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Flax and carbon fibers reinforced polymer composites have high potentials to be used as sustainable building materials. To understand the impact resistance of these fiber composites, the present article studied the impact resistance of unidirectional flax fiber and carbon fiber reinforced polymer (FFRP and CFRP) composite plates. The impact response, damage resistance, and impact tolerance were investigated using drop hammer impact and compression after impact (CAI) tests. The internal damage of FFRP and CFRP due to impact loads was studied using acoustic emission technology. In addition, the development process of impact damage was analyzed. CFRP plates show a higher specific energy absorption rate than that of FFRP, because of the more serious internal damage and brittle fracture tendencies. Matrix cracking was the primary damage in FFRP and CFRP under impact load. Compared with CFRP, FFRP possesses a higher CAI due to less damage. Further expansion of the matrix crack caused by the original impact occurs in the impacted fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRP) under a compressive load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-tow carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites (CFRP) have great application potential in civil engineering due to their low price, but their basic mechanical properties are still unclear. The tensile properties of large-tow CFRP rods and plates were investigated in this study. First, the tensile properties of unidirectional CFRP rods and plates were studied, and the test results of the relevant mechanical properties were statistically analyzed. The tensile strength of the CFRP rod and plate are 2005.97 MPa and 2069.48 MPa. Second, the surface of the test specimens after failure was observed using a scanning electron microscope to analyze the type of failure and damage evolution process. Finally, the probabilistic characteristics of the mechanical properties were analyzed using normal, lognormal, and Weibull distributions for parameter fitting. Quasi-optimality tests were performed, and a probability distribution model was proposed for the mechanical properties of large-tow CFRP rods and plates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aramid/carbon fiber hybrid reinforced polymer (A/CHFRP) composites were prepared via compression molding to obtain carbon‐fiber‐reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites with better toughness. Based on the existing theoretical model, the effects of the carbon fiber volume fraction on the properties of the A/CHFRP were studied using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), tensile tests, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. According to the TGA results, the hybrid fiber improved the thermal stability of the CFRP. With increasing carbon fiber content, the thermal stability of the A/CHFRP composites also increased. The tensile results showed that the A/CHFRP composite with a carbon fiber volume fraction of 22.7% exhibited "pseudo‐ductility," with the failure strain 54.09% higher than that of the CFRP composite. With increasing carbon fiber content, the ductility of the A/CHFRP composites decreased. The elastic modulus of the A/CHFRP composites conformed to the prediction model of the rule of mixtures (ROM). The strength was found to fall in the triangular area surrounded by the ROM and the bilinear ROM and exhibited a positive hybrid effect. The SEM results showed that the tensile failure modes of the A/CHFRP composites were mainly fiber and resin matrix debonding and fiber fracture. Brittle fracture of the carbon fibers was observed in the A/CHFRP composites, while aramid fibers appeared to peel off and silk crimp for ductile failure. Thus, this study provides a theoretical basis for toughening CFRPs. Highlights: The volume ratio of the two fibers affects the hybrid effect of A/CHFRP.The thermal stability of A/CHFRP increases with increasing carbon fiber content.The carbon fiber volume ratio of 22.7% in A/CHFRP exhibited pseudo‐ductility.A/CHFRP exhibiting a failure strain 54.09% higher than that of the CFRP.The strength prediction of A/CHFRP depends on the failure mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of double ABCX-based psychotherapy for psychological distress during in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) among a female group (FG), couple group (CoG) and control group (CG). A total of 201 women undergoing their first IVF-ET cycle were randomized into three groups. The 6-session intervention was delivered at each visit to the IVF clinic. The primary outcomes were depression and anxiety, and the secondary outcomes included sleep quality, serum cortisol (nmol/L) levels and the clinical pregnancy rate, which were assessed before and after the intervention. The group-by-time effects were significant for depression, anxiety, sleep quality and serum cortisol levels, with larger effect sizes in the FG than in the CoG. There was no significant difference in the pregnancy rate among the three groups. Psychotherapy effectively mitigated psychological distress, suggesting greater effectiveness for couples undergoing IVF couples than for women only. It is structured and easy to use during the IVF treatment cycle. (NCT03931187, retrospectively registered on April 23, 2019) Double ABCX-based psychotherapy, which was developed in this study, effectively mitigated depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance and increased cortisol levels, suggesting greater effectiveness for couples undergoing IVF-ET than women only. Double ABCX-based psychotherapy is structured and easy to use during the IVF-ET treatment cycle, thereby presenting a promising and feasible approach to improve care for couples or women with assisted reproductive technique-related stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying and vectorizing the object in the image is an important part of producing high-precision vector maps. Deep learning can automatically extract vector boundaries accurately, but it still does not satisfy the application requirements for boundaries. Clearer boundaries and more concise vector points are also important components that cannot be neglected in vectorization. Taking buildings as the research object, we introduce a cooperative neural network of multi-task segmentation and graph convolution to improve the extraction of buildings by strengthening the boundaries and strategically selecting key points. We design a multi-task neural network to extract and optimize the vector boundaries, whose key points can be selected and refined with a graph convolutional network. In addition, to improve the coherence between features and jointly multi-information, we design a mutual-supervision loss for our method. Our experimental results show that our method effectively extracted buildings and outperformed several equal methods on the different public datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ramie fiber‐reinforced polymer (RFRP) composites are widely used in various fields owing to their environmental friendliness and cost efficiency. To understand the influence of different resin matrices on the mechanical properties and durability of RFRP composites under the same conditions and obtain better performance, ramie fiber‐reinforced phenolic resin (RFRPR) composites and ramie fiber‐reinforced unsaturated polyester (RFRUP) composites produced through compression molding were studied under hydrothermal conditions of 60°C with 50%, 85%, and 98% relative humidity for 3 months. The water absorption, tensile, flexural, and short‐beam shear properties were studied. The RFRPR composite had better flexural strength and short‐beam strength than the RFRUP composite. The saturated water absorption, water molecule diffusion coefficient, and retention rate of the RFRUP composite were higher than those of the RFRPR composite owing to the difference in the interfacial adhesion properties. The erosion of water molecules led to serious deterioration in the interfacial bonding performance of the RFRPR composite. It was found that the greater the humidity, the greater was the degree of interfacial degradation. This study lays the foundation for the further promotion and application of RFRP composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ramie-fiber-reinforced polymer composites (RFRP) have the advantages of low price and low energy consumption, but they have high hydrophilicity due to their special chemical composition. In order to study the effect of water absorption on the performance degradation of RFRP in a hydrothermal environment, the authors prepared RFRP sheets by compression molding. Manufactured composites were exposed to a hydrothermal environment with a temperature of 40 °C and a humidity of 50% RH, 85% RH and 98% RH to study the water absorption and diffusion, mechanical properties (tensile properties, flexural properties and shear properties) of the RFRP, and their mechanical properties after drying. The research shows that the equilibrium moisture absorption rate of RFRP is mainly affected by the ambient humidity. The moisture absorption and diffusion of ramie-fiber-reinforced polymer composites (RFRP) in a hydrothermal environment conform to Fick's law. Before reaching the moisture absorption equilibrium (1~2 weeks), the mechanical properties decline rapidly, and then tend to be flat, and the mechanical properties of the RFRP decrease significantly with the increase in humidity; the water molecules reduce the interfacial bonding performance and the modulus degradation degree of RFRP in the hydrothermal environment is greater than that of strength. After the samples were completely dried, the mechanical properties of the RFRP rebounded greatly, but less than the initial value, and the hydrothermal environment produced irreversible changes to the substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A schematic illustration of Rg3-PTX-LPs to reverse cancer drug resistance. (A) Ginsenoside Rg3 substitutes cholesterol as the membrane material in preparing Rg3-PTX-LPs. (B) The immunosuppressive and drug resistance tumor microenvironment. (C) Rg3-PTX-LPs downregulate the expression of Pgp and reduce the efflux of PTX from the cell. (D) Rg3-PTX-LPs remodel TME by inhibiting IL-6/STAT3/p-STAT3 pathway activation to repolarize protumor M2 macrophages to antitumor M1 phenotype, suppressing myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), decreasing tumor-associated fibroblasts (TAFs) and collagen fibers in TME, and Inhibiting tumor angiogenesis. [Display omitted] • Functional Rg3-based liposomes loaded with paclitaxel (Rg3-PTX-LPs) can specifically distribute to MCF7/T cancer cells and TME simultaneously, mainly through the recognition of GLUT-1. • Rg3-PTX-LPs can promote apoptosis of tumor cells and remodel TME to reverse the MDR state effectively. • Rg3-PTX-LPs can repolarize protumor M2 macrophages to antitumor M1 phenotype, suppressing MDSCs, and decreasing TAFs and collagen fibers in TME by inhibiting the