While research on organic thermoelectric polymers is making significant progress in recent years, realization of a single polymer material possessing both thermoelectric properties and stretchability ...for the next generation of self-powered wearable electronics is a challenging task and remains an area yet to be explored. A new molecular engineering concept of "conjugated breaker" is employed to impart stretchability to a highly crystalline diketopyrrolepyrrole (DPP)-based polymer. A hexacyclic diindenothieno2,3-bthiophene (DITT) unit, with two 4-octyloxyphenyl groups substituted at the tetrahedral sp3-carbon bridges, is selected to function as the conjugated breaker that can sterically hinder intermolecular packing to reduce polymers' crystallinity. A series of donor-acceptor random copolymers is thus developed via polymerizing the crystalline DPP units with the DITT conjugated breakers. By controlling the monomeric DPP/DITT ratios, DITT30 reaches the optimal balance of crystalline/amorphous regions, exhibiting an exceptional power factor (PF) value up to 12.5 µW m
K
after FeCl
-doping; while, simultaneously displaying the capability to withstand strains exceeding 100%. More significantly, the doped DITT30 film possesses excellent mechanical endurance, retaining 80% of its initial PF value after 200 cycles of stretching/releasing at a strain of 50%. This research marks a pioneering achievement in creating intrinsically stretchable polymers with exceptional thermoelectric properties.
Abstract The DSM-5 proposed the diagnostic criteria of Internet gaming disorder (IGD) and suggested that more evidence is necessary before it is included as a standard disorder in the DSM system. The ...aims of this study were to: 1) evaluate the diagnostic validity of individual criteria of IGD in the DSM-5 and the criteria of craving and irritability; 2) determine the optimal cut-off point for the IGD criteria in the DSM-5. We recruited 75 subjects with IGD, 75 without IGD, and 75 in remission from IGD based on the Diagnostic Criteria of Internet Addiction for College Students (DC-IA-C). All participants underwent a diagnostic interview based on the diagnostic criteria of IGD in the DSM-5 and completed the CIAS and QGU-B. Except for the “deceiving” and “escape” criteria, all criteria of IGD had diagnostic accuracy ranging from 77.3% to 94.7% to differentiate university students with IGD from remitted students. The criterion of craving had diagnostic accuracy of 88% and the criteria of irritability had an accuracy of 68.7%. Fulfilling 5 or more criteria of IGD in the DSM-5 was the best cut-off point to differentiate young adults with IGD from healthy or remitted users.
To perform a meta‐analysis to compare the efficacy and safety of diode laser transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (TSCPC) and cyclocryotherapy (CCT) in the treatment of intractable glaucoma. Systemic ...searches of the Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases yielded experimental and observational comparative studies. TSCPC and CCT efficacy and safety outcomes were compared. Subgroup analyses of participant ethnicity, preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) level, and underlying causes of glaucoma were conducted. The pooled effects were computed using the random‐effects model. The meta‐analysis included nine studies totalling 668 eyes. There was no statistically significant difference between the TSCPC and CCT groups in the IOP reduction (IOPR%), decrease in antiglaucoma medications, the operative success rate with or without medications, or retreatment rate in the efficacy analysis. In the subgroup analysis, CCT had a better IOP‐lowering effect among non‐Asian participants and a non‐inferior IOPR% to TSCPC among Asian participants. TSCPC and CCT were associated with similar rates of deterioration in visual acuity, postoperative visual analog scale, and other analysed postoperative complications in the safety analysis. In both groups, severe complications were uncommon. Diode laser TSCPC and CCT had nearly equivalent clinical efficacy in treating intractable glaucoma, while CCT demonstrated a better IOP‐lowering effect in non‐Asian. Both cyclodestructive procedures have a comparable safety profile.
This study aimed to explore the current evidence on preventing blood-borne virus infections among people who inject drugs (PWID). We conducted a comprehensive search across three databases (PubMed, ...Embase, Cochrane Library) for relevant articles published in English between 2014 and 2023. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, assessed the quality of the paper using the revised Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool (ROB 2), and conducted a meta-analysis using RevMan 5.3. Completing the harm reduction program (HRP) participation and receiving all three vaccine doses resulted in a 28% reduction in the risk of HBV infection (OR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.37-1.42). Various interventions increased the willingness of PWIDs to undergo HCV treatment (OR: 5.91, 95% CI: 2.46-14.24) and promoted treatment adherence (OR: 15.04, 95% CI: 2.80-80.61). Taking PrEP, participating in HRP, and modifying risky behaviors were associated with a 33% reduction in the risk of HIV infection (OR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.61-0.74). Conducting referrals, providing counseling, and implementing antiretroviral therapy resulted in a 44% reduction in the risk of viral transmission (OR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.47-0.66). Co-infection may potentially compromise effectiveness, so it is important to consider drug resistance.
Functionalized 3D nanographenes with controlled electronic properties have been synthesized through a multistep organic synthesis method and are further used as promising anode materials for ...lithium‐ion batteries, exhibiting a much increased capacity (up to 950 mAh g−1), three times higher than that of the graphite anode (372 mAh g−1).
