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• The g-C 3 N 4 /β-FeOOH-modified carbon quantum dot composites were synthesized. • The composition, morphology and photocatalytic efficiency of composite were investigated. • The composites exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity and stability. The degradation of organic pollutants using semiconductor photocatalysts is a new ecological approach, but the currently available photocatalysts are not very efficient. Herein, in order to obtain efficient visible-light photocatalysts, g-C 3 N 4 /β-FeOOH-modified carbon quantum dots (CDs) composite photocatalysts with Z-Scheme charge transfer mechanism were successfully synthesized. The phase composition and morphology of the composite were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. Due to the upconversion effect of the CDs, the optical response range of the composite was effectively widened, and the optical utilization rate was improved. The Z-Scheme heterostructure not only improves the light trapping ability, significantly inhibits charge-carrier complexation, and realizes the spatial separation of redox sites, but also ensures that the photocatalyst maintains a suitable valence-conductivity band position and maintains the strong redox reactivity. In addition, CDs have the unique characteristics of electronic storage and transfer, which effectively enhance the quantum separation efficiency of the composite. The photocatalytic efficiency was measured by degrading rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light. The degradation performance was the best when the weight ratio of CDs was 6%, and the RhB solution degradation rate reached 100 % in 60 min. The unique structure and reliable mechanism provide a way for the development of advanced photocatalyst. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The CNTs/FeNi/NC nanocomposites were fabricated by the carbonization of CNTs/NiFe 2 O 4 /PDA precursors obtained by hydrothermal and polymerization method. • The electromagnetic wave absorption properties of CNTs/FeNi/NC composites were explored by varying the CNTs content. • The CNTs/FeNi/NC nanocomposite exhibits excellent electromagnetic wave absorption performance. Magnetic-dielectric component modulation and heterogeneous interface engineering were considered as an effective strategy for designing lightweight and broadband electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbors. Herein, a series of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) decorated core-shell nitrogen-doped carbon (CNTs/FeNi/NC) composites were successfully fabricated via the carbonization of CNTs/NiFe 2 O 4 /PDA precursors obtained by hydrothermal and polymerization method. The EMW absorption (EMWA) properties of CNTs/FeNi/NC composites were explored by varying the CNTs content. When the CNTs content was 15%, the minimum reflection loss (RL min) value was -51.13 dB at 9.52 GHz and the corresponding effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) value was 2.96 GHz (8.96–11.12 GHz) at 2.5 mm. Particularly, the maximum EAB value can reach up to 4.64 GHz (12.80–17.44 GHz) at 1.7 mm. The excellent EMW attenuation capability resulted from the enhanced conductive loss, polarization loss, magnetic loss, and improved impedance matching. This work offers a novel reference for designing lightweight and broadband EMWA materials. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IMPORTANCE: Patients with cancer experience acute declines in physical function, hypothesized to reflect accelerated aging driven by cancer-related symptoms and effects of cancer therapies. No study has examined long-term trajectories of physical function by cancer site, stage, or treatment compared with cancer-free controls. OBJECTIVE: Examine trajectories of physical function a decade before and after cancer diagnosis among older survivors and cancer-free controls. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This prospective cohort study enrolled patients from 1993 to 1998 and followed up until December 2020. The Women’s Health Initiative, a diverse cohort of postmenopausal women, included 9203 incident cancers (5989 breast, 1352 colorectal, 960 endometrial, and 902 lung) matched to up to 5 controls (n = 45 358) on age/year of enrollment and study arm. EXPOSURES: Cancer diagnosis (site, stage, and treatment) via Medicare and medical records. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Trajectories of self-reported physical function (RAND Short Form 36 [RAND-36] scale; range: 0-100, higher scores indicate superior physical function) estimated from linear mixed effects models with slope changes at diagnosis and 1-year after diagnosis. RESULTS: This study included 9203 women with cancer and 45 358 matched controls. For the women with cancer, the mean (SD) age at diagnosis was 73.0 (7.6) years. Prediagnosis, physical function declines of survivors with local cancers were similar to controls; after diagnosis, survivors experienced accelerated declines relative to controls, whose scores declined 1 to 2 points per year. Short-term declines in the year following diagnosis were most severe in women with regional disease (eg, −5.3 [95% CI, −6.4 to −4.3] points per year in regional vs −2.8 [95% CI, −3.4 to −2.3] for local breast cancer) or who received systemic therapy (eg, for local endometrial cancer, −7.9 [95% CI, −12.2 to −3.6] points per year with any chemotherapy; −3.1 [95% CI, −6.0 to −0.3] with radiation therapy alone; and −2.6 [95% CI, −4.2 to −1.0] with neither, respectively). While rates of physical function decline slowed in the later postdiagnosis period (eg, women with regional colorectal cancer declined −4.3 [95% CI, −5.9 to −2.6] points per year in the year following diagnosis vs −1.4 [95% CI, −1.7 to −1.0] points per year in the decade thereafter), survivors had estimated physical function significantly below that of age-matched controls 5 years after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this prospective cohort study, survivors of cancer experienced accelerated declines in physical function after diagnosis, and physical function remained below that of age-matched controls even years later. Patients with cancer may benefit from supportive interventions to preserve physical functioning.