IL-6/STAT3/p-STAT3 pathway. Inherent or acquired resistance to paclitaxel (PTX) is a pivotal challenge for chemotherapy treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) breast cancer. Although various targeted drug-delivery systems, including nanoparticles and liposomes, are effective for MDR cancer treatment, their efficacy is restricted by immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Ginsenosides Rg3 was used to formulate unique Rg3-based liposomes loaded with PTX to establish Rg3-PTX-LPs, which were prepared by the thin-film hydration method. The stability of the Rg3-PTX-LPs was evaluated by particle size analysis through dynamic light scattering. The active targeting effect of Rg3-based liposomes was examined in an MCF-7/T xenograft model by an in a vivo imaging system. To evaluate the antitumor activity and mechanism of Rg3-PTX-LP, MTT, apoptosis assays, TAM regulation, and TME remodeling were performed in MCF-7/T cells in vitro and in vivo. Rg3-PTX-LPs could specifically distribute to MCF7/T cancer cells and TME simultaneously, mainly through the recognition of GLUT-1. The drug resistance reversing capability and in vivo antitumor effect of Rg3-PTX-LPs were significantly improved compared with conventional cholesterol liposomes. The TME remodeling mechanisms of Rg3-PTX-LPs included inhibiting IL-6/STAT3/p-STAT3 pathway activation to repolarize protumor M2 macrophages to antitumor M1 phenotype, suppressing myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), decreasing tumor-associated fibroblasts (TAFs) and collagen fibers in TME, and promoting apoptosis of tumor cells. Hence, through the dual effects of targeting tumor cells and TME remodeling, Rg3-PTX-LPs achieved a high tumor inhibition rate of 90.3%. Our multifunctional Rg3-based liposome developed in the present study offered a promising strategy for rescuing the drug resistance tumor treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Almost all creatinine is excreted by the kidney in individuals. Serum creatinine concentration, a widely used renal function index in clinical practice, can be affected by both genetic and environmental factors, as evidenced by current research exploring the relationship between these factors and kidney function. However, few studies have explored the heritability of serum creatinine in Asian populations. Therefore, we explored the genetic and environmental factors that affect the serum creatinine level in Asian populations. Participants in this study came from the Qingdao Twin Registry in China, and 374 pairs of twins were included, of which 139 pairs were dizygotic twins, whose ages ranged from 40 to 80 years old, and the serum creatinine level ranged from 10 to 126 μmol/L. Structural equation models were constructed using Mx software to calculate heritability, with adjusted covariates being age, sex, and body mass index. The results of heritability analysis showed that ACE was the best fit model. Serum creatinine level is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. The result of heritability was 35.44%, and the influence of shared environmental factors accounted for 52.13%. This study provided the relevant basis for future research on genetic and environmental factors affecting serum creatinine levels in Asian populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns are raised across all populations and human activities. In higher education, college students with disabilities generally experience higher stress levels compared to peers without disabilities. The pandemic continues to negatively affect the well-being of college students with disabilities. In this study, we explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on 105 college students with disabilities. We conducted a multiple mediation analysis to examine if the five pillars: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment (PERMA) mediated the relationship between stress level during COVID-19 and college problems. The result revealed that stress level during COVID-19 was significantly associated with all five PERMA pillars and stress level during COVID-19 significantly impacted college problems. Positive emotion was found to be the only significant mediator in the relationship between stress level during COVID-19 and college problems. This study highlighted the importance of helping to facilitate positive emotions for college students with disabilities under pandemic stress, as well as provided directions for post-pandemic recovery support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Walsh Family Resilience Questionnaire (WFRQ) is one of the most widely used and strong theory‐based measurement tools of family resilience. This study aimed to develop and psychometrically test the Chinese version of the WFRQ (WFRQ‐C). The WFRQ was translated following Brislin's translation model. Psychometric testing, combining classical theory test and item response theory, was conducted with a sample of 800 community adult residents. The Connor‐Davidson resilience scale‐10 (CD‐RISC‐10), Self‐reported Family Happiness Scale (SFHS‐1), and Family APGAR (Adaption, Partnership, Growth, Affection, Resolve) Scale (Family APGAR‐5) were applied for convergent validity. Six items were deleted at the item analysis level. The minimum average partial test and a parallel analysis supported a three‐factor structure, which was validated by confirmatory factor analysis. The three factors were named "Family belief system," "Organization, communication and problem solving," and "Utilization of external resources." The WFRQ‐C was significantly correlated with CD‐RISC‐10, SFHS‐1, and Family APGAR‐5, with r values ranged from 0.51 to 0.56. The Cronbach's α was 0.97 for the scale and 0.93, 0.95, and 0.72 for the three factors, respectively. The ICCs of 0.96 for the whole scale, and 0.95, 0.75, and 0.95 for the three factors, respectively. The mean score for the WFRQ‐C was 97.00 ± 17.94, of which per capita monthly income and education level were predictors. The 26‐item WFRQ‐C is a stable, concise, and validated tool to measure family resilience. It is applicable for Chinese community adults in nonspecific stressful settings and has potential utility in the health care domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to examine the subtype classification characteristics of depressive symptoms in Shidu parents (SDPs, parents who have lost their only child) and their associations with resilience and coping styles. The sample comprised 182 SDPs (Mean age = 59.93 ± 7.41 years, 61.5% females). Latent profile analysis and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Three subgroups of depressive symptoms in SDPs were identified: the depression and pessimism group (38.4%), the low depression symptoms group (30.8%), and the well‐adapted group (30.8%). The low depression symptoms group had a lower education level and higher family monthly income than the depression and pessimism group. The low depression symptoms group and the well‐adapted group scored significantly higher in resilience, and lower in negative coping style than the depression and pessimism group. The results highlighted that target intervention is needed for SDPs with high education levels, low family monthly income, high negative coping style, and low resilience in the depression and pessimism group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While new genetic analysis methods are widely used in the clinic, few researchers have focused on trigeminal neuralgia (TN) with familial clustering (≥ 2 TN patients in one kindred family). Previous literature suggests that familial trigeminal neuralgia (FTN) may be associated with inherited genetic factors. To date, few next-generation sequencing studies have been reported for FTN. This study investigated the pathogenic mechanism of FTN by using whole-exome sequencing (WES) technology, which may enhance our understanding of human TN pathophysiology. Method: We performed WES for 7 probands from families of FTN. Sanger sequencing was performed for two control groups (FTN family members group and nonfamilial TN subject group) to potentially identify new FTN-related gene mutations. In families where FTN probands carried potentially pathogenic gene mutations, the ribonucleic acid (RNA) of FTN probands and related family members, as well as nonfamilial TN patients were analysed by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to confirm differential gene expression. Results: Seven probands were derived from 3 Chinese families. WES and Sanger sequencing identified MARS1 mutation c.2398C > A p.(Pro800Thr) in Family 1. MARS1 mutation was confirmed in 14/26 [53.8%] members of Family 1 in FTN family member group, while none of nonfamilial TN subjects had this MARS1 mutation. RNA-seq showed that 3 probands in Family 1 had higher expression of Fosl1 (Fos-like antigen 1) and NFE2 (Nuclear factor, erythroid 2) than 3 subjects in the nonfamilial TN subject group. Fosl1 and NFE2 are genes related to integrated stress response (ISR). Conclusion: MARS1 mutations may cause chronic activation of ISR, contribute to ISR pathophysiological changes in FTN, and cause/accelerate peripheral nerve degeneration. The findings of this study can enrich our knowledge of the role of molecular genetics in TN in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites (CFRP) cable has advantages of lightweight, high strength, and excellent durability, providing a new materials for cables and bringing out potential breakthrough in spanning capacity of structures. At present, CFRP cable has already been applied in some engineering bridges. The fire resistance performance of CFRP cable is critical for ensuring structure safety when suffering accidental fire disaster, and clarifying mechanical performance deterioration and failure mechanism of CFRP cable at elevated temperature is fundamental for research of its fire resistance. This paper summarizes current research progress on high-temperature properties of CFRP cable from two levels, including epoxy resin matrix and CFRP composites. Firstly, at resin matrix level, mechanical properties of epoxy resin and its degradation at elevated temperatures are reviewed and analysed, and potential ways to improve high-temperature performance of epoxy resin are suggested. Secondly, at CFRP composites level, high-temperature properties test methods and mechanical performance of CFRP composites in longitudinal direction and transverse direction at elevated temperatures are summarized and discussed. In addition, research shortage of high-temperature properties of CFRP cable is summarized, and corresponding further research is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We investigated the effects of age and sensation seeking on pedestrian crossing in a virtual reality environment. • The start delay of children to cross was shorter than adolescents and young adults when the traffic was easier to cross. • High sensation seekers experienced more dangerous crossings but missed less opportunities to cross than lower ones. • Adolescents had more dangerous crossings than young adults or children. • The effect of sensation seeking on adolescents was somewhat stronger than in the other age groups. A wide range of individual, interpersonal and environmental factors influence the safety of pedestrians crossing the street, including human development (children take more risks than adolescents and adults) and sensation seeking (individuals higher in sensation seeking have greater risk). The interaction between those two variables has not been carefully studied, however. Does the effect of sensation seeking on pedestrian safety vary across human development as cognitive and other skills improve? This study investigated the primary effects of age and sensation seeking, plus their joint effects, on pedestrian crossing in a virtual reality environment. 