Frailty syndrome (FS) often coexists with many diseases of the elderly, including arterial hypertension, and may affect the disease course and adherence to therapeutic recommendations. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between frailty and adherence to therapeutic recommendations in elderly hypertensive patients. The study included 259 patients hospitalized between January 2019 and November 2020 due to exacerbation of hypertension symptoms. Medical records were used to obtain basic sociodemographic and clinical data. The study was based on the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) and the Hill-Bone Scale (HBCS). The obtained data were analyzed within a cross-sectional design. The mean frailty score indicated by the TFI questionnaire was 7.09 ± 3.73. The most prominent FS component was associated with the physical domain (4.24 ± 2.54). The mean overall adherence measured with the HBCS was 20.51 ± 3.72. The linear regression model testing the Hill-Bone "reduced sodium intake" score against the TFI domains showed no relationships between the variables. Another regression model for the Hill-Bone "appointment-keeping" subscale indicated significant predictors for physical and social TFI domains (p = 0.002 and p < 0.0001, respectively). For the Hill-Bone "taking antihypertensive drugs" variable, the regression model found significant relationships with all TFI domains: physical (p < 0.0001), psychological (p = 0.003) and social (p < 0.0001). Our study suggests that frailty in patients with arterial hypertension can negatively impact their adherence to therapeutic recommendations.

Keywords: Hill–Bone Scale; Tilburg Frailty Indicator; adherence; frailty syndrome; hypertension; older adults.

Objectives: To investigate acceptance of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) as a management option for tinnitus.

Design: Participants completed an online version of the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI), after which they recorded their satisfaction ratings with different hypothetical intervention outcomes on a 10-point rating scale using Opinio survey software.

Study sample: Data from 272 tinnitus sufferers from English-speaking regions worldwide were collected, of which the majority had moderate to severe tinnitus as per TFI.

Results: The survey showed that HD-tDCS was considered an acceptable form of tinnitus management, and that the satisfaction rating depended significantly on a number of factors: (1) the strength of the tinnitus reduction following the intervention (p < 0.001); 2) the duration of the intervention (p < 0.001); and (3) the effects of the intervention on either tinnitus loudness or tinnitus-related distress (p < 0.001). Respondents rated their satisfaction with the intervention 10/10 only if it completely eliminated tinnitus loudness, although reductions of 50-80% were also rated highly acceptable. No association was found between tinnitus severity and acceptability ratings.

Conclusions: These findings are important for future HD-tDCS trials for tinnitus, as they demonstrate the need to optimise stimulation protocols to increase effect sizes and decrease time spent on the treatment.

Keywords: HD-tDCS; Tinnitus; non-invasive brain stimulation; survey; tDCS.

Purpose: Tinnitus frequently causes disability as it affects daily living, which is objectified using several tinnitus questionnaires. To what extent they cover domains of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is currently unknown. Therefore, this study aims to investigate which ICF domains are measured by two questionnaires and to describe the health status of somatic tinnitus patients in ICF terms.

Materials and methods: All questions of the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ) and Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) were linked to the ICF using linking rules. A count-based method was used to link all individual answers of 80 tinnitus patients, to the ICF categories.

Results: Most of the linked questions concerned "body functions". TFI covered more categories of "activity and participation" than TQ. Patients reported severe impairments in "mental functions", "sensory functions and pain", and "sleep functions". Additionally, severe limitations were scored in "focusing attention".

Conclusions: The TFI and TQ measure distinct domains but can be used complementary or solely, depending on the research question. The TFI identifies a broad spectrum of problems, where the TQ focuses on the psychological impact of tinnitus. Somatic patients in our study reported impairments and disabilities in all covered domains, especially in "onset of sleep" and "sound detection".Implications for RehabilitationThe Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) and the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ) cover different domains of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.The TFI identifies problems in "body functions" and "activity and participation".The TQ focuses on the psychological impact of tinnitus.

Keywords: ICF classification; disability; health status; participation; tinnitus.

Objective: We sought to describe the clinicopathologic features and outcomes of patients undergoing quaternary, quinary, or senary cytoreductive surgery for ovarian cancer.

Methods: We retrospectively identified patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who underwent quaternary or beyond cytoreduction at our institution between 1/1/1989 and 12/31/2020. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to estimate survival and compared using the log-rank test. Cox-proportional hazards regression was used to detect variables associated with survival.

Results: Twenty patients underwent 24 quaternary (n = 20), quinary (n = 3), or senary (n = 1) cytoreductive surgeries. Most patients had high-grade (89.5%) and serous (75.0%) tumors. At the time of quaternary cytoreduction, 44.7% of patients had single-site disease and 85.0% achieved a complete gross resection. After quaternary cytoreduction, 34.8% of patients developed a surgical complication, most of which were grade 1 or 2. Postoperatively, 80.0% of patients received additional medical treatment and 20.0% underwent observation alone. On univariate analysis, factors associated with progression-free survival included prolonged treatment-free interval (TFI), platinum sensitivity, and complete gross resection. Factors associated with disease-specific survival included platinum sensitivity and complete gross resection. Quinary and senary surgeries were associated with similar safety profiles, with no surgical complications reported. After quinary surgery, progression-free survival ranged from 5.0 to 216.0 months.

Conclusions: In carefully selected patients, quaternary cytoreduction may be associated with acceptable morbidity and a relatively robust disease-specific survival. Patients who present to surgery with a prolonged TFI and achieve a complete gross resection likely derive the greatest benefit from quaternary surgery.

