, and to identify predictors of longer time to HCV treatment in patients living with HCV. This study conducted a retrospective secondary analysis of patients living with HCV mono-infection and HIV/HCV co-infection who received HCV treatment with DAAs (n=214) at a HIV Clinic. Binomial logistic regression was used to identify predictors of longer time to treatment (i.e., ≥ 6 months). The median time to HCV treatment was 211 days. Compared to patients who were treated < 6 months, a higher proportion of patients who were treated ≥ 6 months had HIV/HCV co-infection (31% vs. 49%, p=0.01) and chronic kidney disease (8% vs. 18%, p=0.03). In multivariate analysis, HIV/HCV co-infection was positively associated with a longer time to HCV treatment (adjusted odds ratio, aOR=2.0, p=0.03). Time to HCV treatment disparities between African American and White American did not emerge from the analysis, but time to HCV treatment disfavored patients living with HIV/HCV co-infection. Studies are needed to identify and eliminate factors that disfavor patients living with HIV/HCV co-infection.

A condensed excited matter called Rydberg Matter (RM) have been studied experimentally for 30 years, but have not sparked widespread attention yet, unlike ordinary Rydberg atoms. RM formed by clusters of Rydberg atoms at a solid surface have a longer lifetime compared to Rydberg atoms, and is liquid-like. This review describes how the RM state is generated, and its potential applications. These include using RM for research into catalysis, space phenomena and sensor applications, or for producing environmentally friendly energy. A background on RM is presented, with its structure and special properties, and the working principle of RM generation. The experimental set-ups, materials, and detectors used are discussed, together with methods to improve the amount of RM produced. The materials used for the catalysts are of special interest, as this should have a large influence on the energy of the RM, and therefore also on the applications. Currently most of the catalysts used are potassium doped iron oxide designed for styrene production, which should give the possibility of improvements. And as there is little knowledge on the exact mechanisms for RM formation, suggestions are given as to where research should start.

Population ageing is a phenomenon taking place in almost every global region. Current estimates indicate that 10–20% of older people in developed countries have mild cognitive impairment (MCI), with these percentages predicted to rise markedly by 2050. Our objective was to apply eye-tracking technology to investigate the information processes adopted by older people with and without MCI in determining preferences for health states in the five-level EuroQol-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D-5L) instrument. Older people (aged ≥ 65 years; including both patients and family carers) attending outpatient memory clinics in Southern Adelaide between July 2017 and June 2018, competent to read and converse in English and with a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) cognition score of ≥ 19 were invited to participate. In total, 52 people met the inclusion criteria, of whom 20 (38%) provided informed consent and fully participated. Participants were categorised into two subgroups (each n = 10) for comparison based upon established MMSE cognition thresholds (19–23, lower MMSE indicative of MCI; ≥ 24, higher MMSE indicative of good cognition). A discrete-choice experiment (DCE) comprising a series of pairwise choices between alternative EQ-5D-5L health states of varying survival duration with differential levels of task complexity (approximated by the degree of attribute level overlap in each choice), was administered as a face-to-face interview with the participant wearing an eye-tracking device. Attribute non-attendance (ANA) was higher for the lower MMSE subgroup than for the higher MMSE subgroup, although these differences were generally not statistically significant. ANA remained relatively low and consistent for participants with good cognition regardless of task complexity. In contrast, ANA increased notably in participants exhibiting MCI, increasing from 10% on average per participant in the lower MMSE subgroup with five attribute level overlap to 23% on average per participant in the lower MMSE subgroup with zero attribute level overlap. This exploratory study provided important insights into the information processes adopted by older people with varying levels of cognitive functioning when choosing between alternative EQ-5D-5L health states of varying survival duration and specifically the relationships between cognitive capacity, task complexity and the extent of ANA. Recent advances in econometric modelling of health state valuation data have demonstrated the added value of capturing ANA information as this can be accounted for in the DCE data analysis, thereby improving the precision of model estimates. Eye-tracking technology can usefully inform the design, conduct and econometric modelling of DCEs, driving the inclusion of this rapidly growing population traditionally excluded from preference-elicitation studies of this nature.