209 children (10–13 years old), adolescents (14–18 years old) and young adults (20–24 years old) screened to be high and low level in sensation seeking participated. A 3 (age group: child vs adolescent vs young adult) × 2 (sensation seeking: high vs low) × 2 (traffic condition: easy vs harder crossing) mixed factorial design was conducted. Three pedestrian safety outcomes – start delay, missed opportunities and dangerous crossings – were considered. Results showed that when the traffic condition was easier to cross within, the start delay to enter traffic gaps was significantly shorter for children than for adolescents and young adults. There were no significant differences across age groups when the traffic condition was harder to cross within. Pedestrians also missed more opportunities to cross the road when the traffic condition was harder to cross within. Pedestrians low in sensation seeking missed more opportunities to cross than those high in sensation seeking. All age groups had more dangerous crossings during the harder crossing scenario than in the easier one, and adolescents had more dangerous crossings than young adults or children. Finally, the results of hierarchical regression models predicting dangerous crossings showed that traffic condition had a significant predictive effect on children's dangerous crossing behavior, and both high sensation seeking and harder traffic conditions predicted adolescents' dangerous crossing behavior. No included variables significantly predicted adults' dangerous crossing behavior. We conclude that both age and sensation-seeking contribute to pedestrian safety. The effect of sensation seeking does not vary widely by age group, but its effect on adolescents was somewhat stronger than in the other age groups studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Depressive symptoms are among the most common afflictions that plague the parents of children with cancer. Given that resilience is an important factor that inhibits the development and progression of depressive symptoms, it can be harnessed as a potential solution for this psychological issue. This study aimed to identify the latent classes of resilience in the parents of children with cancer and explore the relationships of these classes with depressive symptoms. Methods: The study was conducted in three tertiary hospitals in mainland China. The parents of children (0–19 years old) with cancer were invited to participate in the study. We used standardised self-report questionnaires to collect data. A latent class analysis was performed to identify the classes of resilience in the parents of children with cancer. Results: The study recruited 258 participants. Four classes of resilience were identified, namely, good adaptation and optimism (24.9%), high strength and low control (12.1%), moderate resilience (37.3%), and maladaptation and low tenacity (25.6%). The mothers (OR = 3.48, P = 0.003) and parents with more than one child (OR = 2.73, P = 0.023) were more likely to belong to the maladaptation and low tenacity class. The depressive symptoms experienced by the participants differed significantly between the four classes of resilience (F = 30.80, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Targeted interventions should be developed and implemented based on the characteristics of each class of resilience to maximise the effectiveness of interventions and thereby promote parental well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To assist future offsite planning for pandemics, we documented lived experiences of cooperation among healthcare workers (HCWs) during the coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) pandemic. Background: The COVID‐19 pandemic poses a global health crisis. Most recent studies on the COVID‐19 focus on frontline HCWs' physio‐psychological experiences, with few studies examining their experiences of cooperation. Design: A descriptive phenomenological design reported based on COREQ checklist. Methods: 25 HCWs (17 nurses and eight physicians) were interviewed, selected through convenience and purposive sampling, who participated in a medical aid mission in China during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Data were collected via semi‐structured online video interviews, and the transcripts were analysed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method. Results: The HCWs experienced stressed and anxious, but rated their overall cooperation experience as positive. We categorised the reported experiences in five themes: (1) a multi‐level management structure; (2) nurse managers as internal and external team coordinators; (3) high morale and a mutual supportive context; (4) a continuous streamlined workflow; and (5) the value of multidisciplinary collaboration in care. Reasonable management structure and division of work were the basis for successful aid mission. High morale and a mutual supportive context were foundational for growth and stress mitigation. The HCWs continuously streamlined workflow through communication and met patients' individual need through multidisciplinary collaboration. Conclusions: Planning for a pandemic aid mission is challenging, given the unpredictable nature of the working circumstances. Our results underline the importance of supportive strategies for COVID‐19 aid mission. Relevance to clinical practice: Recommendations for future pandemic planning: (1) positive morale and supportive working text should be paid prioritised attention; (2) sufficient experienced and ancillary staff should be recruited; (3) multiple communication channels such as regular handover meetings, online chat applications and electronic recording devices are essential, and (4) multidisciplinary cooperation are is necessary in COVID‐19 wards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Contextualization of psychological first aid (PFA) in different cultural, political, and socioeconomic contexts and in different population groups is essential. This review analyzes the efforts that have been made to contextualize PFA in different parts of the world for different disasters and emergencies. Design: Integrative literature review. Methods: The major databases that were searched for related literature published until August 2019 included JBI, MEDLINE, Embase, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), BIOSIS, ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus, EBSCOhost, and PsycINFO. A total of 17 studies published in peer‐reviewed journals were included. The review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) model, and the 6W3H tool was applied to synthesize the results. Findings: PFA has been adapted to various disasters and populations in different countries and regions. The organizations that administer PFA range from community level to national level. Professional or "outside helpers" who enter disaster‐affected locations include psychologists, fire fighters, social workers, and nurses. "Inside helpers," who live and work in the disaster‐affected areas, include HR staff, teachers, and peer emergency personnel. Only a few studies have reported the exact number of first responders who administered PFA. Some studies revised PFA as group based, and a few reported the classification of groups of victims. Notably, all adaptations adhered to the basic principles of PFA, and the time at which PFA was administered ranged from a few days to months after an incident. PFA was conducted on site in all studies. The selection of the location depended on the type of disaster and local situation with due consideration of safety. Only a few studies specified the rationale for revising the PFA. None of these 17 studies reported the cost, cost‐benefit, or cost‐effectiveness of PFA. Conclusions: Population‐focused, context‐specific, and group‐based PFA is emerging worldwide. Nurses are actively playing a role in providing PFA. Research gaps exist in differentiating between the roles played by "outside" and "inside" responders, considering vulnerable age groups other than children, incorporating the major PFA concepts such as resilience, and evaluating the cost‐effectiveness of PFA. Clinical Relevance: It is imperative that nurses and other emergency staff consider the intersection of age, gender, cultural, political, social economic, and spiritual contexts when developing a context appropriate PFA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabrication of Bi/C composites is a common approach to alleviate the severe volume expansion of Bi alloy‐based anodes with a high theoretical capacity of 3800 mAh cm−3 for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). However, the complicated and tedious synthetic routes restrict its large‐scale preparation and practical applications. Herein, a spongiform porous Bi/C composite (marked as Bi@PC) through the carbothermal reduction (CTR) method is constructed. Bi nanodots are in situ confined in a porous carbon substrate activated by the gases produced from the decomposition of the sodium phytate precursor, indicating the feasibility and simplicity of this route. In charge/discharge processes, Bi nanodots embedded in carbon matrix are effective enough to accommodate the strain change and shorten the migration distance. In addition, the porous carbon forms an efficient conductive network for electron shutting. When utilized for lithium storage, a superb capacity of 520 mAh g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 after 100 cycles and a satisfying long cyclic stability of 380 mAh g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 after 500 cycles are achieved. The excellent Li‐storage performance and this handy preparation method jointly make this Bi/C composite a potential anode for LIBs, and could inspire the preparation of other alloy‐type anodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assistance for distressed caregivers can indirectly facilitate recovery of the people being cared for, yet how resilience, hope, and social support mediate between caregiving burden and adjustment outcomes is unclear. A structural equation model was constructed based on data from a cross‐sectional survey of 324 caregivers of children and adolescents with schizophrenia using multidimensional caregiver burden inventory, Connor‐Davidson resilience