Keywords: Cytoreduction; Ovarian cancer; Quaternary cytoreduction; Quinary cytoreduction; Senary cytoreduction.

Background: Little is known about frailty among patients hospitalized with heart failure (HF). To date, the limited information on frailty in HF is based on a unidimensional view of frailty, in which only physical aspects are considered when determining frailty. The aims of this study were to study different dimensions of frailty (physical, psychological and social) in patients with HF and the effect of different dimensions of frailty on the incidence of heart failure.

Methods: The study used a cross-sectional design and included 965 patients hospitalized for heart failure and 164 healthy controls. HF was defined according to the ESC guidelines. The Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) was used to assess frailty. Probit regression analyses and chi-square statistics were used to examine associations between the occurrence of heart failure and TFI domains of frailty.

Results: Patients diagnosed with frailty were 15.3% more likely to develop HF compared to those not diagnosed with frailty (p < 0.001). An increase in physical, psychological and social frailty corresponded to an increased risk of HF of 2.9% (p < 0.001), 4.4% (p < 0.001) and 6.6% (p < 0.001), respectively.

Conclusions: We found evidence of the association between different dimensions of frailty and incidence of HF.

Keywords: demographics; frailty; heart failure; psychosocial factors.

Background: Preterm infants, especially those born at ≤23 gestational weeks (GW), present with extremes in insensible water loss (IWL) and changes in water balance.

Aims: To prevent water loss from the skin and achieve skin maturation without infection, we investigated transepidermal water loss (TEWL), IWL from the skin (IWL-s), and electrolyte balance with differences in high incubator humidity and temperature control from birth to postnatal 1 month in 22-23 GW and 24-25 GW infants.

Study design: Prospective cohort study.

Subjects: Extremely preterm infants born at 22-23 GW (n = 11) and 24-25 GW (n = 11), admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit between September 2018 and October 2019.

Outcome measures: Total fluid intake (TFI), fluid output volume, TEWL, IWL-s, and electrolyte balance were compared between the two groups with controlled incubator humidity and temperature, gradually decreasing the humidity and ambient temperature from 95% to 50% and from 37.0 to 34.0 °C, respectively, while maintaining the central body temperature at 36.5-37.5 °C.

Results: TEWL and IWL-s between the 22-23 and 24-25 GW was not significantly different for infants at postnatal age. No significant difference in electrolyte imbalance was noted between the two groups, within the first 7 days. Differences in TEWL and IWL-s were eliminated with corresponding humidity and temperature adjustments.

Conclusions: Incubator humidity and temperature control should aid management of 22-23 GW infants to reduce IWL, facilitate skin maturation, and prevent infection.

Keywords: Body temperature; Extremely low birth weight infant; Humidity; Incubators; Insensible water loss; Skin maturation.

The study objective was to measure fluid intake and associations with background characteristics and hydration biomarkers in healthy, free-living, non-pregnant women aged 15-69 years from Hargeisa city. We also wanted to estimate the proportion of euhydrated participants and corresponding biomarker cut-off values. Data from 136 women, collected through diaries and questionnaires, 24h urine samples and anthropometric measurements, were obtained with a cross-sectional, purposeful sampling from fifty-two school and health clusters, representing approximately 2250 women. The mean (95 % CI) 24 h total fluid intake (TFI) for all women was 2⋅04 (1⋅88, 2⋅20) litres. In multivariate regression with weight, age, parity and a chronic health problem, only weight remained a predictor (P 0.034, B 0.0156 (l/kg)). Pure water, Somali tea and juice from powder and syrup represented 49⋅3, 24⋅6 and 11⋅7 % of TFI throughout the year, respectively. Mean (95 % CI) 24 h urine volume (Uvol) was 1⋅28 (1⋅17, 1⋅39) litres. TFI correlated strongly with 24 h urine units (r 0.67) and Uvol (r 0.59). Approximately 40 % of the women showed inadequate hydration, using a threshold of urine specific gravity (Usg) of 1⋅013 and urine colour (Ucol) of 4. Five percent had Usg > 1⋅020 and concomitant Ucol > 6, indicating dehydration. TFI lower cut-offs for euhydrated, non-breast-feeding women were 1⋅77 litres and for breast-feeding, 2⋅13 litres. Euhydration cut-off for Uvol was 0⋅95 litre, equalling 9⋅2 urine units. With the knowledge of adverse health effects of habitual hypohydration, Somaliland women should be encouraged to a higher fluid intake.

Keywords: 24-h urine volume; BFQ, beverage frequency questionnaire; Beverages; Dehydration; MCH, mother–child health clinics; PWI, plain water intake; Somaliland; TFI, total fluid intake; TWI, total water intake; Total fluid intake; Ucol, urine colour; Uosm, urine osmolality; Urine colour; Usg, urine specific gravity; Uvol, urine volume; Women.