We report the synthesis of 3D, string-like, core-shell, heterostructured ZnCo2O4@NiWO4 nanowire/nanosheet arrays on nickel foam using a simple two-step hydrothermal method followed by an annealing process, without the needs of conventional electrode preparation. The direct growth of ZnCo2O4 nanowires serves both as core and mains active materials for charge storage with high mechanical stability, while the higher conductive NiWO4 nanosheets act as the shell, which could provide enough voids for electrolyte accommodation and facilitate charge transfer and storage. When working as a binder-free electrode, the as-synthesized ZnCo2O4@NiWO4 nanowire/nanosheet arrays electrode delivers a specific capacitance as high as 1782 F g−1 (2.14 F cm−2) at a current density of 1 mA cm−2 and retains 95.4% of original capacitance after 5000 cycles at 5 A cm−2, compared with single ZnCo2O4 nanowires electrode with 1300 F g−1 (1.04 F cm−2) and 90.9%. The excellent capacitance performance demonstrates that constructing 3D, heterostructured, core-shell, nanowire/nanosheet arrays with two different binary transition metal oxides holds great potential for high-performance supercapacitors due to the synergic effects and large specific surface area.

BACKGROUND: Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is important to counter synergistic effects of HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) in patients living with co-infection. Predictors of ART non-adherence among patients living with HIV/HCV co-infection are not well established. This knowledge would be advantageous for clinicians and behavioral health specialists who provide care to patients living with HIV/HCV co-infection. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess prevalence and predictors of ART non-adherence in a sample of patients living with HIV/HCV co-infection who were actively in HIV clinical care. METHOD: A sample of patients living with HIV/HCV co-infection who received care at a university-affiliated HIV clinic (n=137) between January 2013 and July 2017 were included in the study. Computerized patient reported data or outcomes (PROs) and electronic medical records data of these respective patients were collected and analyzed. Binomial logistic regression was used to examine predictors of ART non-adherence. RESULTS: The prevalence of ART non-adherence was 31%. In multivariate analysis, African American ethnicity (OR=3.28, CI: 1.241–8.653, p=0.017) and a higher number of alcoholic drinks per drinking day (OR=1.31, CI: 1.054–1.639, p=0.015) were positively associated with ART non-adherence. CONCLUSIONS: Behavioral health providers are encouraged to incorporate alcohol use reduce interventions in HIV clinical settings to reduce ART non-adherence among patients living with HIV/HCV co-infection. Additionally, public health professionals and researchers, and clinicians are encouraged to use inductive methods to discover why ART non-adherence disproportionately impacts African American patients living with HIV/HCV co-infection and to develop approaches that are sensitive to those respective barriers.

Fuel cells capable of synthetic glucose catalysis have revolved around the implementation of abiotic catalysts that require extreme acid and alkaline environments. These are not compatible with implantable medical sensor systems, and hence, there is a need to develop abiotic catalysts that operate at neutral pH. This paper presents structural and electrochemical characteristics of a nanoporous electrode designed for abiotic glucose oxidation in the presence of oxygen in neutral physiological media. The electrode was fabricated by annealing e-beam deposited thin films of platinum (Pt) and nickel (Ni) into a Pt–Ni alloy on a silicon substrate. The porous nature of the alloy enhances electrochemical properties by increasing the real surface area ~ 500 times compared to the geometric surface area of as-prepared multilayer thin films. This was reflected in the exchange current density of the electrode annealed at 800 °C being twice that of the electrode annealed at 650 °C. The cell voltage increase, due to the addition of dissolved physiological oxygen of 2 ppm, was about 100 ± 8 mV under a load current density of 2 µA cm−2. After running for 72 h in a physiological saline solution with 5 mM glucose, the increase in the electrode potential was only 23 µV h−1. These results suggest that the nanoporous Pt–Ni alloy anode offers an improved catalytic stability with time and should be a viable candidate for use in abiotic catalyzed glucose fuel cell systems operating under physiological conditions.

In this paper, we report in situ growth of hexagonal prism-like Ni(OH)2 microrods via one-step hydrothermal process, where nickel foam is directly oxidized in a high concentration hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solution without additional nickel sources, surfactant, or post-treatment. The nickel foam not only serves as a nickel source but also as 3D scaffold for Ni(OH)2 growth to form binder-free electrodes. The in situ growth can ensure close contact between conductive Ni foam substrate and as-formed Ni(OH)2 microrods, providing efficient electron collection paths and electrochemical stability. Mass loading of Ni(OH)2 on nickel foam could be tailored by adjusting the concentration H2O2. Possible growth mechanism of hexagonal prism-like Ni(OH)2 microrods is discussed to understand the morphologies under various H2O2 concentrations. When works as a binder-free electrode, the Ni(OH)2-coated nickel foam exhibits a remarkable areal capacitance ~ 1.598 C cm−2 (560 C g−1) at a current density of 1 mA cm−2, relatively high rate capability with 57.14% areal capacitance retained at 10 mA cm−2, as well as better cycling stability with 72.9% areal capacitance remained after 3000 charge-discharge cycles. Such superior performance demonstrates that Ni(OH)2 microrods in situ grown on metallic nickel foam substrate might be a potential electrode material for electrochemical capacitors.