• The porphyra-derived porous carbon (PPC) was fabricated via facile procedures of low temperature pre-carbonization combined with KOH chemical activation. • The porosity of PPC can be readily regulated by adjusting activation temperature. • The hierarchically porous carbon exhibits excellent electromagnetic wave absorption performances. A highly efficient absorber with features including lightweight, broad bandwidth, and tunable electromagnetic property still remains challenging for practical applications. Herein, the Porphyra - derived porous carbon (PPC) was fabricated via facile procedures of low-temperature pre-carbonization combined with KOH chemical activation. The composition, microstructure, and electromagnetic wave absorption properties of the samples were elucidated based on X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer−Emmer−Teller (BET), and vector network analyzer (VNA). The porosity of PPC can be readily regulated by adjusting activation temperature. The PPC obtained at 750 °C was composed of a three-dimensional hierarchically porous carbon network. The C and N elements of natural Porphyra were introduced into the carbon skeleton during the carbonization process. The large specific surface, dopants, and three-dimensional hierarchically porous carbon network can effectively improve the impedance matching and dielectric dissipation, leading to an excellent electromagnetic wave absorption performance. Especially, the optimal reflection loss (RL) value reached –57.75 dB at 9.68 GHz with a broad bandwidth (RL < –10 dB) value of 7.60 GHz at 3.5 mm. Overall, the results indicate that the PPC can provide a new way to achieve lightweight, effective, and sustainable absorbers. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

•Natural gas pipeline compressor stations are expanding around the country.•Stations emitted >52 million pounds of non-methane VOCs in 2017.•Total VOC emissions were related to higher mortality rates.•Compressor stations are an understudied source of pollution emissions.

High-performance electromagnetic (EM) wave absorbing materials are strongly desired in many fields like portable devices and aircraft. Introducing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to certain materials has been proved to be an effective method leading to good EM wave absorption capability. In this work, CNTs are successfully synthesized on SiC fibers with high speed by using a newly developed method which is far more efficient than the commonly used one. The obtained CNT/SiCfcomposites exhibit high-performance EM wave absorption capability. With 0.72 wt % CNTs, the reflection loss of the 4 mm composite with only 20 wt % filler loading reaches −62.5 dB with the broad effective absorption bandwidth of 8.8 GHz, covering almost the entire Ku band and three-quarters X band. Moreover, the composites can be added to varying matrices so as to modify their EM wave absorption and other properties. The EM wave absorption performance can be easily tuned in a wide range by varying the CNT content, thickness, and filler loading. This work offers a new route for efficiently synthesizing CNTs but, more importantly, for designing high-performance and multifunctional EM wave absorbing materials.

Background: Due to temperature-insensitive and limited tribochemical reaction, nanolubricants have received tremendous focus over the past few years. The addition of nanoparticles in lubricant has been demonstrated to reduce the coefficient of friction and increase the loadcarrying capability of lubricant in coupled surfaces. Much attention has been paid to copper nanoparticles for their perfect friction reduction and wear resistance performances. However, it is difficult to maintain stable dispersion in lubricant oil for the aggregation of copper nanoparticles. Methods: A novel macromolecular coupling agent copolymer, styrene-butyl methacrylate-3- methoxyacryloyl-propyltrimethoxyl silicon was successfully prepared by free radical polymerization. The structure and composition of the copolymer were characterized through X-ray diffractometer, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer. The loadcarrying capacities and anti-wear properties of the base oil were evaluated on four-ball tester. Results: The average size of the nano-Cu particle was around 40 nm. The modifier, St-MMA-(KH- 570) macromolecular copolymer could improve the dispersibility of nano-Cu particles. The introduction of the nano-Cu particles helped to improve the tribological properties of base oil. Conclusion: The macromolecular coupling agent was synthesized by free radical solution polymerization method. The modifier was able to bond to the nano-Cu via chemical interaction. The modified Cu nanoparticles as the additive were able to greatly improve the anti-wear and extreme pressure properties of base oil. The optimum concentration of modified Cu nanoparticles in base oil was 0.25 wt.%.

