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Abstract The fast-growing terahertz technologies require high-performance terahertz absorber for suppressing electromagnetic interference. Since the dissipation mechanism in terahertz band usually focuses on electronic conduction loss, almost all terahertz absorbers are constructed with electronically conducting materials being opaque, which limits their applications in scenarios requiring high visible transmittance. Here, we demonstrate a transparent terahertz absorber based on permittivity-gradient elastomer-encapsulated-organohydrogel. Our organohydrogel-based terahertz absorber exhibits a high absorbing property (average reflection loss of 49.03 dB) in 0.5–4.5 THz band with a thin thickness of 700 μm and a high average visible transmittance of 85.51%. The terahertz absorbing mechanism mainly derives from the ionic conduction loss of the polar liquid in organohydrogel. Besides, the hydrophobic and adhesive elastomer coating endows this terahertz absorber high absorbing stability and interfacial adhesivity. This work paves a viable way to designing transparent terahertz absorbers.

Interlayer spacing and termination are important for controlling the physical and chemical properties of MXenes, largely affecting their potential applications. Here authors present a general approach for simultaneously tuning the interlayer spacing and termination of MXenes using Lewis-basic halides.

A major challenge for the effective use of Ti-based MXenes in applications with harsh environmental conditions is their poor resistance to oxidation. Here, authors report an air-stable Ti3C2T x composite with extracted bentonite able to endure high-temperature annealing in air by an oxygen adsorption competition mechanism.

Objectives Generational diversity, increasingly prominent in the composition of the healthcare workforce in rapidly developing countries, has received much attention in practice and research recently. While research has revealed various positive and negative impacts of generational diversity on team functioning, the understanding of the mechanism explaining how generational diversity influences team functioning is still limited. This study in rural Chinese hospitals examines the relationship between (surface-level) generational diversity and (deep-level) perceived similarity and investigates how they influence three teamwork behaviours that importantly determine quality of care, namely speaking up, silence and knowledge sharing.Design We adopted a quantitative research design and conducted an online survey to investigate the relationship among generational diversity, perceived similarity, speaking up, silence and knowledge sharing. Multilevel mediation modelling was used to test the hypotheses.Setting The study was conducted in four rural Chinese hospitals.Participants 841 healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, were included in the study.Primary and secondary outcome measures Generational diversity was measured by calculating the average of individuals’ Blau’s indices regarding all the generations for each team. Perceived similarity, speaking up, silence and knowledge sharing were measured by validated questionnaires from literature.Results Perceived similarity is positively related to the three teamwork behaviours, that is, speaking up (β=0.56, p0.05; silence: β=0.44, p>0.05; knowledge sharing: β=0.09, p>0.05). As the relationship between generational diversity and perceived similarity is non-significant (β=0.07, p>0.05), perceived similarity does not mediate the relationship between generational diversity and teamwork behaviour.Conclusion The findings suggest that increases in generational diversity that result from healthcare workforce strengthening may not impact team behaviours and performance. However, if healthcare workforce strengthening would reduce the perceived similarity in teams, explicit management efforts to mitigate the negative impact on team behaviour and care provision are called for.

BackgroundTeamwork is essential for the quality and safety of care, and research on teamwork in health care has developed rapidly in many countries. However, evidence from less affluent, non-Western countries is scarce, while improving teamwork may be especially relevant to be able to increase the quality of care in these settings. This study aims to understand the main factors that influence, and interventions used to improve, the functioning of health care teams in the context of county-level hospitals in less affluent areas of China.MethodsWe conducted semistructured interviews to explore the factors that influence team functioning and the interventions implemented to improve team functioning in these hospitals. 15 hospital presidents and 15 team leaders were selected as respondents.ResultsFrom the interviews, we have identified five main factors that influence team functioning in these hospitals: “stuck in the middle”, local county setting, difficulty in attracting and retaining talent, strong focus on task design, and strong focus on leadership. The interventions for improving team functioning can mostly be categorized as the following: 1) measures to attract and retain talent (e.g., increase salary, train talent in national or provincial level hospitals, and provide fast-track promotions), 2) interventions focused on monodisciplinary teams (e.g., changing the team structure and leadership, and skill training), and 3) interventions to establish and improve multidisciplinary teams (e.g., simulation training and continuous team process improvements).ConclusionWith the introduction of multidisciplinary teams, interventions into team processes have started to receive more attention. The findings depict an overview of the main factors and interventions as specifically relevant for team functioning in county-level hospitals in less affluent areas of China and may help these hospitals benefit from additional process interventions to improve teamwork and the quality of care.

Background and Objective: Improving quality of care is one of the primary goals in current Chinese hospital reforms. Teamwork can play an essential role. Characteristics of teamwork and interventions for improving teamwork in hospitals have been widely studied. However, most of these studies are from a Western context; evidence from China is scarce. Because of the contextual differences between China and Western countries, empirical evidence on teamwork from Western hospitals may have limited validity in China. This systematic review aims to advance the evidence base and understanding of teamwork in Chinese hospitals.Methods: Both English (i.e., Embase, Medline, and Web of Science) and Chinese databases (i.e., CNKI, CQVIP, and Wanfang) were searched for relevant articles until February 6, 2020. We included the studies that empirically researched teamwork in Chinese hospitals. Studies were excluded if they (1) were not conducted in hospitals in Mainland China, (2) did not research teamwork on team interventions, (3) were not empirical, (4) were not written in English or Chinese, (5) were not published in peer-reviewed journals, and (6) were not conducted in teams that provide direct patient care. Both deductive and inductive approaches were used to analyze data. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used to assess their methodological quality.Results: A total of 70 articles (i.e., 39 English articles and 31 Chinese articles) were included. The results are presented in two main categories: Teamwork components and Team interventions. The evidence regarding the relationships among inputs, processes, and outcomes is scarce and mostly inconclusive. The only conclusive evidence shows that females perceive better team processes than males. Similar types of training and tools were introduced as can be found in Western literature, all showing positive effects. In line with the Chinese health reforms, many of the intervention studies regard the introduction of multidisciplinary teams (MDTs). The evidence on the implementation of MDTs reveals that they have led to lower complication rates, shorter hospital stays, higher diagnosis accuracy, efficiency improvement, and a variety of better disease-specific clinical outcomes. Evidence on the effect on patient survival is inconclusive.Conclusion: The Chinese studies on teamwork components mainly focus on the input-process relationship. The evidence provided on this relationship is, however, mostly inconclusive. The intervention studies in Chinese hospitals predominantly focus on patient outcomes rather than organizational and employee outcomes. The introduction of training, tools, and MDTs generally shows promising results. The evidence from primary hospitals and rural areas, which are prioritized in the health reforms, is especially scarce. Advancing the evidence base on teamwork, especially in primary hospitals and rural areas, is needed and can inform policy and management to promote the health reform implementation.Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42020175069, identifier CRD42020175069.