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and severity of dental fluorosis (DF) and the association between severity and risk factors. In a cross-sectional study, 8- to 12-year-old children, born in a Colombian district, were evaluated according to the Thylstrup and Fejerskov Index (TFI) by two calibrated examiners. Molar Incisor Hypomineralization (MIH) and dental caries (DC) were also evaluated. Ordinal logistic regression was applied (p<0.05). Risk factors and lifestyle factors were collected using a questionnaire answered by parents. DF was detected in 76 (98.7%) of the children (average of 18.4 ±1.81 permanent teeth affected). Grade TF2 was the most frequently observed (34.8%); TF5 was observed in all age groups; TF6- TF7 were observed in 12-year-olds. No association was found between DF severity and DC (Odds Ratio (OR)=1.35; 95%CI: 0.56-3.26) or MIH (OR=1.39; 95%CI: 0.43-4.46). DF severity was significantly associated with use of an indoor wood stove for food preparation (OR = 9.34; 95%CI: 1.11-78.57) and use of a pea-sized volume of toothpaste (OR = 27.42; 95%CI: 1.57-477.36). Prevalence of DC was 38.1% and prevalence of MIH was 14.4%. In this population, the frequency of DF was high and severity was associated with use of an indoor wood stove for food preparation and toothpaste amount used during childhood.

El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la prevalencia y severidad de la Fluorosis Dental (FD) y la asociación de la severidad con factores de riesgo. Mediante un estudio transversal, niños (8-12 años-de-edad), nacidos en Ayapel (El Cedro-Colombia) fueron evaluados por 2 examinadores calibrados, según los criterios del índice de Thylstrup y Fejerskov (TFI) para FD. También se evaluaron la Hipomineralización molar-incisiva (HMI) y la caries dental (CD). Se aplicó un cuestionario de factores de riesgo y estilo de vida, a los padres/responsables de los niños. Se utilizó un modelo de regresión logística ordinal (p<0.05). Se encontró FD en 76 (98.7%) niños (con una media de dientes permanentes afectados de 18.4 ±1.81). La severidad categoría TF2 fue la más observada (34.8%) en los dientes evaluados. Las lesiones que presentan pérdida estructural moderada TF 6-7, fueron evidenciadas en el grupo de edad de 12 años. No se encontró asociación entre la severidad y la CD (OR=1.35; IC95%:0.56-3.26) o con HIM (OR=1.39; IC95%:0.43-4.46). Se encontró una asociación significativa con la severidad de la FD en los niños que utilizaban fogón de leña-interno para la preparación de los alimentos (OR=9.34; IC95%:1.11-78.57) y utilizaban un volumen de crema dental del tamaño de una alverja- pequeña (OR=27.42; IC95%:1.57-477.36). la prevalencia de CD fue 38.1% y de HMI fue 14.4%. La frecuencia de la FD fue alta y la severidad mostró correlación con la utilización de fogón de leña interno para la preparación de los alimentos y la cantidad de crema-dental utilizada.

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and severity of dental fluorosis (DF) and the association between severity and risk factors. In a cross-sectional study, 8- to 12-year-old children, born in a Colombian district, were evaluated according to the Thylstrup and Fejerskov Index (TFI) by two calibrated examiners. Molar Incisor Hypomineralization (MIH) and dental caries (DC) were also evaluated. Ordinal logistic regression was applied (p<0.05). Risk factors and lifestyle factors were collected using a questionnaire answered by parents. DF was detected in 76 (98.7%) of the children (average of 18.4 ±1.81 permanent teeth affected). Grade TF2 was the most frequently observed (34.8%); TF5 was observed in all age groups; TF6- TF7 were observed in 12-year-olds. No association was found between DF severity and DC (Odds Ratio (OR)=1.35; 95%CI: 0.56-3.26) or MIH (OR=1.39; 95%CI: 0.43-4.46). DF severity was significantly associated with use of an indoor wood stove for food preparation (OR = 9.34; 95%CI: 1.11-78.57) and use of a pea-sized volume of toothpaste (OR = 27.42; 95%CI: 1.57-477.36). Prevalence of DC was 38.1% and prevalence of MIH was 14.4%. In this population, the frequency of DF was high and severity was associated with use of an indoor wood stove for food preparation and toothpaste amount used during childhood.

El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la prevalencia y severidad de la Fluorosis Dental (FD) y la asociación de la severidad con factores de riesgo. Mediante un estudio transversal, niños (8-12 años-de-edad), nacidos en Ayapel (El Cedro-Colombia) fueron evaluados por 2 examinadores calibrados, según los criterios del índice de Thylstrup y Fejerskov (TFI) para FD. También se evaluaron la Hipomineralización molar-incisiva (HMI) y la caries dental (CD). Se aplicó un cuestionario de factores de riesgo y estilo de vida, a los padres/responsables de los niños. Se utilizó un modelo de regresión logística ordinal (p<0.05). Se encontró FD en 76 (98.7%) niños (con una media de dientes permanentes afectados de 18.4 ±1.81). La severidad categoría TF2 fue la más observada (34.8%) en los dientes evaluados. Las lesiones que presentan pérdida estructural moderada TF 6-7, fueron evidenciadas en el grupo de edad de 12 años. No se encontró asociación entre la severidad y la CD (OR=1.35; IC95%:0.56-3.26) o con HIM (OR=1.39; IC95%:0.43-4.46). Se encontró una asociación significativa con la severidad de la FD en los niños que utilizaban fogón de leña-interno para la preparación de los alimentos (OR=9.34; IC95%:1.11-78.57) y utilizaban un volumen de crema dental del tamaño de una alverja- pequeña (OR=27.42; IC95%:1.57-477.36). la prevalencia de CD fue 38.1% y de HMI fue 14.4%. La frecuencia de la FD fue alta y la severidad mostró correlación con la utilización de fogón de leña interno para la preparación de los alimentos y la cantidad de crema-dental utilizada.

