Introduction: Up to 50% of community-dwelling older adults report living with some chronic pain that interferes with their daily functioning and leads to disabilities. Hence, it is crucial to provide ...these individuals with strategies to effectively manage pain. An interdisciplinary approach is warranted considering the numerous factors contributing to pain among older adults. Although several studies have been conducted on various interdisciplinary pain self-management programs, little effort has been made to synthesize knowledge about such programs for older adults. Objective: The objective of this review was to synthesize the characteristics and effects of interdisciplinary chronic pain self-management interventions targeting community-dwelling older adults. Methods: A scoping review was conducted following the steps recommended by Arksey and O’Malley (2005) and Levac et al. (2010). Keyword searches were performed in MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library. Results: Sixty-six articles were included. Most interventions were based on a cognitive-behavioral group approach and used a combination of modalities, including education and training on the use of self-management strategies. The professionals most frequently involved in group interventions were psychologists, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists. Several benefits of these programs have been reported concerning pain intensity, independence in daily functioning, mental health, and quality of life. Conclusions: Interdisciplinary chronic pain self-management programs appear promising in guiding clinical and rehabilitation interventions for older adults living with chronic pain.
Ferronematics that are generally based on nematic liquid crystals (LCs) doped with magnetic nanoparticles, synergistically taking advantage of the anisotropic and flow characteristics of the nematic ...host and the magnetic susceptibility of the dopant, have powerful applications as magnetically actuated soft materials. In this work, a Co(II) complex, which alone presents both characteristics, is built with a salen‐type ligand 3,5‐dichlorosubstituted at the aromatic nuclei and has a tetramethyldisiloxane spacer, which makes it one of the few metallomesogens containing this structural motif. Paramagnetic crystals, through heat treatment above 110 °C, change into magnetic nematic LCs. Applying a perpendicular magnetic field of 50 mT, the nematic droplets align two by two through dipole–dipole interactions. By incorporating it into a silicone matrix consisting mainly of polydimethylsiloxane, a 3D printable ink is formulated and crosslinked under various shapes. In this environment, the cobalt complex is stabilized in an LC state at room temperature and, due to its anisotropy, facilitates the mechanical response to magnetic stimuli. The resulting objects can be easily manipulated on fluid or rough surfaces using external magnetic fields, behave like magnets by themselves, and show reversible locomotion.
A Co(II) complex with a salen‐type ligand containing a tetramethyldisiloxane spacer can self‐assemble into nematic droplets and exhibit a magnetic‐stimuli response upon transitioning from a solid to a liquid crystal state. By incorporating this compound into a polydimethylsiloxane matrix, new magnetic‐driven materials are successfully developed.
Poly(dimethyl‐co‐methylvinyl)siloxane‐α,ω‐diols with 1.5, 5.5, and 8.5 mol% vinyl group contents, respectively, are obtained via an environmental friendly synthesis and used as platforms for further ...chemical modification via a green process. This chemical modification consists of UV‐activated thiol‐ene addition of 3‐chloro‐1‐propanethiol to the vinyl groups, as proven by NMR analysis. Cross‐linking with tetraethyl orthosilicate (in excess) of such modified polymers leads to dielectric elastomers with higher values of dielectric permittivity than those of non‐chemically modified vinyl copolymers cross‐linked under similar conditions. In addition, at high chloropropyl content, there is a significant decrease in Young's modulus, attributed to the plasticizing effect of the alkyl segment of the attached chloropropyl, and only a slight increase in breakdown strength is observed. All these changes induced by the chloropropyl group act synergistically in favor of the electromechanical performances of the resulting elastomers that exhibit large out‐of‐plane actuation strains of 53% and 61% for polar contents of 5.5 and 8.5 mol%, respectively, at an applied electric field of 40 V/μm. These are to the best of our knowledge the largest out‐of‐plane actuation strains from silicone elastomers reported in literature.