Contradiction between ultrafast nucleation and deposition rates of lithium (Li) crystals at high rate and heterogeneity of Li+flux resulting from concentration polarization has compromised the performance of Li metal anodes especially at high areal capacity and current density. Here, multifunctional protective layer consisting of MoO3nanobelt films (MoO3eNF) is introduced on the surface of Li by a simple rolling method. The strong binding energy between Li and MoO3guides the homogeneous nucleation and deposition of Li, while the nanobelt networks provide effective ion channels for uniform distribution of the Li+flux. Because of the novel multifunctional protective layer, the MoO3eNF@Li anodes demonstrate a remarkable stability for 800 h with ultralow overpotential of 159 mV at extreme harsh conditions of 60 mA h/cm2and 60 mA/cm2. MoO3eNF@Li||LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2full-cells can run 100 cycles with a superior capacity retention of 84.2 % under practical test conditions, demonstrating great potential for high output and energy-density metal batteries.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has an undisputed genetic component and a stable 2:1 male to female sex ratio in its incidence across populations, suggesting possible sexual dimorphism in its genetic susceptibility. We conducted the first sex-specific genome-wide association analysis of RCC for men (3227 cases, 4916 controls) and women (1992 cases, 3095 controls) of European ancestry from two RCC genome-wide scans and replicated the top findings using an additional series of men (2261 cases, 5852 controls) and women (1399 cases, 1575 controls) from two independent cohorts of European origin. Our study confirmed sex-specific associations for two known RCC risk loci at 14q24.2 (DPF3) and 2p21(EPAS1). We also identified two additional suggestive male-specific loci at 6q24.3 (SAMD5, male odds ratio (ORmale) = 0.83 [95% CI = 0.78-0.89], Pmale= 1.71 × 10−8compared with female odds ratio (ORfemale) = 0.98 [95% CI = 0.90–1.07], Pfemale= 0.68) and 12q23.3 (intergenic, ORmale= 0.75 [95% CI = 0.68-0.83], Pmale= 1.59 × 10−8compared with ORfemale= 0.93 [95% CI = 0.82–1.06], Pfemale= 0.21) that attained genome-wide significance in the joint meta-analysis. Herein, we provide evidence of sex-specific associations in RCC genetic susceptibility and advocate the necessity of larger genetic and genomic studies to unravel the endogenous causes of sex bias in sexually dimorphic traits and diseases like RCC.

Lightweight and high-efficiency microwave attenuation are two major challenges in the exploration of carbon-based absorbers, which can be achieved simultaneously by manipulating their chemical composition, microstructure, or impedance matching. In this work, core–shell CoNi@graphitic carbon decorated on B,N-codoped hollow carbon polyhedrons has been constructed by a facile pyrolysis process using metal–organic frameworks as precursors. The B,N-codoped hollow carbon polyhedrons, originated from the calcination of Co-Ni-ZIF-67, are composed of carbon nanocages and BN domains, and CoNi alloy is encapsulated by graphitic carbon layers. With a filling loading of 30 wt %, the absorber exhibits a maximum RLof −62.8 dB at 7.2 GHz with 3 mm and the effective absorption bandwidth below −10 dB remarkably reaches as strong as 8 GHz when the thickness is only 2 mm. The outstanding microwave absorption performance stems from the hollow carbon polyhedrons and carbon nanocages with interior cavities, the synergistic coupling effect between the abundant B–C–N heteroatoms, the strong dipolar/interfacial polarizations, the multiple scatterings, and the improved impedance matching. This study demonstrates that the codoped strategy provides a new way for the rational design of carbon-based absorbers with lightweight and superior microwave attenuation.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