Screening the frailty level of older adults is essential to avoid morbidity, prevent falls and disability, and maintain quality of life. The Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) is a self-report instrument developed to assess frailty for community-dwelling older adults. The aim of this study was to explore the psychometric properties of the Taiwanese version of TFI (TFI-T). The sample consisted of 210 elderly participants living in the community. The scale was implemented to conduct a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) test for validity. The models were evaluated through sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve, and receiving operating characteristic (ROC) curve. CFA was performed to evaluate construct validity, and the TFI-T has a goodness of fit with the three-factor structure of the TFI. Totally, the 15 items of TFI-T have acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.78), and test-retest reliability (r = 0.88, p < 0.001). The criterion-related validity was examined, the TFI-T correlation with the Kihon Checklist (KCL) score (r = 0.74; p < 0.001). The cutoff of 5.5 based on the Youden index was considered optimal. The area under the ROC curve analysis indicated that the TFI-T has good accuracy in frailty screening. The TFI-T exhibits good reliability and validity and can be used as a sensitive and accurate instrument, which is highly applicable to screen frailty in Taiwan among older adults.

Keywords: Taiwanese version of TFI; community-dwelling older adults; confirmatory factor analysis; cutoff; frailty.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of frailty among elderly patients who had an implanted cardioverter defibrillator, as well as the influence of frailty on the main endpoints during the follow-up.

Methods: The study included 103 patients > 60 years of age (85M, aged 71.56-8.17 years). All of the patients had an implanted single or dual-chamber cardioverter-defibrillator. In the research, there was a 12-month follow-up. The occurrence of frailty syndrome was assessed using the Tilburg Frailty Indicator scale (TFI).

Results: Frailty syndrome was diagnosed in 75.73% of the patients that were included in the study. The mean values of the TFI were 6.55 ± 2.67, in the physical domain 4.06 ± 1.79, in the psychological domain 2.06 ± 1.10, and in the social domain 0.44 ± 0.55. During the follow-up period, 27.2% of patients had a defibrillator cardioverter electric shock, which occurred statistically more often in patients with diagnosed frailty syndrome (34.6%) compared to the robust patients (4%); p = 0.0062. In the logistic regression, frailty (OR: 1.203, 95% CI:1.0126-1.4298; p < 0.030) was an independent predictor of a defibrillator cardioverter electric shock. Similarly, in the logistic regression, frailty (OR: 1.3623, 95% CI:1.0290-1.8035; p = 0.019) was also an independent predictor for inadequate electric shocks.

Conclusion: About three-quarters of the elderly patients that had qualified for ICD implantation were affected by frailty syndrome. In the frailty subgroup, adequate and inadequate shocks occurred more often compared to the robust patients.

Keywords: electric shock; frailty; implantable cardioverter-defibrillator; inadequate electric shocks.

Objective: Abdominal obesity is strongly associated with the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Early identification and intervention may reduce the risk. We aim to improve pediatric NAFLD screening by comparing discriminative performance of six abdominal obesity indicators.

Methods: We measured anthropometric indicators (waist circumference [WC], waist-to-hip ratio [WHR], waist-to-height ratio [WHtR]), body composition indicators (trunk fat index [TFI], visceral fat area [VFA]), and endocrine indicator (visceral adiposity index [VAI]) among 1350 Chinese children aged 6-8 years. Using Spearman correlation, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and Logistic regression, we validated their ability to predict NAFLD.

Results: All six indicators can predict NAFLD robustly, with area under the curve (AUC) values ranged from 0.69 to 0.96. TFI, WC, and VFA rank in the top three for the discriminative performance. TFI was the best predictor with AUC values of 0.94 (0.92-0.97) and 0.96 (0.92-0.99), corresponding to cut-off values of 1.83 and 2.31 kg/m² for boys and girls, respectively. Boys with higher TFI (aOR = 13.8), VFA (aOR = 11.1), WHtR (aOR = 3.1), or VAI (aOR = 2.8), and girls with higher TFI (aOR = 21.0) or VFA (aOR = 17.5), were more likely to have NAFLD.

Conclusion: User-friendly body composition indicators like TFI can identify NAFLD and help prevent the progress of liver disease.

Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR) ( www.chictr.org.cn/enIndex.aspx , No. ChiCTR2100044027); retrospectively registered on 6 March 2021.

Impact: Abdominal obesity increases the risk of pediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study compared the discriminative performance of multiple abdominal obesity indicators measured by different methods in terms of accuracy and fastidious cut-off values through a population-based child cohort. Our results provided solid evidence of abdominal obesity indicators as an optimal screening tool for pediatric NAFLD, with area under the curve (AUC) values ranged from 0.69 to 0.96. User-friendly body composition indicators like TFI show a greater application potential in helping physicians perform easy, reliable, and interpretable weight management to prevent the progress of liver damage.

Purpose: Increased time after spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with a migration to bladder managements with higher morbidity such as indwelling catheter (IDC). Still it is unclear how this affects bladder-related quality of life (QoL). We hypothesized that time from injury (TFI) would be associated with changes in bladder management, symptoms, and satisfaction.