scale, Herth hope index, perceived social support scale, distress management screening measure, and positive aspects of caregiving instruments. On distress, caregiving burden had a relatively large direct effect, and an indirect effect, mainly mediated by resilience. Resilience had a greater effect than social support or hope on distress. On positive aspects of caregiving (PAC), caregiving burden had only an indirect effect, primarily via the processes from social support and resilience to hope. Hope had a significant direct effect, while resilience and support had moderate indirect effects on PAC via hope. Resilience is an important mediator between caregiving burden and distress, with a greatest effect. Resilience, hope, and social support all mediated between caregiving burden and PAC, with hope having a greatest effect. Reducing the care burden may greatly help to relieve caregiver distress. Providing needed social support, encouraging caregivers to proactively utilize the support, and enhancing resilient coping skills will be helpful in developing resilience and mitigating distress. Health professionals should assess and ameliorate burden, be particularly aware of caregiver hopes, provide formal support, and encourage informal support to promote PAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To develop and psychometrically test the distress thermometer for caregivers (DT‐C) and document the distress level in primary caregivers of children and adolescents diagnosed with schizophrenia. Design: A validation diagnostic accuracy study and descriptive cross‐sectional survey. Methods: DT‐C was adopted based on Harverman's distress thermometer for parents. The cut‐off score was detected by using receiver operating characteristic analysis with the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale‐21 as a reference standard in a sample of 324 caregivers of children and adolescents diagnosed with schizophrenia in China collected between Jan 2017 and Feb 2018. Results: One‐item DT of DT‐C indicated a good retest reliability (r = 0.86) and one‐item DT and the Problem List (PL) indicated good convergent validity (r = 0.67–0.88). Overall and individual PL domains showed good internal consistency (KR 20 values ranged from 0.70–0.90). Setting seven as the cut‐off score, the values of sensitivity (0.72–0.81), specificity (0.86–0.90), Youden's index (0.61–0.70), positive predictive value (0.67–0.74), and negative predictive value (0.84–0.92) were most satisfactory and area under curve values showed significantly excellent discrimination (0.88–0.90). The average DT score for the 324 participants was 6.34 (SD 2.49), with 46.9% of the participants above the cut‐off. Caregivers above the cut‐off score faced significant multiple problems in practical, family/social, cognitive, emotional, and parenting domains. Conclusion: The DT‐C, with six domains containing 35 items in Problem List and with the cut‐off score at seven, can be a rapid screening tool to measure distress in these caregivers. The level of distress in caregivers was relatively high. Psychoeducation on specific needs and a solid mutual support network are recommended for mitigating caregivers' distress. Impact: This study adapted a reliable DT‐C to measure distress of caregivers, which has the potential to be introduced to caregivers of other types of child and adolescent mental disorders in research, assessments and care planning for health professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

D -Luciferin is a popular bioluminescent substrate of luciferase in the presence of ATP. It is used in luciferase-based bioluminescence imaging and cell-based high-throughput screening applications. Herein, the iodination of D -luciferin was undertaken and explored as a bioluminescence probe without the need for light excitation to sensitively trace and image carbon monoxide (CO) in liver cancer cells. The bioluminescent probe (7′-iodo-luciferin) exhibited excellent selectivity for CO detection in vitro. This new probe could image exogenous and endogenous CO in the luciferase-transfected cancer cells. This new probe might be used for evaluating the roles of CO in various biological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camellia oleifera, an important tree species and source of edible oil in China, has received significant attention owing to the oil's high unsaturated fatty acid content, which has benefits for human health. However, the mechanisms underlying C. oleifera yield and oil quality are largely unknown. In this study, 180 F1 progenies were obtained from two parents with obvious differences in fruit- and oil-related traits. We constructed a high-density genetic map using a double digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD-Seq) strategy in C. oleifera. This map spanned 3327 cM and anchored 2780 markers in 15 linkage groups (LGs), with an average marker interval of 1.20 cM. A total of 221 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with fruit- and oil-related traits were identified across three years' worth of phenotypic data. Nine QTLs were detected simultaneously in at least two different years, located on LG02, LG04, LG05, LG06, and LG11, and explained 8.5–16.6% of the phenotypic variation in the corresponding traits, respectively. Seventeen major QTLs were obtained that explained 13.0–16.6% of the phenotypic variance. Eleven and five flanking SNPs of major QTLs for fruit- and oil-related traits were detected which could be used for marker-assisted selection in C. oleifera breeding programs. Furthermore, 202 potential candidate genes in QTL regions were identified based on the collinearity of the genetic map and the C. oleifera "CON" genome. A potential regulatory network controlling fruit development and oil biosynthesis was constructed to dissect the complex mechanism of oil accumulation. The dissection of these QTLs will facilitate the gene cloning underlying lipid synthesis and increase our understanding in order to enhance C. oleifera oil yield and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unidirectional carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) may exhibit significant mechanical softening in the transverse direction at an elevated temperature. While significant transverse compressive stress exists on CFRP due to the clamping force from anchorage, a CFRP cable may exhibit anchorage failure when suffering an accidental fire disaster. The high-temperature resistance of a CFRP cable anchorage is critical, and clarifying the performance deterioration and failure mechanism of a CFRP cable anchorage system at elevated temperature is fundamental for clarifying its fire resistance. This paper reviews the current research status of the high-temperature resistance of CFRP cable anchorage systems from two aspects, including the high-temperature resistance of the comprising materials and the anchorage system. The reviews on the high-temperature properties of the comprising materials are summarized from two aspects. Firstly, the mechanical performance degradation of bonding epoxy resin at elevated temperatures and the effect of a filler on its mechanical–thermal properties are analyzed. Secondly, the mechanical performances of CFRP composites at elevated temperatures are summarized, with consideration of the stress state of the CFRP cable under the constraint of an anchorage device. The reviews on the high-temperature resistance of the anchorage system also include two aspects. Firstly, the temperature field solution method for the anchorage system is summarized and discussed. Secondly, the current research status of the anchorage performance at elevated temperatures is also summarized and discussed. Based on these reviews, the research shortage of the high-temperature resistance of CFRP cable anchorage systems is summarized, and further research is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low fiber strength and high hydrophilic characteristics limit the wide acceptance of natural fiber‐reinforced polymer (NFRP) composites in structural applications. In this article, to enhance the mechanical properties of flax fiber‐based NFRP, flax fibers were tried to be grafted with organic nanoclay in assistance of a silane coupling agent. The effects of the nanoclay grafting on the interfacial shear strength between flax–epoxy resin and the tensile and flexural properties of the flax–epoxy composites were investigated. Through micrograph observation (scanning electron microscope [SEM] and atomic force microscope [AFM]), together with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, nanoclay was confirmed to be successfully grafted onto the fiber surface through covalent bonds. The flax fiber‐based NFRP plates were prepared with a vacuum‐assisted resin infusion process. With the optimized nanoclay content (1.3 wt.%), an increase in the pull‐out shear strength of flax yarn from epoxy block by 71% and short‐beam shear strength by 17.9% were realized, respectively. Meanwhile, compared to the control samples, the grafted flax fiber‐reinforced plates were enhanced in the flexural strength and tensile strength by 20.7% and 14.3%, respectively. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:3482–3492, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To identify the intention of nurses to dual practice (DP) and inform policymaking in centralised government settings. Background: DP is pervasive worldwide but was not permitted in China until 2009, with a primary goal of encouraging nurses from over‐staffed health services to work additional shifts in understaffed settings. Design: A descriptive cross‐sectional survey. Methods: A DP questionnaire based on the theory of planned behaviour was developed and issued to nurses from three comprehensive public hospitals in 24 units selected by stratified random cluster sampling (n = 526). This study was reported based on STROBE checklist. Results: The mean for intention was 3.47 with strongly disagree as one point, neutral as three point and strongly agree as five point in scaling. Nurses with any of these characteristics: female, aged between 40 and 49, married, working more than 15 years, and managers were significantly reluctant to undertake DP. The structural equation model showed that the level of positive attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control could positively predict intention, and attitude had highest effect value. Perceived behavioural control and attitude acted as sequential mediators between subjective norm and intention. Nurses preferred large or private hospitals if conducting DP without restriction from the government. Conclusions: Nurses' intention to undertake DP was not strong, which was impacted by attitude, subjective norm, time and energy. Nurses preferred large or private hospitals; therefore, the goal of improving equity by DP in developing countries might be undermined. Relevance to clinical practice: To encourage DP, attitude and subjective norm are important paths, the latter being the initial step. Reasonable incentives or restrictions, such as specifying