IMPORTANCE: Obesity is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, including the estrogen receptor (ER)–positive subtype in postmenopausal women. Whether excess adiposity is associated with increased risk in women with a normal body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between body fat and breast cancer risk in women with normal BMI. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This ad hoc secondary analysis of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) clinical trial and observational study cohorts was restricted to postmenopausal participants with a BMI ranging from 18.5 to 24.9. Women aged 50 to 79 years were enrolled from October 1, 1993, through December 31, 1998. Of these, 3460 participants underwent body fat measurement with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at 3 US designated centers with follow-up. At a median follow-up of 16 years (range, 9-20 years), 182 incident breast cancers had been ascertained, and 146 were ER positive. Follow-up was complete on September 30, 2016, and data from October 1, 1993, through September 30, 2016, was analyzed August 2, 2017, through August 21, 2018. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Body fat levels were measured at baseline and years 1, 3, 6, and 9 using DXA. Information on demographic data, medical history, and lifestyle factors was collected at baseline. Invasive breast cancers were confirmed via central review of medical records by physician adjudicators. Blood analyte levels were measured in subsets of participants. RESULTS: Among the 3460 women included in the analysis (mean [SD] age, 63.6 [7.6] years), multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for the risk of invasive breast cancer were 1.89 (95% CI, 1.21-2.95) for the highest quartile of whole-body fat and 1.88 (95% CI, 1.18-2.98) for the highest quartile of trunk fat mass. The corresponding adjusted hazard ratios for ER-positive breast cancer were 2.21 (95% CI, 1.23-3.67) and 1.98 (95% CI, 1.18-3.31), respectively. Similar positive associations were observed for serial DXA measurements in time-dependent covariate analyses. Circulating levels of insulin, C-reactive protein, interleukin 6, leptin, and triglycerides were higher, whereas levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and sex hormone–binding globulin were lower in those in the uppermost vs lowest quartiles of trunk fat mass. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In postmenopausal women with normal BMI, relatively high body fat levels were associated with an elevated risk of invasive breast cancer and altered levels of circulating metabolic and inflammatory factors. Normal BMI categorization may be an inadequate proxy for the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00000611

Understanding the spatial interactions among multiple ecosystem services is crucial for ecosystem services management. Ecosystem services, including crop production, freshwater supply, aquatic production, net primary production, soil conservation, water conservation, flood regulation, forest recreation, were measured at 1-km grid scale covering the Taihu Lake Basin (TLB) of China. Our objective is to get a comprehensive understanding of the spatial distributions, trade-offs, synergies of multiple ecosystem services across the TLB. Our results found that: 1) majority of ecosystem services were clustered in space and had a similar spatial distribution pattern with the geographical resource endowment. Most of the landscape contributed a high supply of no services, one or two, and a low supply of three to seven services. 2) There were high correlation between forest recreation and freshwater supply and regulating services. Aquatic production had low correlation with other services. 3) The changes of provisioning services led to trade-offs between regulating services and cultural services in the TLB, while synergies mainly occurred among the provisioning service. 4) The spatial relationships of multiple services are consistent at 1-km spatial scale, counties and provinces. This research could help integrate multiple ecosystem services across scales and serve as a reference for decision making.

The metabolic effects of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) remain contentious, and little evidence is available regarding their potential role in primary prevention of type 2 diabetes. We aimed to assess the associations of linoleic acid and arachidonic acid biomarkers with incident type 2 diabetes.

Lakes are major emitters of methane (CH4); however, a longstanding challenge with quantifying the magnitude of emissions remains as a result of large spatial and temporal variability. This study was designed to address the issue using satellite remote sensing with the advantages of spatial coverage and temporal resolution. Using Aqua/MODIS imagery (2003–2020) and in situmeasured data (2011–2017) in eutrophic Lake Taihu, we compared the performance of eight machine learning models to predict diffusive CH4emissions and found that the random forest (RF) model achieved the best fitting accuracy (R2= 0.65 and mean relative error = 21%). On the basis of input satellite variables (chlorophyll a, water surface temperature, diffuse attenuation coefficient, and photosynthetically active radiation), we assessed how and why they help predict the CH4emissions with the RF model. Overall, these variables mechanistically controlled the emissions, leading to the model capturing well the variability of diffusive CH4emissions from the lake. Additionally, we found climate warming and associated algal blooms boosted the long-term increase in the emissions via reconstructing historical (2003–2020) daily time series of CH4emissions. This study demonstrates the great potential of satellites to map lake CH4emissions by providing spatiotemporal continuous data, with new and timely insights into accurately understanding the magnitude of aquatic greenhouse gas emissions.