Materials and methods: Cross-sectional analysis of time-related changes in patient-reported bladder management, symptoms, and satisfaction, using the Neurogenic Bladder Research Group SCI Registry. Outcomes included: Neurogenic Bladder Symptom Score (NBSS) and bladder-related satisfaction (NBSS-satisfaction). Multivariable regression was performed to assess associations between TFI and outcomes, adjusting for participant characteristics, injury specifics, and psychosocial aspects of health-related QoL. Participants with TFI <1 year were excluded and TFI was categorized 1-5 (reference), 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, and >20 years.

<strong class="sub-title"> Results: </strong> Of 1420 participants, mean age at injury was 29.7(SD13.4) years and mean <em>TFI</em> was 15.2(SD11.6) years. Participants grouped by <em>TFI</em> included 298 (21%) 1-5, 340 (24%) 6-10, 198 (14%) 11-15, 149 (10%) 16-20, and 435 (31%) >20 years. As <em>TFI</em> increased, clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) declined (<i>55% 1-5 vs. 45% >20 years,</i> p <i><0.001</i>), and IDC increased (<i>16% 1-5 vs. 21% >20 years,</i> p <i><0.001</i>). On multivariable analysis, increased <em>TFI</em> was associated with less bladder symptoms at >20 years from injury (-3.21 [CI-1.29,-5.14,p <0.001]) and better satisfaction (6-10 years -0.20 [CI-0.41,0.01,p=0.070], 11-15 years -0.36 [CI-0.60,-0.11,p=0.002], 16-20 years -0.59 [CI-0.86,-0.32,p <0.001], >20 years -0.85 [CI-1.07,-0.63, <0.001]).

Conclusion: After SCI, CIC decreases and IDC increases over time; however, increasing TFI is associated with reduced urinary symptoms, and improved bladder-related satisfaction.

Keywords: Bladder management; Health services research; Neurogenic bladder; Patient Centered Care; Quality of life.

This study aimed at exploring the effects of combined epidural anesthesia and general anesthesia on the cognitive function and stress responses of elderly patients undergoing liver cancer surgery. One hundred and fifteen elderly patients were enrolled as research subjects. They were admitted to our hospital and underwent liver cancer surgery from August 2017 to May 2019. Fifty five cases were treated with general anesthesia (GA) (GA group), while the other sixty cases were treated with combined epidural anesthesia and general anesthesia (joint group). Scoring standards of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were used to evaluate the patients before and after operation. Their operating time, total fluid input (TFI), spontaneous breathing recovery time (SBRT), preoperative and postoperative indices of stress responses (epinephrine (EPI), cortisol (Cor), and norepinephrine (NE)), and postoperative adverse reactions were observed. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups with respect to anesthesia time, TFI, postoperative SBRT, and postoperative directional recovery time (DRT) (cP < 0.05). There was no difference in operating time, total fluid loss (TFL), and hospitalization time (P > 0.05). After operation, patients in both groups experienced a cognitive decline of different degrees and the MMSE scores decreased. There was no significant difference in the score between the two groups before operation and 3 days and 7 days after operation (P > 0.05). The score was significantly better in the joint group than that in the GA group at 6 hours and 1 day after operation (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in levels of EPI, Cor, and NE between the two groups before operation (P > 0.05), but there were significant differences after operation. The total incidence of postoperative adverse reactions was 11.67% in the joint group and 25.45% in the GA group. In conclusion, combined epidural anesthesia and general anesthesia can significantly reduce postoperative cognitive dysfunction and inhibit postoperative stress responses in elderly patients undergoing liver cancer surgery. It has good application value in clinical practice.

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of a single psycho-educational session on tinnitus burden in chronic tinnitus patients. The session is organized at a tertiary referral center for otologic disorders at the University Hospital Antwerp as a group session (maximum of 10-15 patients a time) lasting for approximately 3-4 h. The session focusses on different aspects of tinnitus.

Methods: The current manuscript reports on 96 patients who completed the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI), Visual Analogue Scale for mean loudness (VAS), Hyperacusis Questionnaire (HQ), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) prior to treatment and at 6-month follow-up. The TFI was chosen as the primary outcome. Paired-samples T tests were performed to evaluate therapy effect at 6-month follow-up. In addition, a logistic regression model revealed baseline TFI/VAS scores and duration of tinnitus as contributing factors to a significant decrease of the TFI.

Results: The TFI total score showed a significant decrease (p < 0.001) at the 6-month follow-up time point. At follow-up, 75% of patients reported their tinnitus to be under control not requiring any additional treatment. The logistic regression model showed that patients with higher baseline TFI scores, lower baseline mean VAS loudness ratings, and shorter tinnitus duration were more likely to show clinically significant improvement on the TFI scale.

Conclusions: Tinnitus Retraining Therapy or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy are effective, though very time-consuming and expensive treatments. A single psycho-educational group session was shown to be highly effective in decreasing the tinnitus burden, which increases feasibility and cost-effectiveness.

Trial registration: Not applicable as this is a retrospective reporting of tinnitus outcome in the daily clinical practice, not a clinical trial.

Keywords: Education; Psycho-education; Tinnitus; Tinnitus Functional Index; Tinnitus therapy.

Background: Measurement of tinnitus-related distress and treatment responsiveness is key in understanding, conceptualizing and addressing this often-disabling symptom. Whilst several self-report measures exist, the heterogeneity of patient populations, available translations, and treatment contexts requires ongoing psychometric replication and validation efforts.

Objective: To investigate the convergent validity and responsiveness of the German versions of the Tinnitus Questionnaire [TQ], Tinnitus Handicap Inventory [THI], and Tinnitus Functional Index [TFI] in a large German-speaking sample of patients with chronic tinnitus who completed a psychologically anchored 7-day Intensive Multimodal Treatment Programme.