regulations on practice place and time limitation, qualifications and legal liability and remuneration are recommended to ensure successful DP implementation from over‐staffed health services to understaffed settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a promising therapy for refractory Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS). However, its long-term efficacy, safety, and recommended surgical age remain controversial, requiring evidence to compare different age categories. Methods: This retrospective cohort study recruited 102 GTS patients who underwent DBS between October 2006 and April 2022 at two national centers. Patients were divided into two age categories: children (aged < 18 years; n = 34) and adults (aged ≥ 18 years; n = 68). The longitudinal outcomes as tic symptoms were assessed by the YGTSS, and the YBOCS, BDI, and GTS-QOL were evaluated for symptoms of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, and quality of life, respectively. Results: Overall, these included patients who finished a median 60-month follow-up, with no significant difference between children and adults (p = 0.44). Overall, the YGTSS total score showed significant postoperative improvements and further improved with time (improved 45.2%, 51.6%, 55.5%, 55.6%, 57.8%, 61.4% after 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and ≥ 60 months of follow-up compared to baseline, respectively) in all included patients (all p < 0.05). A significantly higher improvement was revealed in children than adults at ≥ 60 months of follow-up in the YGTSS scores (70.1% vs 55.9%, p = 0.043), and the time to achieve 60% improvement was significantly shorter in the children group (median 6 months vs 12 months, p = 0.013). At the last follow-up, the mean improvements were 45.4%, 48.9%, and 55.9% and 40.3%, 45.4%, and 47.9% in YBOCS, BDI, and GTS-QOL scores for children and adults, respectively, which all significantly improved compared to baseline (all p < 0.05) but without significant differences between these two groups (all p > 0.05), and the children group received significantly higher improvement in GTS-QOL scores than adults (55.9% vs. 47.9%, p = 0.049). Conclusions: DBS showed acceptable long-term efficacy and safety for both children and adults with GTS. Surgeries performed for patients younger than 18 years seemed to show acceptable long-term efficacy and safety and were not associated with increased risks of loss of benefit compared to patients older than 18 at the time of surgery. However, surgeries for children should also be performed cautiously to ensure their refractoriness and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hand joints-based gesture recognition using a neural network provides excellent performance in hand gesture recognition. However, during the collection of sequential skeletal datasets, joints identification through hand pose estimations usually includes noise and even errors, which often diminish the accuracy of gesture recognition. To promote the availability of hand gesture recognition for such noisy datasets, this paper presents a nested interval unscented Kalman filter (UKF) with long short-term memory (NIUKF-LSTM) network to improve the accuracy of hand gesture recognition from noisy datasets. This nested interval method with the UKF changes the distribution of the sigma points based on two sampling intervals. By considering the information of previous frames, the nested interval method helps the NIUKF-LSTM network revise the noise in the sequential hand skeletal data and improve the recognition accuracy. The experimental results showing the removal of noisy skeletal data from the dynamic hand gesture dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of our NIUKF-LSTM network, which achieves better performance than do other state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid fiber reinforced polymer composites have attracted widespread attention because they can fully utilize the advantages of two different types of fibers. To produce fiber reinforced polymer composites with excellent impact properties, unidirectional carbon/flax hybrid fiber reinforced polymer composite (HFRP) plates were developed using a filament-winding technique. The effects of the carbon fiber content and hybrid mode (a carbon–flax–carbon or flax–carbon–flax structure) on the impact properties and residual compressive properties of the HFRP plates were studied. Acoustic emission tests were performed to characterize the damage during impact, and the K-means cluster analysis method was used to investigate the HFRP damage development during post-impact compression. The test results indicate the higher carbon fiber contents enhanced their specific energy absorption (SEA), as the impact-induced brittle fracturing of the carbon-fiber layers was more severe. The hybrid mode and impact energy level critically influenced the HFRP SEA behavior. The HFRP plate with flax skin exhibited high SEA at a low impact energy, whereas that with carbon fiber skin exhibited high SEA at a high impact energy along with perforation. A more severe extension of the damage caused by the original impact occurs in the impacted HFRP under a compressive load. • A carbon/flax-fiber hybrid composite with improved impact resistance was studied. • A higher carbon content increases the specific energy absorption. • The hybrid mode and impact level influence the specific energy absorption. • The higher the carbon fiber content, the higher the reduction in the post-impact compressive strength of the HFRP. • The most significant irreversible damage to the post-impact HFRPs was matrix cracking during compression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Workplace violence is a serious problem for clinical nurses, as it leads to a series of adverse consequences. However, little information is available on the prevalence and influencing factors of workplace violence in China. Objectives To determine the prevalence of workplace violence against Chinese nurses, and its influencing factors. Design A multi-center, cross-sectional study. Settings The seven geographical regions (i.e., northeast, north, central, east, south, northwest, and southwest) of China. Participants Four thousand one hundred and twenty-five nurses. Methods We randomly selected 28 hospitals, located in 14 cities over 13 provinces across the seven geographical regions. We distributed 4125 questionnaires between May 4 and September 23, 2014. The questionnaire included demographic information, the Workplace Violent Incident Questionnaire, the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professionals, and the Practice Environment Scale of Nursing Work Index. Workplace violence was assessed in terms of physical violence, non-physical violence, sexual harassment, and organized healthcare disturbances. We then performed descriptive analyses and logistic regressions on the collected data. Results The response rate was 92.97% (n = 3835). Additionally, we obtained valid questionnaires from 3004 individuals. Of these, 25.77% reported experiencing physical violence, 63.65% non-physical violence, 2.76% sexual harassment, and 11.72% organized healthcare disturbances. A logistic regression analysis revealed that nurses who have less experience, work a rotating roster, work in emergency rooms and pediatrics departments, have low empathy levels, and who work in poor nursing environments have greater odds of experiencing violence. Conclusions Experiences of workplace violence are prevalent among Chinese nurses, and several complex factors are associated with a greater risk of such violence, including nurses’ personal characteristics, work settings, and work environments. Our results might help nursing managers understand their employees’ work status. We recommend that nursing leaders provide and enhance education and support for high-risk groups to help protect Chinese nurses from workplace violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is currently known about the role of lipid metabolism in diabetic kidney disease (DKD), warranting further study. The present study sought to investigate the correlation between lipid metabolism and renal function as well as renal pathological grade/score in DKD patients. A total of 224 patients diagnosed with DKD by pathological examination were retrospectively analyzed, of which 74 patients were further evaluated by DKD pathological grade/score. ANOVA was used to investigate serum lipoprotein (a) [Lp (a)] levels in DKD patients with different chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages. Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between Lp (a) and renal function-related indicators. The DKD pathological grade/score was also evaluated with this method. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the value of Lp (a) in assessing renal function and pathological changes. There were significant differences in Lp (a) levels among different CKD stages (H = 17.063, p = 0.002) and glomerular grades (H = 12.965, p = 0.005). Lp (a) levels correlated with serum creatinine (p = 0.000), blood urea nitrogen (p = 0.000), estimated glomerular filtration rate (p = 0.000), 24-h proteinuria (24hUPro, p = 0.000), urine microalbumin (p = 0.000), urine albumin creatinine ratio (p = 0.000), glomerular basement membrane thickness (p = 0.003), and glomerular grade (p = 0.039). ROC curve demonstrated good performance of Lp (a) as an indicator to assess CKD stage 4–5 (AUC = 0.684, p = 0.000), 24hUPro > 3.5 g (AUC = 0.720, p = 0.000), and glomerular grade III-IV (AUC = 0.695, p = 0.012). Elevated levels of Lp (a) are associated with decreased GFR, increased proteinuria, and renal pathological progression, suggesting they could be used to monitor changes in DKD patients. • Serum lipoprotein (a) is associated with glomerular filtration rate and renal pathological grade in diabetic kidney disease. • Lipoprotein (a) is an indicator that reflect changes in renal function and pathology in diabetic kidney disease. • Active regulation of serum lipoprotein (a) could be prospective for the treatment of diabetic kidney disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (CI/R) injury is a clinical conundrum during the treatment of ischemic stroke. Cell-derived exosomes (CDE) were proved to be therapeutically effective for CI/R injury. However, production of CDE is time and effort consuming. Increasing studies reported that plants can also generate exosome-like nanoparticles (ELN) which are therapeutically effective and have higher yield compared with CDE. In this study, a commonly used Chinese herb Panax notoginseng (PN), whose active ingredients were well-documented in the treatment of CI/R injury, was chosen as a source of ELNs. It was found that Panax notoginseng derived exosome like nanoparticles (PDN) could enter the brain without modification and ameliorate cerebral infarct volume, improve behavior outcome and maintained the integrity of BBB. PDNs attenuated CI/R injury by altering the phenotype of microglia from "pro-inflammation" M1 type to "anti-inflammation" M2 