In this work, we report an electrochemical co-deposition of binary metallic manganese-cobalt sulfides with tailored molar ratio of Mn and Co ions on Ni-foam substrates, which show 3-dimensinal (3D) hierarchical porous structure. Benefiting from synergistic effect and dual energy storage mechanism of manganese sulfide and cobalt sulfide, the optimal hierarchical Mn-Co sulfide nanosheet electrode exhibits areal capacitance ~ 1.724 F cm−2 at current density 1 mA cm−2 and excellent capacitance stability (65.15% capacitance retention at the current density of 5 mA cm−2 after 5000 cycles). The superior electrochemical performance might be attributed to highly conductive, 3D mesoporous framework of Ni foam, resulting in fast electron and ion transport from the electroactive materials to current collector as well as large amount of active sites. Furthermore, an asymmetric supercapacitor is also assembled, delivering an energy density of 27.6 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 645.2 W kg−1. The excellent electrochemical performance of the binder-free Mn-Co sulfide electrodes renders them as a promising electrode material for supercapacitors.

We present a facile and low-cost in-situ growth of Ni(OH)2–NiFe2O4 nanosheet arrays on nickel foams via one-pot hydrothermal process. Different amounts of Fe(NO3)3 solutions as the oxidant have been used to optimize morphology of the nanosheet arrays on nickel foams without any templates and nickel salts. The nanosheet arrays show excellent electrochemical stability as well as good electroconductivity. As an electrochemical electrode, it presents an optimized areal capacitance (1.434 F cm−2 at the current density of 1.0 mA cm−2) and excellent cycling stability (retaining 75.9% after 5000 cycles at 3.0 mA cm−2). This strategy holds great potential for low-cost and readily scalable production of high performance electrode materials for supercapacitors.

A stress reconstruction was performed based on focal mechanisms around the Longmen Shan region prior to the 2008 Ms 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake using a newly developed algorithm (known as MCA). The method determines the stress tensor, including principal axes orientations, and quantitative stress values, such as the effective confining pressure and maximum shear stress. The results of the MCA application using data recorded by the regional network from 1989 to April 2008 show the background stress state around the Longmen Shan belt before the Wenchuan earthquake. The characteristics of the stress orientation reveal that the Longmen Shan region is primarily under the eastward extrusion of the eastern Tibetan plateau. Non-uniform quantitative stress distributions show low stress levels in the upper crust of the middle Longmen Shan segment, which is consistent with the observed high-angle reverse faulting associated with the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. In contrast, other study areas, such as the Bayankela block and the NW strip extending to the Sichuan basin, show high stress intensity. This feature coincides with heterogeneity in the wave speed image of the upper crust in this region, which shows high S-wave speed in the high stress areas and comparatively low S-wave speed in low stress areas. Deformation features across the Longmen Shan belt with the slow rates of convergence determined by GPS and the distribution of surface deformation rates also are in keeping with our stress results. We propose a dynamic model in which sloping uplift under the Longmen Shan, which partly counteracts the pushing force from the eastern plateau, causes the low-quantitative stresses in the upper crust beneath the Longmen Shan. The decreasing gravitational potential energy beneath the Longmen Shan leads to earthquake thrust faulting and plays an important role in the geodynamics of the area that results from ductile thickening of the deep crust behind the Sichuan basin, creating a narrow, steep margin.

The remarkable performance in perovskite solar cells over the past few years primarily stemmed from an improvement in perovskite film composition and morphology. Antisolvent treatment of perovskite films is one such widely adopted method where a solvent other than that used for precursor solution is introduced to facilitate rapid crystallization of perovskite crystals and to obtain a homogeneous pin-hole free film. Various reports are published recently to understand solvent extraction mechanism, electrical properties and the effect of antisolvent treatment of perovskite film on device performance and stability. Herein, we report some more insights on the charge carrier dynamics, crystallinity and more importantly, the change in energy levels of antisolvent treated perovskite films. The UV–vis absorption, photoluminescence, and photoelectron spectroscopy measurements revealed a downward shift in energy levels of MAPbI3 perovskite when treated with an antisolvent. The energy level shift favoured interfacial charge transfer and resulted in remarkable open-circuit voltage ~1.08 V and photoconversion efficiency 8.21% up from 0.61 V and 1.3% for a non-treated film, respectively for devices prepared at ambient conditions.