Methods: Two-hundred-and-ten patients with chronic tinnitus completed all three questionnaires at baseline and post-treatment. Intraclass correlation coefficients determined the convergent validity of each questionnaire's total and subscale scores. Treatment responsiveness was investigated by [a] comparing treatment-related change in responders vs. non-responders as classified by each questionnaire's minimal clinically important difference-threshold, and [b] comparing agreement between the questionnaires' responder classifications.

Results: The total scores of all three questionnaires showed high agreement before and after therapy (TQ | THI: 0.80 [Pre], 0.83 [Post], TQ | TFI: 0.72 [Pre], 0.78 [Post], THI | TFI: 0.76 [Pre] 0.80 [Post]). All total scores changed significantly with treatment yielding small effect sizes. The TQ and TFI yielded comparable (19.65 and 18.64%) and the THI higher responder rates (38.15%). The TQ | THI and TQ | TFI showed fair, and the THI | TFI moderate agreement of responder classifications. Independent of classification, responders showed significantly higher change rates than non-responders across most scores. Each questionnaire's total change score distinguished between responders and non-responders as classified by the remaining two questionnaires.

Conclusion: The total scores of all three questionnaires show high convergent validity and thus, comparability across clinical and research contexts. By contrast, subscale scores show high inconsistency. Whilst the TFI appears well suited for research purposes, the THI may be better suited to measure psychological aspects of tinnitus-related distress and their changes with accordingly focused treatment approaches.

Keywords: convergent validity; responsiveness; tinnitus; tinnitus functional index; tinnitus handicap inventory; tinnitus questionnaire; treatment responsiveness.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and exploratory efficacy of intratympanic administration of OTO-313 in patients with tinnitus.

Study design: Single intratympanic injection of OTO-313 evaluated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 1/2 clinical study.

Setting: Tertiary referral centers.

Patients: Patients with unilateral tinnitus (moderate-severe) with tinnitus duration 1 to 6 months.

Interventions: Intratympanic OTO-313.

Main outcome measures: Safety and change from baseline in tinnitus functional index (TFI), daily ratings of tinnitus loudness and annoyance, and patient global impression of change (PGIC).

Results: OTO-313 was well-tolerated with lower incidence of adverse events than placebo. Mean TFI reduction from baseline favored OTO-313 at Week 2, 4, and 8. A clinically meaningful, 13-point improvement on the TFI was observed in 43% (6/14) of OTO-313 patients at both Weeks 4 and 8 versus 13% (2/16) of placebo patients (ad hoc responder analysis, p-value < 0.05). Reductions in daily ratings of tinnitus loudness and annoyance favored OTO-313 compared with placebo. In OTO-313 responders, a strong correlation existed between change from baseline in TFI score and changes in tinnitus loudness, tinnitus annoyance, and PGIC.

Conclusions: OTO-313 was well-tolerated and demonstrated a higher proportion of responders than placebo across consecutive visits (Weeks 4 and 8) supporting further clinical development of OTO-313 for the treatment of tinnitus.

Background: Empiric therapy for patients with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (URPL) is not precise. Some patients will ask for assisted reproductive technology due to secondary infertility or advanced maternal age. The clinical outcomes of URPL patients who have undergone in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) require elucidation. The IVF outcome and influencing factors of URPL patients need further study.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was designed, and 312 infertile patients with URPL who had been treated during January 2012 to December 2015 in the Reproduction Center of Peking University Third Hospital were included. By comparing clinical outcomes between these patients and those with tubal factor infertility (TFI), the factors affecting the clinical outcomes of URPL patients were analyzed.

Results: The clinical pregnancy rate (35.18% vs. 34.52% in fresh ET cycles, P = 0.877; 34.48% vs. 40.27% in frozen-thawed ET cycles, P = 0.283) and live birth rate (LBR) in fresh ET cycles (27.67% vs. 26.59%, P = 0.785) were not significantly different between URPL group and TFI group. URPL group had lower LBR in frozen-thawed ET cycles than that of TFI group (23.56% vs. 33.56%, P = 0.047), but the cumulative LBRs (34.69% vs. 38.26%, P = 0.368) were not significantly different between the two groups. The increased endometrial thickness (EMT) on the human chorionic gonadotropin day (odds ratio [OR]: 0.848, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.748-0.962, P = 0.010) and the increased number of eggs retrieved (OR: 0.928, 95% CI: 0.887-0.970, P = 0.001) were protective factors for clinical pregnancy in stimulated cycles. The increased number of eggs retrieved (OR: 0.875, 95% CI: 0.846-0.906, P < 0.001), the increased two-pronucleus rate (OR: 0.151, 95% CI: 0.052-0.437, P < 0.001), and increased EMT (OR: 0.876, 95% CI: 0.770-0.997, P = 0.045) in ET day were protective factors for the cumulative live birth outcome.

Conclusion: After matching ages, no significant differences in clinical outcomes were found between the patients with URPL and the patients with TFI. A thicker endometrium and more retrieved oocytes increase the probability of pregnancy in fresh transfer cycles, but a better normal fertilization potential will increase the possibility of a live birth.