type. Also, we found that lipids from PDNs were the major therapeutic effective component. As a mechanism of action, PDN was proved to exert therapeutic effect via activating pI3k/Akt pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the wide application of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites, the impact resistance and damping properties of FRP have been considered as the essential properties of many applications. In this paper, the hybrid composites (FCFCF, where C represents carbon fiber layer and f represents flax layer) and sandwich structure (CFFFC) alternately laminated with carbon fiber and flax fabric were studied by vacuum-assisted resin pouring (VARI) process, and the effects of stacking sequence of carbon fiber and flax fabric layers on low-speed impact response and damping properties were studied. The better impact response and higher energy absorption of hybrid composites with the sandwich structure are attributed to the higher strength of the skin layer and better adhesion between core layers. Furthermore, affected by the types of surface fibers, FCFCF has lower vibration frequency and higher energy consumption, and its damping coefficient is 26.4% higher than that of CFFFC. [Display omitted] • The effect of stacking sequence on the dynamic energy absorption capacity of hybrid composites was studied. • The impact damage modes of hybrid composites with different hybrid methods were obtained. • Composites with the skin-core structure are more conducive to absorbing impact energy. • Composites with alternately stacked structures exhibit more significant modal damping coefficients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, an environmentally-friendly, reusable hydrogel ball characterized by its great adsorption capacity to Cu(II) was synthesized. The preparation of this hydrogel drew on sodium alginate (SA) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as primary composition elements. The endeavor brought novelty by ingeniously infusing it with slurry magnesium hydroxide (MH). The factors (pH, SC-MH amount, initial concentration, adsorption time) that are critical to adsorption were also investigated. FTIR, SEM-EDS and XPS were used to reveal the adsorption mechanism of Cu on SC-MH. The results show that the surface of SC-MH is rough, and there are a large number of gully-like structures conducive to adsorption, which are rich in hydroxyl and carboxyl groups. Under the optimum conditions, the maximum adsorption capacity reached 215.68 mg/g. Based on its high R2 value (0.999), the Langmuir model is determined to be the most appropriate for describing the adsorption behavior, indicating monolayer homogeneous adsorption. The kinetic data align well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Furthermore, thermodynamic analysis reveals the adsorption process to be spontaneous and endothermic, as demonstrated by a negative ΔG and positive ΔH (38.8859 KJ/mol). The mechanism involves electrostatic attraction, chelation, Mg(OH) 2 adsorption and ion exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • High entropy alloy films with single phase B2 AlCoCrFeNi fabricated from multilayers. • Self-propagating combustion using Al/Ni multilayers is used as an ultrafast heat source. • Fast scanning calorimetry reveals that the phase formation sequence depends on heating rate. • High heating rates avoid long-range diffusion and intermediate phases. High entropy alloy films of AlCoCrFeNi B2-ordered structure are formed during an ultrafast heating process by reactive Ni/Al multilayers. The self-propagating high-temperature reaction occurring in reactive Ni/Al multilayers after ignition represents an ultrafast heat source which is used for the transformation of a thin films Al/CoFe/CrNi multilayer structure into a single-phase high entropy alloy film. The materials design of the combined multilayers thus determines the phase formation. Conventional rapid thermal annealing transforms the multilayer into a film with multiple equilibrium phases. Ultrafast combustion synthesis produces films with ultrafine-grained single-phase B2-ordered compound alloy. The heating rates during the combustion synthesis are in the order of one million K/s, much higher than those of the rapid thermal annealing, which is about 7 K/s. The results are compared with differential scanning calorimetry experiments with heating rates ranging from about 100 K/s up to 25000 K/s. It is shown that the heating rate clearly determines the phase formation in the multilayers. The rapid kinetics of the combustion prevents long-range diffusion and promotes the run-away transformation. Thus, multilayer combustion synthesis using reactive Ni/Al multilayers as heat source represents a new pathway for the fabrication of single phase high-entropy alloy films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little is known about how longitudinal trajectories of cognitive function and depressive symptoms are impacted by varying levels of physical activity (PA) intensity.Method: The data were from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, a nationally representative household study of the Chinese population aged 45 years and older. The sample included 5025 middle-aged and older adults (mean age = 57) who self-reported their cognitive function, depressive symptoms, and PA intensity (vigorous PA, moderate PA, and light PA) every two years from 2011 to 2018.Result: On average, every 2 years, cognitive function decreased by 0.17 points (95 % CI: [-0.22, -0.12], P < 0.05), while depressive symptoms increased by 0.23 points (95 % CI: [0.19,0.27], P < 0.001). Middle-aged and older adults who reported a minimum of 6 days/week frequency of moderate PA (β = 0.14, 95 % CI:[0.01,0.27]) had lower reduction of cognitive function compared to people with none moderate PA but not vigorous PA (β = 0.04, 95 % CI:[-0.11,0.19]) and light PA (β = 0.06, 95 % CI:[-0.09,0.22]). The increase in depressive symptoms was significantly slower among middle-aged and older adults with a minimum of 6 days/week light PA (β = -0.02, 95 % CI:[-0.03,-0.002]).Conclusion: A minimum of 6 days of moderate PA a week was associated with a slower reduction in cognitive function and a minimum of 6 days of light PA a week was linked to a delayed increase in depressive symptoms. In middle-aged and older adults, a tailored PA intensity may be more beneficial in achieving the maximum improvement in cognitive function and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the synthesis of High Entropy Alloy (HEA) films starting from elemental Cu and binary alloy CoFe and CrNiO multilayers, followed by rapid thermal processing (RTP). By that, the HEA films (HEAFs) were formed by phase formation via short-range and fast diffusion processes. Multilayers with a total thickness of 760 nm consisting of 16 repetitions of a Cu (11 nm)/CrNiO (16.5 nm)/CoFe (20 nm) sequence were annealed at temperatures from 600 °C to 1000 °C for 5 min. The reaction products were then analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) combined with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), in order to identify the phase transformations and elemental distributions. A duplex FCC structure containing CrCoFeNiO HEA and pure Cu phase was successfully synthesized at 600 °C and 800 °C by the solid-state reaction. CuCrCoFeNiO HEA formed within in a Cu nanocrystalline matrix. As the annealing temperature increased, the oxygen content in the films decreased, Both HEA and Cu possess significant 〈111〉 preferred orientation. The HEA phase demonstrated a typical microstructure of alloys with intensive nano-twins. Moreover, the grain growth kinetics of the HEA phase was evaluated, and the activation energy was found to be 185(10) kJ/mol. This is comparable to that of conventional stainless steel (~150 kJ/mol) and less than half of the value for CrCoFeNi bulk (434 kJ/mol). A surface energy-driven grain growth mechanism of the HEAFs via multilayer alloy formation is proposed in this study. The mechanical properties, hardness and Young's modulus, were measured via nanoindentation, and the strengthening mechanism was proposed and compared with current literature. Unlabelled Image • Duplex fcc-structured CrCoFeNiO/Cu high entropy alloys thin film (HEAF) was synthesized via a rapid multilayer alloying method. • Oxygen stabilized entropy effect was discovered to hinder the intermixing of Cu in HEA phase. • Surface energy-driven HEAF grain growth is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hybrid of flax and carbon fibers was considered as an effective way to enhance the mechanical and hydrothermal resistance of flax-reinforced polymer composites. In this study, hybrid composites based on three layers of cross-ply flax fabrics, two layers of unidirectional carbon fabrics, and an epoxy resin were investigated in terms of the tensile, three-point bending, impact, and water absorption properties. The flax fabric reinforcement of the hybrid composites contributed to an improvement in the toughness, whereas the carbon fabric contributed to an improvement in their hydrothermal resistance and overall strength and stiffness. The hybrid composites with carbon fibers on the surface (CFFFC) exhibited brittle failure in the tensile test, whereas those with alternating layers (FCFCF) exhibited greater plastic deformation. In addition, the failure strain of the CFFFC samples showed a negative hybrid effect, whereas that of the FCFCF samples improved 63.5% compared with that of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer composites. A positive hybrid effect on the impact performance of hybrid reinforced epoxy composites containing the unidirectional carbon fabric and cross-ply flax fabric was observed. At 40 °C and 80% relative humidity, the diffusion rate of water molecules in the FCFCF samples was 16 times that in the CFFFC samples. • High performance carbon/flax hybrid fiber reinforced epoxy composites with low environmental impact was prepared. • Hybrid mode has a great influence on hybrid effect. • Evaluation of hybrid effect on mechanical, impact and hydrothermal aging properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flax fiber has high sensitivity to moisture, and moisture uptake leads to the decrease of mechanical properties and distortion in shape. This paper attempts to graft flax fabric with nano-clay, with assistance from a silane-coupling agent, in order to improve hygrothermal resistance. The nano-clay grafted flax fabric reinforced epoxy (FFRP) composite produced through vacuum assisted resin infusion (VARI) process were subjected to 80% RH chamber for 12 weeks at 20, 40 and 70 °C, respectively. Moisture uptake, dimensional stability, and tensile properties was studied as a function of humidity exposure. Through SEM and FTIR, the effects of hygrothermal exposure was elucidated. In comparison to control FFRP plates, nano-clay grafting decreases saturation moisture uptake and the coefficient of diffusion of FFRP by 38.4% and 13.2%, respectively. After exposure for six weeks, the retention rate of the tensile