Wafer-level Cu-Sn SLID (Solid–Liquid Interdiffusion)-bonded devices have been evaluated at high temperature. The bonding process was performed at 553 K (280 °C) and the mechanical integrity of the bonded samples was investigated at elevated temperatures. The die shear strength of Cu-Sn systems shows a constant behavior (42 MPa) for shear tests performed from room temperature [RT—298 K (25 °C)] to 573 K ( to 300 °C). This confirms experimentally the high-temperature stability of Cu-Sn SLID bonding predicted from phase diagrams. The fractography of sheared samples indicates brittle-fracture mode for all samples shear tested from RT to 573 K (300 °C). The two dominating failure modes are Adhesive fracture between the Ti-W adhesion layer and the Si, and interface fracture at the original bond interface. This indicates that the bonding material itself is stronger than the observed shear strength values, and since these interfaces can be improved with process optimization even stronger bonds can be achieved. The presented work offers fundamental evidence of the Cu-Sn SLID bonding process for operating microelectronics and MEMS at high temperature.

Wafer-level bonding using Au-In solid liquid interdiffusion (SLID) bonding is a promising approach to enable low-temperature assembly and MEMS packaging/encapsulation. Due to the low-melting point of In, wafer-level bonding can be performed at considerably lower temperatures than Sn-based bonding; this work treats bonds performed at 453 K (180 °C). Following bonding, the die shear strength at elevated temperatures was investigated from room temperature to 573 K (300 °C), revealing excellent mechanical integrity at these temperatures well above the bonding temperature. For shear test temperatures from room temperature to 473 K (200 °C), the measured shear strength was stable at 30 MPa, whereas it increased to 40 MPa at shear test temperature of 573 K (300 °C). The fracture surfaces of Au-In-bonded samples revealed brittle fracture modes (at the original bond interface and at the adhesion layers) for shear test temperatures up to 473 K (200 °C), but ductile fracture mode for shear test temperature of 573 K (300 °C). The as-bonded samples have a layered structure consisting of the two intermetallic phases AuIn and γ′, as shown by cross section microscopy and predicted from the phase diagram. The change in behavior for the tests at 573 K (300 °C) is attributed to a solid-state phase transition occurring at 497 K (224 °C), where the phase diagram predicts a AuIn/ψ structure and a phase boundary moving across the initial bond interface. The associated interdiffusion of Au and In will strengthen the initial bond interface and, as a consequence, the measured shear strength. This work provides experimental evidence for the high-temperature stability of wafer-level, low-temperature bonded, Au-In SLID bonds. The high bond strength obtained is limited by the strength at the initial bond interface and at the adhesion layers, showing that the Au-In SLID system itself is capable of even higher bond strength.

Cu-Sn solid–liquid interdiffusion (SLID) bonding is an evolving technique for wafer-level packaging which features robust, fine pitch and high temperature tolerance. The mechanisms of Cu-Sn SLID bonding for wafer-level bonding and three-dimensional (3-D) packaging applications have been studied by analyzing the microstructure evolution of Cu-Sn intermetallic compounds (IMCs) at elevated temperature up to 400°C. The bonding time required to achieve a single IMC phase (Cu3Sn) in the final interconnects was estimated according to the parabolic growth law with consideration of defect-induced deviation. The effect of predominantly Cu metal grain size on the Cu-Sn interdiffusion rate is discussed. The temperature versus time profile (ramp rate) is critical to control the morphology of scallops in the IMC. A low temperature ramp rate before reaching the bonding temperature is believed to be favorable in a SLID wafer-level bonding process.

The acetone-sensing properties of the undoped and Pd doped perovskite-type oxides NdFeO3 were investigated from room temperature to 400°C. The perovskite-type NdFeO3 was synthesized by a sol-gel method, and the dopants Pd with the content from 1wt% to 5wt% were implanted into NdFeO3 nanoparticles by thermal diffusion. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques show that NdFeO3 is an orthorhombic structure with the average particle size of about 40 nm. A giant acetone-sensing response of 675.7 is observed when the Pd content in NdFeO3 powders is about 3wt%. The response and recovery time of the sensor to the 5×10−4 acetone gas are 16 and 1 s, respectively. At the same time, it performs a good selectivity to acetone gas and may be a new promising material candidate for the acetone-sensor development.