Ultrafiltration (UF) is effective in retaining macromolecules during tertiary treatment, but membrane fouling caused by effluent organic matter (EfOM) limits its application. This study employed electrochemical oxidation (EO) as a pretreatment method for UF in tertiary treatment to investigate the effects of anode materials on membrane fouling alleviation and EfOM degradation. Compared with the dimensionally stable (DSA) and platinum (Pt) anodes, EO with a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode exhibited better performances for membrane fouling mitigation due to the higher hydroxyl radical production activity of the BDD anode. It was observed that the current density and electrolysis time were closely related to membrane fouling when using a BDD anode, where increasing the current density or electrolysis time led to a significant improvement of specific flux. The BDD-based pre-oxidation efficiently removed 64% DOC, 76% UV₂₅₄, and 95% fluorescence organic matter in EfOM, among which the concentrations of DOC and UV₂₅₄ were positively correlated with the total fouling index (TFI). Meanwhile, 70% SMX in the secondary effluent was removed by the BDD anode. Furthermore, the BDD anode also mitigated membrane fouling by decomposing high molecular weight organic matter into smaller fractions and enhancing the electrostatic repulsion between membrane and EfOM. Therefore, the BDD-based EO process is a promising pretreatment strategy for UF to alleviate membrane fouling and improve the permeate quality.

Keywords: Effluent organic matter; Electrochemical oxidation; Membrane fouling; Sulfamethoxazole.

Objective: Recurrence of endometrial cancer after initial treatment can be complex and difficult to treat. The current main treatment modalities for patients with recurrent endometrial cancer (REC) include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery, which vary according to the individual patient. However, REC is often associated with a poor prognosis, and it is therefore important to investigate the risk factors affecting REC prognosis and to explore appropriate treatment modalities to improve the prognosis and treatment strategies for patients with REC.

Methods: Totally, 100 patients with REC admitted to our hospital from January 2013 to January 2018 were chosen to be research objects. Their pathological data were analyzed, including age, disease-free interval (DFI), recurrence site, and treatment plan after relapse (definitive local therapy (DLT) and palliative chemotherapy (PC)). According to these parameters, univariate and multivariate factors affecting the prognosis of REC patients and the curative effect of PC were analyzed, and the 3-year overall survival (OS) curve and progression-free survival (PFS) curve were drawn.

Results: After 3 years of follow-up, 30 patients had a poor prognosis and 70 had a good prognosis, according to which a single multifactorial analysis was performed for different prognoses, where the results of the single-factor analysis showed significant differences between patients with different prognoses in terms of pathomorphology, pathological grading, TFI, and treatment modality after relapse. Further multifactorial analysis showed that TFI and treatment modality after recurrence were independent factors affecting poor prognosis in REC patients. The 3-year OS and 3-year PFS of REC patients were 74.00% and 70.00%, respectively. Patients whose DFI was less than 12 months or treated with PC after relapse were notably associated with lower levels of 3-year OS and 3-year PFS. In addition, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, DFI, and chemotherapy plan after primary surgery were independent risk factors that affected the PC efficacy of REC patients.

Conclusion: DFI and treatment mode after relapse are independent factors affecting the prognosis of REC patients. DLT can obviously improve the prognosis of REC patients. For patients who can only choose PC, chemoradiotherapy and DFI after primary surgery are helpful to predict the chemotherapy effect, and the combination of paclitaxel and platinum drugs should be the first choice for chemotherapy.

In recent years, agricultural non-point source pollution (ANPSP) has become increasingly prominent, and nitrogen plays an important role in ANPSP. Therefore, we carried out traditional flooded irrigation (TFI) experiments in the paddy field, and applied HYDRUS-2D model to simulate the nitrogen transport in this study. Three observation points A1, A2, and A3 were arranged on the diagonal of the paddy field. We observed ponding water depth on soil surface and nitrogen concentrations in ponding water and soil water at 0.1 m, 0.2 m, and 0.3 m below soil surface. HYDRUS-2D model was proved to be effective in simulating the ponding water depth with root mean squared error (RMSE) = 0.717 cm and Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient (NSE) = 0.805 for the simulated and measured ponding water depth. The simulated and measured NH₄⁺-N concentrations at different depths below soil surface at point A1 basically had the same trend, and the simulated NH₄⁺-N concentrations in ponding water had better agreement with the measured data with RMSE = 1.323 mg/L, and NSE = 0.958. The measured NH₄⁺-N concentrations at depths of 0.1 m, 0.2 m, and 0.3 m below soil surface at point A2 were larger than the simulated values, but they had the same trend on the whole. The simulated NH₄⁺-N concentrations at different depths below soils' surface at point A3 did not fit well with the measured values. The overall trend of the simulated and measured NO₃^--N concentrations in ponding water on soil surface at point A1 was consistent, but the peak values of the simulated NO₃^--N concentrations were larger than the measured ones. The simulated and measured NO₃^--N concentrations at different depths below soil surface at points A2 and A3 did not agree well although they had the same trend, which became worse with the increase of soil depth. This indicated that the HYDRUS-2D model was effective in simulating water flow and nitrogen transport in TFI paddy fields. Sensitivity analysis suggested different simulated nitrogen concentrations in different water depths at different time were sensitive to different model parameters.

Keywords: Different depths below soil surface; HYDRUS-2D; Nitrogen transport; Paddy fields; Ponding water; Traditional flooded irrigation.