modulus of the nano-clay grafted flax fiber based FFRP increased by 33.8% compared with that of the control ones. Nano-clay grafting also reduces the linear moisture expansion coefficient of FFRPs by 8.4% in a radial direction and 10.9% in a weft direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The student veteran population has been growing in higher education, along with the attention to their happiness and well-being. Seligman developed the positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment (PERMA) model to help understand an individual's happiness, including five pillars: P ositive emotion, E ngagement, R elationship, M eaning, and A ccomplishment. In this study, we aim at evaluating the role of the PERMA model's five pillars in explaining the relationship between service-connected disability and happiness. Data were collected from 205 student veterans. The result demonstrated that positive emotion and accomplishment mediated the relationship between service-connected disability and happiness. The findings of this study suggest utilizing positive psychology to help student veterans improve happiness, as well as engage in more activities that could potentially increase an individual's positive emotion and accomplishment, and eventually increase the level of happiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, ordinary Portland cement, ultrafine cement, polyurethane, and epoxy resin were selected as typical grouting materials. Grouting simulation tests were first conducted to prepare the grouted concrete crack sample. The effect of concrete crack parameters (i.e., crack aperture and roughness), grout water–cement ratio, and grouting pressure on the water-plugging performance of different grouting materials was explored through the impermeability test. The microstructure of grouted concrete cracks was analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and computed tomography (CT), and the difference in water-plugging performance of different grouting materials was explained at the micro level. The results show that the impermeability of the four grouting materials was ranked as follows: Epoxy resin > polyurethane > ultra-fine cement > ordinary Portland cement. The concrete cracks grouted by epoxy resin have the highest plugging failure water pressure and the lowest permeability, which is the optimal grouting material. The effectiveness of crack grouting in water-plugging was directly proportional to the grouting pressure, provided the pressure did not exceed a certain value. When the pressure surpassed the threshold, the increase in pressure did not have a significant impact on the water plugging performance. For the two cement-based materials, the threshold pressure was 1 MPa, while for the other two chemical grouts, it was 2 MPa. The two cement-based grouts with a water–cement ratio of 0.8 showed optimal water-plugging performance. The water-plugging performance of ordinary Portland cement paste, ultra-fine cement pastes, and polyurethane grout was negatively correlated with crack aperture and positively correlated with crack roughness. However, the water-plugging performance of epoxy resin grout was not affected by crack aperture or roughness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the birth policy has been adjusted from one-child-one-couple to universal two-child-one-couple in China, there is an increasing number of women undergoing a second pregnancy after a previous cesarean section (CS). Undertaking an elective repeat CS (ERCS) has been taken for granted and has thus become a major contributor to the increasing CS rate in China. Promoting trial of labor after CS (TOLAC) can reduce the CS rate without compromising delivery outcomes. This study aimed to investigate Chinese obstetricians' perspectives regarding TOLAC, and the factors associated with their decision-making regarding recommending TOLAC to pregnant women with a history of CS under the two-child policy.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out between May and July 2018. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with the obstetricians' intention to recommend TOLAC to pregnant women with a history of CS. The independent variables included sociodemographic factors and perceptions regarding TOLAC (selection criteria for TOLAC, basis underlying the selection criteria for TOLAC, and perceived challenges regarding promoting TOLAC).Results: A total of 426 obstetricians were surveyed, with a response rate of ≥83%. The results showed that 31.0% of the obstetricians had no intention to recommend TOLAC to pregnant women with a history of CS. Their decisions were associated with the perceived lack of confidence regarding undergoing TOLAC among pregnant women with a history of CS and their families (odds ratio [OR] = 2.31; 95% CI: 1.38-1.38); obstetricians' uncertainty about the safety of TOLAC for pregnant women with a history of CS (OR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.27-0.96), and worries about medical lawsuits due to adverse delivery outcomes (OR = 0.14; 95% CI: 0.07-0.31). The main reported challenges regarding performing TOLAC were lack of clear guidelines for predicting or avoiding the risks associated with TOLAC (83.4%), obstetricians' uncertainty about the safety of TOLAC for women with a history of CS (81.2%), pregnant women's unwillingness to accept the risks associated with TOLAC (81.0%) or demand for ERCS (80.7%), and the perceived lack of confidence (77.5%) or understanding (69.7%) regarding undergoing TOLAC among pregnant women and their families.Conclusion: A proportion of Chinese obstetricians did not intend to recommend TOLAC to pregnant women with a history of CS. This phenomenon was closely associated with obstetricians' concerns about TOLAC safety and perceived attitudes of the pregnant women and their families regarding TOLAC. Effective measures are needed to help obstetricians predict and reduce the risks associated with TOLAC, clearly specify the indications for TOLAC, improve labor management, and popularize TOLAC in China. Additionally, public health education on TOLAC is necessary to improve the understanding of TOLAC among pregnant women with a history of CS and their families, and to improve their interactions with their obstetricians regarding shared decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PEGylated cholesterol-containing liposomes (Chol-PEG-lipo) have been widely used as a drug carrier for their good stealth property in blood circulation where cholesterol maintains the stability of the liposomal lipid bilayer and PEGylation endows liposomes with long circulation capability. However, cholesterol-related disadvantages and the accelerated blood clearance (ABC) phenomenon caused by PEGylation greatly limit the application of conventional stealth liposomes in clinic. Herein, ginsenoside Rg3 was selected to substitute cholesterol and PEG for liposomes preparation (Rg3-lipo). Rg3 was proved with similar liposomal membrane regulation ability to cholesterol and comparable long circulation effect to PEG. In addition, repeated administrations of Chol-PEG-lipo and Rg3-lipo were performed. The circulation time of the second dose of Chol-PEG-lipo was substantially reduced accompanied by a greatly increased accumulation in the liver due to the induction of anti-PEG IgM and the subsequent activated complement system. In contrast, no significantly increased level of relative plasma cells, IgM secretion and the complement activation in blood circulation was observed after the second injection of Rg3-lipo. As a result, Rg3-lipo showed great stealth property without ABC phenomenon. Therefore, developing liposomes utilizing Rg3 instead of PEG and cholesterol presents a promising strategy to prolong the blood circulation time of liposomes without triggering the ABC phenomenon and activated immune responses. [Display omitted] • ginsenoside Rg3 can substitute cholesterol and PEG for liposomes preparation. • Rg3 liposomes exhibits long circulation comparable to PEGylated liposomes. • Rg3 liposomes show stealth property without accelerated blood clearance phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To predict prognosis in HIV-negative cryptococcal meningitis (CM) patients by developing and validating a machine learning (ML) model. Methods: This study involved 523 HIV-negative CM patients diagnosed between January 1, 1998, and August 31, 2022, by neurologists from 3 tertiary Chinese centers. Prognosis was evaluated at 10 weeks after the initiation of antifungal therapy. Results: The final prediction model for HIV-negative CM patients comprised 8 variables: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cryptococcal count, CSF white blood cell (WBC), altered mental status, hearing impairment, CSF chloride levels, CSF opening pressure (OP), aspartate aminotransferase levels at admission, and decreased rate of CSF cryptococcal count within 2 weeks after admission. The areas under the curve (AUCs) in the internal, temporal, and external validation sets were 0.87 (95% CI 0.794–0.944), 0.92 (95% CI 0.795–1.000), and 0.86 (95% CI 0.744–0.975), respectively. An artificial intelligence (AI) model was trained to detect and count cryptococci, and the mean average precision (mAP) was 0.993. Conclusion: A ML model for predicting prognosis in HIV-negative CM patients was built and validated, and the model might provide a reference for personalized treatment of HIV-negative CM patients. The change in the CSF cryptococcal count in the early phase of HIV-negative CM treatment can reflect the prognosis of the disease. In addition, utilizing AI to detect and count CSF cryptococci in HIV-negative CM patients can eliminate the interference of human factors in detecting cryptococci in CSF samples and reduce the workload of the examiner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent recognition of traffic police command gestures increases authenticity and interactivity in virtual urban scenes. To actualize real-time traffic gesture recognition, a novel spatiotemporal convolution neural network (ST-CNN) model is presented. We utilized Kinect 2.0 to construct a traffic police command gesture skeleton (TPCGS) dataset collected from 10 volunteers. Subsequently, convolution operations on the locational change of each skeletal point were performed to extract temporal features, analyze the relative positions of skeletal points, and extract spatial features. After temporal and spatial features based on the three-dimensional positional information of traffic police skeleton points were extracted, the ST-CNN model classified positional information into eight types of Chinese traffic police gestures. The test accuracy of the ST-CNN model was 96.67%. In addition, a virtual urban traffic scene in which real-time command tests were carried out was set up, and a real-time test accuracy rate of 93.0% was achieved. The proposed ST-CNN model ensured a high level of accuracy and robustness. The ST-CNN model recognized traffic command gestures, and such recognition was found to control vehicles in virtual traffic environments, which