Context:Estrogen has been suggested as a risk factor for thyroid cancer.Objective:The aim of this study is to examine the associations between hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO), and incidence of thyroid cancer.Design:This was a prospective cohort study.Setting:The study was conducted at 40 clinical centers in the United States.Participants:A total of 127 566 women aged 50–79 were enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative during 1993–1998.Main Outcome Measures:Hysterectomy and BSO were self-reported. Incident thyroid cancer cases were confirmed by medical record review.Results:Three hundred forty-four incident thyroid cancer cases were identified during an average of 14.4 years of follow-up. Compared with women without hysterectomy, women with hysterectomy, regardless of ovarian status, had a significantly higher risk of thyroid cancer (hazard ratio 1.46 [95% confidence interval 1.16–1.85]). Hysterectomy with BSO was not associated with a lower risk for thyroid cancer compared with hysterectomy alone. Among women with hysterectomy alone, hormone therapy use was associated with lower risk of thyroid cancer (hazard ratio 0.47 [95% confidence interval 0.28–0.78]). However, we did not observe significant associations between hormone therapy use and thyroid cancer in women without hysterectomy or women with hysterectomy plus BSO.Conclusion:Our large prospective study observed that hysterectomy, regardless of oophorectomy status, was associated with increased risk of thyroid cancer among postmenopausal women. In addition, our data did not support the hypotheses that exogenous estrogen is a risk factor or that estrogen deprivation is a protective factor for thyroid cancer. Further research is needed to clarify whether these apparent associations may be due to shared risk factors between indications for hysterectomy and thyroid cancer.

The pharmaceutical industry is developing fast in China and the market is getting more mature in recent years, which draws the attention of multinational producers and investors. Patent protection is important for the commercialization of pharmaceuticals in China. This article will introduce the prosecution and enforcement of pharmaceuticals in China, in view of the amendments to the Chinese Patent Law, particularly the upcoming fourth amendments to the Patent Law. Particular issues in connection with the prosecution of pharmaceuticals will focus on patentable subject matter, sufficient disclosure, medical use claims. Further, specific issues in relation to patent term, patent linkage, regulatory exclusivity and Bolar exemption will also be highlighted. Current problems and perspectives of the authors will be addressed.

The pharmaceutical industry is developing fast in China and the market is getting more mature in recent years, which draws the attention of multinational producers and investors. Patent protection is important for the commercialization of pharmaceuticals in China. This article will introduce the prosecution and enforcement of pharmaceuticals in China, in view of the amendments to the Chinese Patent Law, particularly the upcoming fourth amendments to the Patent Law. Particular issues in connection with the prosecution of pharmaceuticals will focus on patentable subject matter, sufficient disclosure, medical use claims. Further, specific issues in relation to patent term, patent linkage, regulatory exclusivity and Bolar exemption will also be highlighted. Current problems and perspectives of the authors will be addressed.

Cadmium, a heavy metal dispersed in the environment as a result of industrial and agricultural applications, has been implicated in several human diseases including renal disease, cancers, and compromised bone health. In the general population, the predominant sources of cadmium exposure are tobacco and diet. Urinary cadmium (uCd) reflects long-term exposure and has been frequently used to assess cadmium exposure in epidemiological studies; estimated dietary intake of cadmium (dCd) has also been used in several studies. The validity of dCd in comparison with uCd is unclear. This study aimed to compare dCd, estimated from food frequency questionnaires, to uCd measured in spot urine samples from 1,002 participants of the Women’s Health Initiative. Using linear regression, we found that dCd was not statistically significantly associated with uCd (ß=0.006, P-value=0.14). When stratified by smoking status, dCd was not significantly associated with uCd both in never smokers (ß=0.006, P-value=0.09) and in ever smokers (ß=0.003, P-value=0.67). Our results suggest that because of the lack of association between estimated dCd and measured uCd, dietary estimation of cadmium exposure should be used with caution in epidemiologic studies.