Background: Chronic tinnitus affects millions of people globally and constitutes the most commonly compensated disability among military service members in the United States. Existing treatment options largely surround helping patients cope with their disease as opposed to directly suppressing tinnitus perception. The current study investigated the efficacy of electrical stimulation of the cochlea on chronic disabling tinnitus.

Methods: In this single-arm, open-label clinical trial, 22 adult subjects with severe-range asymmetric or unilateral non-pulsatile tinnitus underwent electrical stimulation of the cochlea through use of an extra-cochlear electrode positioned on the cochlear promontory. Each subject underwent 3 stimulation treatments over 3 weeks at 7-day intervals. Tinnitus severity was determined by Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI), and Tinnitus Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Inclusion criteria required subjects have no worse than moderate sensorineural hearing loss determined by pre-enrollment audiometric testing. The primary outcome was nadir post-treatment THI scores, obtained at seven timepoints following electrical stimulation, with clinically significant improvement defined as a decrease of ≥ 7.

Results: All 22 (100%) subjects experienced clinically significant improvement in the THI during the study period with a mean decrease in scores of - 31 (95% CI - 38 to - 25) from a baseline of 48. Twenty (91%) experienced clinically significant improvement detectable on at least two of the three tinnitus survey instruments and 17 (77%) experienced clinically significant improvement detectable on all three survey instruments (i.e., THI, TFI, and VAS). Eight (36%) subjects reported either complete (THI of 0; n = 3) or near-complete (THI 1-4; n = 5) suppression of their tinnitus following a stimulation session. Thirteen (59%) subjects reported a nadir following stimulation at or below the threshold for "no or slight handicap" on the THI (≤ 16). No adverse events were observed.

Conclusions: These findings establish the foundation for the development of an extra-cochlear implantable device that delivers electrical stimulation to the cochlea for the treatment of disabling tinnitus. For patients considering device implantation, trans-tympanic cochlear promontory stimulation can facilitate patient selection. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03759834. URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03759834.

Keywords: Clinical trial; Cochlear implant; Electrical stimulation; Implantable device; Promontory stimulation; Tinnitus; Treatment.

Background: Frailty is a complex geriatric syndrome arising from a combination of genetic and environmental factors and is associated with adverse health outcomes and mortality. A recent study reported an association between variants of the 9p21-23 locus, associated with a number of age-related disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), and frailty. Frailty has been associated with increased risk of developing AD and it has been proposed that frailty burden may modify AD clinical presentation. In view of the overlapping genetic architecture between the two disorders, it is noteworthy to conduct studies to uncover risk variants that contribute to both AD and frailty. The purpose of this study is to test the reproducibility of the association of 9p21-23 locus with frailty in a population that is ethnically different from previous work and in the context of multidimensional definitions of frailty that will allow us to examine the potential impact to domains pertaining to AD pathology.

Methods: We operationalized frailty according two definitions and the corresponding instruments, the Frailty Index (FI) and the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) and we determined genotypes of eight alleles previously identified as risk increasing for frailty in 1172 community-dwelling older participants (57% females) from the HELIAD study with a mean age of 74 years old. We cross-sectionally investigated the association between risk alleles and frailty, as well as with specific components of each definition using linear regression analyses adjusted for age, sex and years of education.

Results: Compared to non-carriers, carriers of rs7038172 C risk allele, were associated with a higher FI Score (β=0.089, p=0.002). Similarly, we found a positive association between the presence of at least one rs7038172 C variant and TFI score (β=0.053, p=0.04). Moreover, the rs7038172 variant was associated, irrespectively of dementia status, with the memory and psychological domain of FI and TFI, respectively.

Conclusion: Our study confirms the association of the rs7038172 C allele with the frailty syndrome in a Greek population and in the context of multidimensional definitions of frailty. Furthermore, we report novel associations between this allele and the memory domain of FI and the psychological domain of TFI, that includes memory problems on its components. Given that frailty burden has been shown to modify the AD clinical presentation, it is likely that rs7038172 C allele may accelerate the transition of AD or frailty to dementia Overall, our study corroborates the role of the 9p21-23 region in frailty development and draw potential links with AD pathology.

Keywords: 9p21-23 locus; Alzheimer; Frailty; genetics.

Objective: To explore the clinical implications of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) for diagnosing frailty in patients with maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) and their correlations with patient prognosis.

Methods: A total of 185 patients with MHD admitted to the hemodialysis center of our hospital were selected, 72 of whom were diagnosed with frailty according to the Chinese version of Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI). The relevant data were collected, and the influencing factors of frailty in MHD patients were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate logistic regression. The value of NLR and PLR in diagnosing frailty in MHD patients was observed, and patients' all-cause mortality was compared during the 3-year follow-up. The influences of different levels of NLR and PLR on the survival of MHD patients were investigated.

Results: Multivariate regression analysis identified that serum albumin, dialysis adequacy, NLR, and PLR are independent risk factors for frailty in MHD patients (P < 0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of NLR and PLR in diagnosing frailty in MHD patients was 0.859 and 0.799, respectively. Compared with the nonfrailty group, the 3-year mortality was higher, and the 3-year survival rate assessed by survival analysis was lower in the frailty group (P < 0.05). Patients with high NLR and PLR levels showed a lower 3-year survival rate.

Conclusions: Dialysis adequacy, serum albumin, NLR, and PLR are independently associated with frailty in MHD patients. NLR and PLR are of a certain diagnostic value for frailty in MHD patients. MHD patients with frailty have an unfavorable prognosis, as of those with high NLR and PLR levels.