enriches the interactive mode of the virtual city scene. Traffic command gesture recognition contributes to smart city construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long‐term care of patients with chronic illnesses is an important global public health issue, compromising the well‐being of family members and the family functioning. Previous studies have examined the interactive experiences and processes of various systems in the families coping with long‐term care stress; however, these studies have not been systematically reviewed and integrated. Aims: This review aimed to synthesise the existing qualitative evidence on the experiences and processes of family resilience operate in families providing long‐term care for patients with chronic illnesses and to provide suggestions for the development of interventions in future studies. Materials & Methods: We searched databases including PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Web of Science, ProQuest and CNKI from their inception to March 2022. We used the JBI Critical Appraisal Tool for qualitative studies to evaluate the quality of the included studies was evaluated according to. We followed The Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research (ENTREQ) statement. The results were integrated using the thematic and content analysis method. Results: Fourteen studies from eight countries covering 11 diseases reported on the experiences and coping processes of long‐term care families. Based on McCubbin's Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation (FAAR), five analytical themes were synthesised: stressors (risk factors), family belief system, internal family coping strategies, external support and resilient adaptation indicators; the relationships between themes and subthemes were illustrated. Discussion: This review synthesized qualitative evidence on the experiences and processes of family resilience operate in families providing long‐term care. The results of this study found that the cognition and belief of family members regarding dilemmas have a two‐way effect and act on the adaptation process of family members. In family adaptation, spirituality, hope, internal and external support are extremely important. In 14 studies, caregivers were from different countries with intercultural differences, but due to less reports on this content, it is difficult to compare the differences or impact that culture or ethnicity may have. Conclusions: Family resilience plays an important role in coping with stressors associated with the long‐term care of a loved one through family belief systems, internal support systems and external support systems. The development of family resilience‐based interventions for long‐term care families should consider the family as a whole and further construct a multidisciplinary, multilevel and multi‐type social support network to enhance family resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Until now, the treatment of patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remain a difficult problem. The insula is involved in empathy and sensorimotor integration, which are often impaired in individuals with ASD. Deep brain stimulation, modulating neuronal activity in specific brain circuits, has recently been considered as a promising intervention for neuropsychiatric disorders. Valproic acid (VPA) is a potential teratogenic agent, and prenatal exposure can cause autism-like symptoms including repetitive behaviors and defective sociability. Herein, we investigated the effects of continuous high-frequency deep brain stimulation in the anterior insula of rats exposed to VPA and explored cognitive functions, behavior, and molecular proteins connected to autism spectrum disorder. Methods: VPA-exposed offspring were bilaterally implanted with electrodes in the anterior insula (Day 0) with a recovery period of 1 week. (Day 0–7). High-frequency deep brain stimulation was applied from days 11 to 29. Three behavioral tests, including three-chamber social interaction test, were performed on days 7, 13, 18, 25 and 36, and several rats were used for analysis of immediate early genes and proteomic after deep brain stimulation intervention. Meanwhile, animals were subjected to a 20 day spatial learning and cognitive rigidity test using IntelliCage on day 11. Results: Deep brain stimulation improved the sociability and social novelty preference at day 18 prior to those at day 13, and the improvement has reached the upper limit compared to day 25. As for repetitive/stereotypic-like behavior, self- grooming time were reduced at day 18 and reached the upper limit, and the numbers of burried marbles were reduced at day 13 prior to those at day 18 and day 25. The improvements of sociability and social novelty preference were persistent after the stimulation had ceased. Spatial learning ability and cognitive rigidity were unaffected. We identified 35 proteins in the anterior insula, some of which were intimately linked to autism, and their expression levels were reversed upon administration of deep brain stimulation. Conclusions: Autism-like behavior was ameliorated and autism-related proteins were reversed in the insula by deep brain stimulation intervention, these findings reveal that the insula may be a potential target for DBS in the treatment of autism, which provide a theoretical basis for its clinical application., although future studies are still warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ball eye (BE) is a key connecting component between the insulator and transmission tower, whose fatigue characteristics concern the safety of transmission lines. To understand the fatigue mechanism and characteristics of it, the fatigue test was conducted based on the following data: r = 0.25, S = 500 MPa,then plotting of S N and Δε axis − N , to analyze the fatigue failure of the test specimen from the macro and micro point of views. The research results show that: the life of BE significantly reduces with the increase of the stress amplitude, but the relative reduction in life is not the same; softening and strain amplitude of the specimen change differently before and after the stress amplitude of 300 MPa; when S ≤ 300 MPa, the fracture is more smooth, the fatigue crack propagation is slow; when S > 300 MPa, the rate of fatigue crack growth is faster, and the fatigue crack growth zones are not obvious. The cracks are easily detectable appear at the joint of the BE and insulator cap, and the cracks along the fracture cross section are constantly expanding, showing multiple fatigue sources and fatigue steps. The number of fatigue steps increases as the magnitude of the tensile stress increases. When S = 500 MPa, the yield strength decreases during the lifetime, the decrease rate of the tensile strength and microstructure strength in each stage are different. Axial lengthening and section shrinkage ratio decrease with the development of fatigue, fatigue evolution process is accompanied by phenomenon of crystalline slip, deformation, dislocation, at the same time, dissipation and decomposition of pearlite occur, and carbide precipitates from the matrix, growing and moving to the grain boundaries, the specific phenomenon of grain growth appears. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemotherapy effect of docetaxel (DTX) against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains mediocre and limited when encapsulated in conventional cholesterol liposomes, mainly ascribed to poor penetration and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) caused by tumor stroma cells, especially cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Many studies have attempted to address these problems but trapped into the common dilemma of excessively complicated formulation strategies at the expense of druggability as well as clinical translational feasibility. To better address the discrepancy, ginsenoside Rg3 was utilized to substitute cholesterol to develop a multifunctional DTX-loaded Rg3 liposome (Rg3-Lp/DTX). The obtained Rg3-Lp/DTX was proved to be preferentially uptake by 4T1 cells and accumulate more at tumor site via the interaction between the glycosyl moiety of Rg3 exposed on liposome surface and glucose transporter1 (Glut1) overexpressed on tumor cells. After reaching tumor site, Rg3 was shown to reverse the activated CAFs to the resting stage and attenuate the dense stroma barrier by suppressing secretion of TGF-β from tumor cells and regulating TGF-β/Smad signaling. Therefore, reduced levels of CAFs and collagens were found in TME after incorporation of Rg3, inducing enhanced penetration of Rg3-Lp/DTX in the tumor and reversed immune system which can detect and neutralize tumor cells. Compared with wooden cholesterol liposomes, the smart and versatile Rg3-Lp/DTX could significantly improve the anti-tumor effect of DTX, providing a promising approach for TNBC therapy with excellent therapeutic efficacy and simple preparation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Our previous study explored Amphotericin B (AMB) plus 5-flucytosine (5-FC) combined with fluconazole (FLU) therapy in the induction period, which seemed to be better than the previous AMB + 5-FC antifungal therapy in non-HIV and non-transplant-associated CM. However, based on our clinical finding, the outcomes of some CM patients who received AMB plus 5-FC combined with FLU antifungal therapy were still poor. Therefore, we need to explore new antifungal methods in non-HIV and non-transplant-associated CM during the induction period.Methods: Clinical data from 148 patients admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat Sen University from January 2011 to December 2020 were collected. These patients were stratified based on antifungal treatment methods in the induction period (group I with AMB + 5-FC + VOR, group II with AMB + 5-FC + FLU, group III with AMB + 5-FC).Results: The first hospitalization time of Group I (median: 25 days, IQR: 20-34.5) was significantly shorter than that of Group II (median: 43 days, IQR: 29-62) (p < 0.001) and Group III (median: 50.5 days, IQR: 43-77.5) (p < 0.001). After 2 weeks of follow-up, Group I (26/49) had more patients reaching CSF clearance (p = 0.004) than Group II (18/71) and Group III (7/28). In multivariable analysis, Group II (OR: 3.35, 95%CI 1.43-7.82, p = 0.005) and Group III (OR: 3.8, 95%CI 1.23-11.81, p = 0.021) were associated with higher risk about CSF clearance failure at 2 weeks follow-up than Group I. After 10 weeks of follow-up, the incidence of hypokalemia in Group I was significantly lower than that in Group II (p = 0.003) and Group III (p = 0.004), and the incidence of gastrointestinal discomfort in Group I was significantly lower than that in Group II (p = 0.004).Conclusion: AMB plus 5-FC combined with VOR may rapidly improve clinical manifestation, decrease CSF OP and clear the cryptococci in CSF during the early phase, substantially shorten the hospitalization time, and reduce the incidences of hypokalemia and gastrointestinal discomfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]