ABSTRACTSatellite remote sensing has been used in many fields but less commonly for monitoring grazing intensity (GI). In this study, grassland above-ground biomass (AGB) was simulated by multispectral reflectance derived from an artificial neural network (ANN) to investigate GI. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and frequency histograms from sample plots were used to determine the thresholds of AGB for four levels of GI characterized as ungrazed, lightly grazed, moderately grazed and heavily grazed. The distribution of GI in the Xilingol steppe region of Inner Mongolia, China, was then mapped from the remotely sensed grassland AGB. This study could be used as a guide for management interventions and grassland restoration.

Objective:The objective of this study was to assess the relationships among diabetes, diabetes treatment and thyroid cancer risk using a large prospective cohort, the Women's Health Initiative.Methods:A total of 147 934 women who were free of known cancer at baseline were followed prospectively. Diabetes status and diabetes treatment at baseline and during follow-up were ascertained. Incident cases of thyroid cancers were confirmed by physician review of central medical records and pathology reports. Time-dependent Cox proportional hazards regressions were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for thyroid cancer risk associated with diabetes status, diabetes treatment, and duration of diabetes.Results:With a median follow-up time of 15.9 years, 391 incident thyroid cancers were identified. We found no significant associations between thyroid cancer and diabetes (hazard ratio = 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 0.79–1.52), diabetes treatment, or duration of diabetes.Conclusion:Our findings do not support the hypothesis that diabetes, or treatment of diabetes is associated with risk of thyroid cancer among postmenopausal women. Studies to investigate the specific effects of hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance on thyroid cancer risk may provide additional information.

Race disparities in health outcomes including mortality risk are well known, but mediating mechanisms that link race to mortality risk have rarely been formally tested.

AbstractBackground:Prenatal maternal intent to breastfeed can indicate postnatal breastfeeding practices and may serve to indicate potential barriers to breastfeeding. Breastfeeding rates in West Virginia, a primarily rural state, are among the lowest in the United States, and minimal research has been published to date on population-based prenatal intent to breastfeed among rural women.Methods:Secondary data analysis of population-based data was conducted using two state-linked datasets. State data included all live singleton births from at least 20 weeks of gestation in West Virginia from 2004 to 2006, for a total of 52,899 births.Results:Results from the logistic regression model for the population-based study indicate that variables predicting intent to breastfeed among pregnant women in West Virginia include insurance status, maternal education, maternal age, parity, marital status, timing of prenatal care initiation, and prenatal smoking status.Conclusions:Prenatal identification of characteristics associated with lack of intent to breastfeed can serve to inform healthcare providers of women who are at risk for not breastfeeding for directed breastfeeding promotion and intervention, complementing education of healthy lifestyle choices such as breastfeeding promotion with smoking cessation.

The presence of lymph node metastases is associated with poor prognosis in early stage cervical cancer. As of yet, no molecular markers predicting lymph node metastases have been identified. We examined single genetic markers and a composite marker, comprised of three fluorescence in situhybridization (FISH) probes targeting the genes LAMP3, PROX1, and PRKAA1, in pretreatment cervical biopsies from 16 lymph node positive cases and 15 lymph node negative controls from women with stage IB and IIA cervical cancer. In addition, we determined clonal patterns by including CCND1to compare the clonal constitution of primary tumors and associated lymph node metastases. The composite FISH marker allowed for classification of patients into those with and without lymph node metastases with a sensitivity and specificity of 75% and 87%, respectively (P= 0.001). The positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 86% and 76%, respectively. Clonal patterns varied among the tumors. In many cases, changes between the primary tumor and lymph node metastases in the most common clones may indicate that certain clones have a growth advantage for establishing metastases in lymph nodes. We conclude that the composite FISH marker may be useful for determining risk for subsequent development of lymph node metastases in patients with cervical cancer.

A neutral aqueous tin-based flow battery is proposed by employing Sn2+/Sn as active materials for the negative side, [Fe(CN)6]3−/ Fe(CN)6]4−as active materials for the positive side, and potassium chloride as the supporting electrolyte, and its overall performances and cost for capacity unit are investigated. Cyclic voltammetry is performed and shows that the Sn2+/Sn has outstanding electrochemical behavior. The charging-discharging tests are conducted with the optimized electrolyte composition of 0.2 M [Fe(CN)6]3−and 3 M KCl. It is shown that the flow cell can reach a high energy efficiency of 80% at 10 mA cm−2and be stably operated at 40 mA cm−2. The 120-cycling test shows that the flow cell can be of superior cycling performances, benefitting from the dendrite-free property of tin. Finally, cost analysis further confirms its competitiveness in price, offering a promising future for commercial application. This work not only forms a promising energy storage device with dendrite-free and low-cost benefits, but also provide a deep insight into its overall behavior, which is highly beneficial to the full understanding and further advancement of the proposed neutral tin-iron flow battery.