Novel porous films based on xanthan gum (XG), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), and red grape pomace (RGP), as entrapped natural antioxidant agent, were prepared by freeze/thawing, a versatile and ...non-destructive method. The stability of XG/PVA films was dependent on the crystalline zones created by PVA under freeze/thawing treatment. After three cryogenic cycles, the introduction of RGP into the 3D polymer matrix plays a major role by hindering the access of water into the cavities already formed during the first and second cryogenic cycles. By contrast, XG/PVA-based cryogels with enhanced mechanical strength were obtained when the number of freeze/thawing cycles increased from three to seven, while pores stability was improved by entrapment of RGP. The remarkable antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of XG/PVA/RGP cryogel films compared to the XG/PVA films, indicates the potential application of these systems in food packaging.
Novel formulations comprising Arbofill (AR), two flame retardants and clay, were obtained through melt blending. An evaluation of the influence of each filler was performed using thermal analysis, ...Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), mechanical and fire testing. It was found that the impact strength of the Arbofill matrix increased upon the addition of the filler. SEM micrographs evidenced that composites comprising flame retardants exhibited enhanced interfacial adhesion between the components when the clay was added. The presence of the fillers used led to an increase in thermal stability, as evaluated by the temperature corresponding to 5% mass loss (T5%). The best flame resistance and highest char concentration after thermal degradation were registered for the composite comprising all the fillers. All the developed formulations presented better flame-retardant properties, as compared to the AR matrix. The properties achieved recommend the investigated composites for applications in the electrical and furniture industry.
A strategy, consisting in the use in tandem of two active fillers in different ratios with complementary effects: silica mainly as a reinforcing agent and barium titanate as dielectric permittivity ...enhancer, was proposed to optimize the electromechanical properties of the silicone elastomers. A high molecular mass polydimethylsiloxane-α,ω-diol (M w = 642000 g mol⁻¹) was used as a matrix to prepare silicone composites which further were processed as films and crosslinked at high temperature. The morphological, thermal, and moisture behaviors of the films were studied by adequate techniques. The mechanical properties were estimated on the basis of normal and cyclic stress–strain curves. Dielectric spectra were recorded in the frequency range of 1–10⁶ Hz at normal temperature. The voltages generated by a mechanical impulses created by falling of a metal ball of 7.1 g from a height of one hundred millimeters on the surface of the films placed between two electrodes ranged between 28.4 and 157.3 V mm⁻¹.
•Processable phosphine-oxide-containing polyimides were obtained by incorporating O, CO and (CF3)2 flexible linkages.•Decomposition kinetic parameters for new polyimides were determined by using ...Friedman isoconversional method, as recommended by ICTAC.•The decomposition mechanism of the polyimides was proposed on the basis of TGA-FTIR and Py-GC-MS analysis.•The morphology of the char residue of the polyimides exhibited a dense and continuous structure which enhances the char stability.
This work details analyses of the thermal decomposition behaviour of three phosphine-oxide containing aromatic processable polyimides. The polymers exhibited high thermal stability with initial decomposition temperatures in the range of 473–483 °C and a char residue at 900°C in the domain of 48.58–58.38%. The values of non–isothermal decomposition kinetic parameters were determined using the Friedman isoconversional method, as recommended by the Kinetics Committee of the International Confederation for Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry (ICTAC). The data evidenced a complex decomposition process of the main chain, being probably initiated by the cleavage of the weaker PC bonds, followed by the decomposition of the macromolecular backbone. The volatile products formed during the thermal decomposition of polyimides were analysed by TGA-FTIR. All spectra evidenced peaks associated with water, CO2, CO and aliphatic and aromatic decomposition products predominant from 500° to 800 °C. By using Py-GC–MS studies the fragments originating from the thermal decomposition of the polyimides up to 600 °C were identified. Based on these data, it was suggested that the thermal decomposition pathways of the three polyimides undergoes the same mechanism. Additionally, an oversimplified decomposition mechanism for the polyimides was proposed. The morphology of the char residue obtained after TGA experiments showed a continuous and dense structure. The EDX mapping identified the C, N, O and P atoms uniformly dispersed in the residual char surface.