TiO2 nanotube (TNT) arrays have attracted considerable scientific interests because of their photoelectric properties and technological importance for diverse applications as solar cells [1–4], photocatalysis [5–7], gas sensors [8], hydrogen generation from water splitting [6], and composite nano-membranes [9, 10]. Among various synthesis methods, electrochemical anodization is an excellent approach to fabricate TNT arrays due to its simplicity, low cost, and tunable morphology [11]. However, the nature of as-prepared TNT membrane adhered on opaque Ti foil restricts their feasibility for the applications such as tube filling [9, 10], biofiltration, flow-through photocatalytic reactions [5], and front illumination in solar cells [2–4]. After detachment from the substrate, free-standing TNT membranes show high performance due to the absence of a blocking layer [2, 4]. The TNT membrane can be directly used or attached on foreign substrates for the above applications. So far, different techniques have been proposed for preparing free-standing TNT membranes from Ti substrates, including ultrasonic splitting [8], solvent evaporation [12, 13], chemically assisted delamination [6, 14–16], selective metal dissolution [5, 17], and voltage transition at the end of anodization [18–22]. Generally speaking, these processes fabricated amorphous and fragile TNT membranes. The amorphous characteristic of these membranes hampered their applications and the crystallized TNT membrane is desirable for practical devices. To get the crystallized TNT membranes, attempts such as selective dissolution of the amorphous layer between the desired crystalline TNT arrays and Ti substrate [3], adjusting electrolyte temperature in multi-step anodic processes [23] have also been explored. The success of the former is due to the different resolvability of materials, while the different mechanical stability and etching contrast between the layers account for the latter’s detachment. Nevertheless, the fabrication of large-area and free-standing crystalline TNT membranes is still a challenge. In this article, a handy experimental procedure was reported to fabricate free-standing crystalline TNT membranes. The concept is outlined in Fig. 1 (1–4). The ordered TNT arrays are firstly fabricated under optimized parameters, after an annealing and followed by a second (detachment) anodization step, free-standing crystalline TNT membranes are detached from the substrate without any cracks. This method is a reliable technique for fabricating free-standing TNT membranes without the needs for any complicated processes or dangerous chemicals. At the same time, different from previous studies, we have systematically investigated the effects of voltage on the detachment process of free-standing crystalline TNT membranes.

The cross-linked networks of linear vinyl-terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) with trimethylsiloxy-terminated methyhydrosiloxane–dimethylsiloxane copolymer (cross-linker) were investigated by tuning the cross-linker concentration, the chain length of linear PDMS and the functionality of the cross-linker. Response time and elastic modulus of the cross-linked PDMS elastomer were characterized by home-made measurement systems and analyzed based on their network topologies. An optimized PDMS elastomer, which has response time of 9 μs and elastic modulus of 601 kPa, was utilized as the actuation material in a MEMS spatial light modulator (SLM). The fabrication processes were described. This polymer based SLM has shown fast response time (9 μs) and successfully diffracted light into higher orders with 84% first-order diffraction efficiency.

Studying the effect of geometrically irregular bodies on the mechanical behavior of fault activity is of significance in understanding the seismic activity along a fault zone. By using rock mechanics experiment with medium-scale samples, we have studied the effect of fault jogs, the most common irregularity along fault zones, on frictional behavior. The research indicates that extensional fault jog can be easily fractured because of its low strength and the fractured jog has no obvious resistance to fault sliding, and the micro-fractures occurring in the jog are indicative of stick-slip along the faults. The fault zone containing extensional jogs is characterized by velocity weakening and can be described by rate and state friction law. Compressional fault jog makes fault sliding more difficult because of its high fracturing strength, but the micro-fractures occurring in the tensile areas around fault ends at higher stress level can provide necessary condition for occurrence of stick-slip along the faults before the jog is fractured and thus act as precursors of fault instability. Compression jog can be taken as a stable indicator of fault segmentation until the jog is completely fractured and two faults are linked.

Nine rare earth citrate hydrates (RE(C6H5O7)·nH2O,RE=La, Nd, Sm) were prepared and characterized by chemical analysis, elementary analysis, thermal analysis and IR spectra. The thermal decomposition processes were studied by using TG-DTG and IR spectra techniques. Dehydration enthalpies and dehydration entropies of 3 neodymium and 3 samarium citrate hydrates were also determined by means of DSC.

In this paper, a simple process to fabricate free of disorder nanostructures, large area, flat and mechanically robust free-standing TiO2 nanotube (TNT) membranes was developed. Self-organized TNTs with ultrahigh aspect ratio (∼2000) were fabricated via anodization of Ti foil in fluorine containing ethylene glycol. Then by controlling the evaporation rate of rinsing solvent on the as-anodized TNT films in atmosphere, large area TNT membranes were self-detached uniformly from the metallic Ti substrate during the drying process. These free-standing membranes may exhibit many potential applications for optoelectronic devices.