Nanosized Nd-doped strontium ferrites, SrNdxFe12-xO19, with x=0.3, were successfully prepared through a chemical coprecipitation process. The samples were characterized by TG-DSC, XRD, FT-IR. The results of TG-DSC and XRD showed that the single phase of Nd-doped strontium ferrite formed directly through the reaction of SrCO3, amorphous Fe2O3 and Nd2O3, without other intermediate phases. The crystallite size was around 35 nm.

Introduction:Higher levels of pessimism and cynical hostility and lower levels of optimism are all associated with increased diabetes risk. However, only pessimism was associated with higher insulin levels, which are associated with increased diabetes risk. Whether insulin mediates the effect of pessimism on diabetes risk is unclear. Our objective was to assess the association between these attitudes and diabetes risk and to determine how much of pessimism?s association is mediated through insulin.Methods:We used data from 3,484 participants of a matched case-control study of diabetes (1,443 cases) nested in the Women?s Health Initiative with baseline data on optimism, pessimism, and cynical hostility and serum insulin levels. We assessed attitudes using validated instruments (Figure) and used conditional logistic regression to estimate the adjusted odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) for the associations of these attitudes with diabetes. Cases were matched to controls on baseline age, race/ethnicity, clinical center, time of blood draw, and follow-up time and we adjusted models for education, income, prevalent cardiovascular disease, and family history of diabetes. We modeled attitudes as continuous variables, categorical variables defined by quartiles, and with restricted cubic splines to assess non-linearity. We assessed the role of insulin through a formal mediation analysis.Results:Pessimism (OR=1.06; CI: 1.03-1.10) and cynical hostility (OR=1.06; CI: 1.03-1.09) but not optimism (OR=1.00; CI: 0.96-1.04) were associated with an increased diabetes risk. The association between cynical hostility and diabetes was non-linear (Figure). Fasting insulin mediated 51% of the association between pessimism and incident diabetes.Conclusions:Pessimism and cynical hostility are associated with an increased risk of diabetes. Over half of the association between pessimism and diabetes is mediated by insulin levels.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between smoking and risk of invasive breast cancer using quantitative measures of lifetime passive and active smoking exposure among postmenopausal women. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting 40 clinical centres in the United States. Participants 79 990 women aged 50–79 enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study during 1993–8. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self reported active and passive smoking, pathologically confirmed invasive breast cancer. RESULTS: In total, 3520 incident cases of invasive breast cancer were identified during an average of 10.3 years of follow-up. Compared with women who had never smoked, breast cancer risk was elevated by 9% among former smokers (hazard ratio 1.09 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.17)) and by 16% among current smokers (hazard ratio 1.16 (1.00 to 1.34)). Significantly higher breast cancer risk was observed in active smokers with high intensity and duration of smoking, as well as with initiation of smoking in the teenage years. The highest breast cancer risk was found among women who had smoked for ≥50 years or more (hazard ratio 1.35 (1.03 to1.77) compared with all lifetime non-smokers, hazard ratio 1.45 (1.06 to 1.98) compared with lifetime non-smokers with no exposure to passive smoking). An increased risk of breast cancer persisted for up to 20 years after smoking cessation. Among women who had never smoked, after adjustment for potential confounders, those with the most extensive exposure to passive smoking (≥10 years’ exposure in childhood, ≥20 years’ exposure as an adult at home, and ≥10 years’ exposure as an adult at work) had a 32% excess risk of breast cancer compared with those who had never been exposed to passive smoking (hazard ratio 1.32 (1.04 to 1.67)). However, there was no significant association in the other groups with lower exposure and no clear dose response to cumulative passive smoking exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Active smoking was associated with an increase in breast cancer risk among postmenopausal women. There was also a suggestion of an association between passive smoking and increased risk of breast cancer.