Activated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been proposed in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases. In the present study, the anti-inflammatory effect of afatinib, an ...EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKIs) was investigated using CTX-TNA2 cells and primary cultured astrocytes subjected to oxygen/glucose deprivation (OGD). We found that OGD induced EGFR phosphorylation and activated subsequent signaling pathways, including phosphorylation of AKT and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK). Afatinib blocked OGD-induced phosphorylation of EGFR, AKT and ERK. At the same time, afatinib attenuated OGD-induced elevations in glial fibrillary acidic protein (a biomarker of activated astrocytes) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression (a cell proliferating biomarker) as well as hypoxia-induced migratory ability. Furthermore, afatinib decreased OGD-induced increases in cyclooxygenase-II and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression of the treated astrocytes as well as NO content in the culture medium. Moreover, afatinib attenuated OGD-induced caspase 1 activation (a biomarker of inflammasome activation) and interleukin-1β levels (a pro-inflammatory cytokine). Collectively, afatinib could block OGD-induced EGFR activation and its downstream signaling pathways in astrocytes. Moreover, afatinib attenuated OGD-induced astrocyte activation, proliferation and inflammasome activation. These data support the involvement of EGFR activation in neuroinflammation. Furthermore, EGFR-TKIs may be promising in inhibiting neuroinflammation in the CNS neurodegenerative diseases.
When encountering pressure equipment with a structural defect such as a local thinning defect (LTA), a critical question often arises regarding the safety of continued operation. This is primarily ...determined by the strength at the LTA zone, as it represents the weakest point of the structure. The remaining strength factor (RSF) is proposed as an indicator to evaluate the remaining strength and life of pressure equipment when a severe LTA is identified. The API 579/ASME FFS standard offers a series of practical engineering approaches for field engineers to follow, which have achieved great success. However, it has been found that the simpler Level 1 and Level 2 approaches sometimes fail to differentiate between LTAs on the inner or outer surface of the pressure equipment, yielding identical numerical processes and results. Moreover, the use of critical thickness profiles to replace the actual thickness profile in analysis can lead to overly optimistic estimation of the RSF, posing a potential danger when the RSF is close to the allowable limit. Key issues investigated in this study include: (a) discrepancies caused by the use of simplified critical thickness profiles or parabolic profiles, as API 579 suggested, on the RSF; (b) differences in RSFs when the same LTA is on the inner and outer wall; and (c) comparisons of membrane stress and bending stress, as well as their influences on the RSF at the cross-section of the vessel wall. It can be concluded with certainty that all simplified geometries (CTP and PTP) tend to underestimate the RSF and should be used with caution. Additionally, the actual remaining strength of the outer LTA was found to be slightly lower than that of the inner LTA of identical size. Therefore, when remaining life and derating for prolonged operation are of interest, finite element analysis on pressure equipment with the LTA is recommended.
•Use of sub-modeling technical can zero in and help obtain the true RSF at the defect zone.•Outer LTA on a cylindrical vessel does affect the RSF more than inner LTA.•Use of the true defect profile is essential and necessary in order to avoid numerical error.
Objective
Head and neck cancer (HNC) patients suffer from symptoms and fear of recurrence (FoR), which both affect their quality of life (QoL). Based on a self‐regulation model, the purpose of the ...study was to examine patients’ FoR as a mediator of the relation between symptoms and QoL, and to identify which symptoms may trigger FoR.
Methods
A cross‐sectional study was conducted, using convenience sampling. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data at a medical centre in Northern Taiwan. The analytic methods included descriptive statistics, structural equation modelling and linear regression.
Results
A total of 103 participants were recruited. Patients experienced a medium level of symptom severity and QoL but a moderate to high level of FoR. Symptom severity, FoR and QoL were significantly correlated. FoR was a significant partial mediator between symptom severity and QoL. The significant factors of the overall FoR and the subscale of health worry were “pain in general” and “pain in the mouth, throat or neck.” “Pain in general” was a significant factor for the subscale of cancer worry.
Conclusions
This theory‐driven study supports a mediation model of FoR among HNC patients and provides a more comprehensive understanding of the antecedents and consequences of FoR.
For the first time, we report that graphene oxide (GO) can be used as a new “dual-role” binder for Si nanoparticles (SiNPs)-based lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). GO not only provides a graphene-like ...porous 3D framework for accommodating the volume changes of SiNPs during charging/discharging cycles, but also acts as a polymer-like binder that forms strong chemical bonds with SiNPs through its Si–OH functional groups to trap and stabilize SiNPs inside the electrode. Leveraging this unique dual-role of GO binder, we fabricated GO/SiNPs electrodes with remarkably improved performances as compared to using the conventional polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder. Specifically, the GO/SiNPs electrode showed a specific capacity of 2400 mA h g–1 at the 50th cycle and 2000 mA h g–1 at the 100th cycle, whereas the SiNPs/PVDF electrode only showed 456 mAh g–1 at the 50th cycle and 100 mAh g–1 at 100th cycle. Moreover, the GO/SiNPs film maintained its structural integrity and formed a stable solid–electrolyte interphase (SEI) film after 100 cycles. These results, combined with the well-established facile synthesis of GO, indicate that GO can be an excellent binder for developing high performance Si-based LIBs.
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