In light of the fact that two with good compatibility are better than one, the homo-interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) strategy was used in this work to design novel amidoxime ...(AOX)-interpenetrating networks into porous silica (PSi) with the final aim to enhance the sorption performances of composite sorbents toward Cs+ and Sr2+. To achieve this goal, first, a homo-IPN of poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) was constructed inside the channels of two kinds of porous silica, one mesoporous (PSi1) and one macroporous (PSi2), the textural properties of silica being exploited in controlling the sorption performances of the composites. The novel composites were fully characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the nitrogen sorption/desorption isotherms (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis). The sorption properties of the PSi1/AOX and PSi2/AOX composite sorbents for Sr2+ and Cs+ were investigated in the batch mode to determine the effect of solution pH, contact time, initial metal ion concentration, temperature, and the presence of competitive ions on the adsorption performances. The fast kinetics of sorption was supported by the fact that ∼80% of Sr2+ and ∼65% of Cs+ were adsorbed in the first 30 min, the kinetic data being better described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The experimental isotherms were well fitted by the Langmuir and Sips isotherm models. The superadsorption of Sr2+ and Cs+ is demonstrated by the values of the maximum sorption capacity of the best sorbent constructed with mesoporous silica (PSi1/IPN-AOX), which were 344.23 mg Cs+/g and 360.23 mg Sr2+/g. The sorption process was spontaneous and endothermic for both metal ions. The presence of interfering cations (Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+), at a concentration of 10–2 M, only slightly influenced the sorption capacity for the main cation. The composite sorbents were still highly efficient after five sorption/desorption cycles.
A new sponge-type hydrogel was obtained by cross-linking hyaluronic acid (HA) and poly(methylvinylether-alt-maleic acid) P(MVE-alt-MA) through a solvent-free thermal method. The sponge-type hydrogel ...was characterized and checked as a support for cell growth. The influence of concentration and weight ratio of polymers on the morphology and hydrogel stability was investigated. The total polymers concentration of 3% (w/w) and the weight ratio of 1:1 were optimal for the synthesis of a stable hydrogel (HA3P50) and to promote cell proliferation. The swelling measurements revealed a high-water absorption capacity of the hydrogel in basic medium. Diphenhydramine (DPH), lidocaine (Lid) and propranolol (Prop) were loaded within the hydrogel as a model drugs to investigate the ability of drug transport and release. In vitro studies revealed that HA3P50 hydrogel promoted the adhesion and proliferation of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2, providing a good support for 3D cell culture to obtain surrogate tumor scaffold suitable for preclinical anti-cancer drug screening.
Two octakis(carboxyalkyl-thioalkyl)silsesquioxanes (COOH-PSx) were obtained by click photo-induced thiol-ene addition reactions between octavinyl-
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-silsesquioxane and thioalkylcarboxylic acids. ...Their structures were confirmed by elemental and spectral analyses and in one case by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The natrium salts of COOH-PSx were used as very efficient ligands for Cu, Ni and Cd ions. The formation of transition metals complexes was confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy, showing the coordination pattern, and by EDX semiquantitative elemental analysis. They were analyzed in terms of thermal stability, morphology and moisture sorption. The catalytic activity was tested in alkaline decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, the copper complexes showing the best activity, that is 40% conversion after ~ 40 min. A copper complex was also efficient as catalyst in photodecomposition of Congo Red under UV light, without additional oxidation agents or pH adjustments, showing discoloration efficiency of ca. 89% after 145 min and recycling ability. Thus, the results indicated the compounds reported here, obtained by simple and reproducible synthetic protocols, as efficient, stable and re-usable heterogeneous catalyst. The possibilities of structural diversification (by the nature of the functional groups and the metal ion) are wide and of the application potential.
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