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Background: Although malnutrition is common in cancer patients, its molecular mechanisms has not been fully clarified. This study aims to identify significantly differential metabolites, match the corresponding metabolic pathways, and develop a predictive model of malnutrition in patients with gastric cancer. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we applied non-targeted metabolomics using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to explore the serum fingerprinting of malnutrition in patients with gastric cancer. Malnutrition-specific differential metabolites were identified by orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis and t-test and matched with the Human Metabolome Database and the LIPID Metabolites and Pathways Strategy. We matched the corresponding metabolic pathways of malnutrition using pathway analysis at the MetaboAnalyst 5.0. We used random forest analyses to establish the predictive model. Results: We recruited 220 malnourished and 198 non-malnourished patients with gastric cancer. The intensities of 25 annotated significantly differential metabolites were lower in patients with malnutrition than those without, while two others were higher in patients with malnutrition than those without, including newly identified significantly differential metabolites such as indoleacrylic acid and lysophosphatidylcholine(18:3/0:0). We matched eight metabolic pathways associated with malnutrition, including aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, tryptophan metabolism, and glycerophospholipid metabolism. We established a predictive model with an area under the curve of 0.702 (95% CI: 0.651–0.768) based on four annotated significantly differential metabolites, namely indoleacrylic acid, lysophosphatidylcholine(18:3/0:0), L-tryptophan, and lysophosphatidylcholine(20:3/0:0). Conclusions: We identified 27 specific differential metabolites of malnutrition in malnourished compared to non-malnourished patients with gastric cancer. We also matched eight corresponding metabolic pathways and developed a predictive model. These findings provide supportive data to better understand molecular mechanisms of malnutrition in patients with gastric cancer and new strategies for the prediction, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment for those malnourished. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabrication of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) under full‐air conditions accelerates their scalable production and industrialization. However, ambient moisture interacts with perovskites during the film formation that disturbs their crystallization and triggers structural imperfections. Here, a formamidine (FA) active addition reaction (FAAR) strategy is devised to intercept the deleterious chemical coordination. The simultaneous incorporation of 2, 6‐bis(aminomethyl)pyridine (BAMPy) molecule into tin oxide surface and perovskite bulk ameliorates the interface contact and film interior. It is found that the tail amino group from BAMPy selectively reacts with FA cation, occupying A site of perovskite crystals, increasing binding energy of perovskite with H2O molecule even in a defective surface, thereby strengthening moisture tolerance. This strategy effectively modifies perovskite crystallization in ambient air, favors structural uniformity, and forms the compressive‐strained films. The FAAR‐modified PSC devices fabricated under full‐air conditions deliver the highest efficiencies of 24.11% and 21.68% with aperture areas of 0.06 and 1 cm2, respectively. The favorable moisture impediment property contributes to perovskite crystallization enhancement and structural uniformity, maintaining 90.8% of their initial performance for the encapsulated devices after 2400 h storage under accelerating damp‐heat measurements (85 °C and 85% relative humidity). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible perovskite solar cells (f‐PSCs) have drawn widespread interest owing to their distinguished advantages in excellent flexibility and relatively low cost. However, the brittle grain boundaries (GBs) and defects in flexible perovskite film tremendously influence the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and mechanical flexibility of f‐PSCs. Herein, photothermal welding, a novel method, is used to improve the perovskite films quality and the PCE of f‐PSCs with a near‐infrared (NIR) dye (indocyanine green, ICG) and polycaprolactone (PCL) as additives. Due to the strong photothermal effect, ICG molecule not only can significantly enhance NIR light harvesting, but it also can weld GBs upon exposure to an NIR laser, which is conducive to the GBs connections and device flexibility. Meanwhile, the S═O bond of ICG and C═O bond of PCL can simultaneously coordinate with Pb2+ defects in perovskite. Furthermore, they can control crystal growth to form a smooth surface of perovskite film. Consequently, the unencapsulated PSCs based on ICG/PCL displays a high champion PCE of 20.62%, with 88.4% of the original PCE after being placed in dark conditions for 600 h. The f‐PSCs delivers a champion PCE of 19.55% and exhibits excellent mechanical stability, thus providing a meaningful scientific direction to fabricate high‐flexible f‐PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Smoking is a modifiable lifestyle factor that has not been established as a prostate cancer risk factor, nor emphasized in prostate cancer prevention. Studies have shown that African American (AA) smokers have a poorer cancer prognosis than European Americans (EAs), while having a lower prevalence of heavy smoking. We examined the relationship between cigarette smoking and prostate cancer aggressiveness and assessed racial differences in smoking habits on the probability of high-aggressive prostate cancer. Methods: Using data from the North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project (n = 1,279), prostate cancer aggressiveness was defined as high or low based on Gleason scores, serum prostate-specific antigen levels, and tumor stage. Cigarette smoking was categorized as current, former, or never smokers. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Self-reported current (OR = 1.99; 95% CI 1.30–3.06) smoking was associated with high-aggressive prostate cancer relative to never smokers. When stratified by self-reported race, the odds of having high-aggressive cancer increased among AA current (OR = 3.58; 95% CI 2.04–6.28) and former smokers (OR = 2.21; 95% CI 1.38–3.53) compared to AA never smokers, but the odds were diminished among the EA stratum (Pself-reported race x smoking status = 0.003). Conclusion: Cigarette smoking is associated with prostate cancer aggressiveness, a relationship modulated by self-reported race. Future research is needed to investigate types of cigarettes smoked and metabolic differences that may be contributing to the racial disparities observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inconsistent engagement in pelvic floor muscle exercise (PFME) among patients with prostate cancer (PC) following radical prostatectomy may have contributed to varying effectiveness in improving urinary incontinence across studies. Identifying factors influencing engagement can help develop effective interventions to maximize participation, enhance urinary function and improve quality of life (QoL). This scoping review aims to systematically search for factors influencing PFME engagement among post radical prostatectomy patients managing urinary incontinence. Eligible publications in English were identified from various databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, ProQuest, PsycINFO and Scopus. A health science librarian was consulted to assist in formulating search terms, encompassing PC, PFME terms and influencing factors terms. We employed Colandrapp™ for data extraction, focusing on key themes such as study characteristics, PFME education and training, recommended sessions, engagement rates and factors influencing PFME engagement following radical prostatectomy. Results were presented in tables and supplemented by a narrative discussion addressing gaps in research knowledge. The synthesis drew from a diverse body of literature, blending quantitative and qualitative approaches, to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of PFME engagement factors. Twelve papers, based on 10 studies published between 2011 and 2018, met our inclusion criteria. The reviewed studies primarily employed longitudinal quantitative designs, except for one study that utilized a mixed‐method design. Only three studies incorporated theories to guide the selection of potential factors influencing PFME engagement. The factors examined across the reviewed studies encompassed aspects related to the patient–partner relationship, patient's action control, planning (dyadic or individual), self‐efficacy, perceived urinary incontinence and the patient–provider relationship. We observed conflicting findings regarding the factors influencing PFME engagement across studies. Our review underscores the importance of theory‐informed studies using rigorous methodology and precise theoretical and operational definitions of potential factors. Such studies can help pinpoint the most influential factors to enhance PFME engagement and, ultimately, improve symptoms and QoL for PC patients. The scoping review also showed critical implications for nursing practice. Nurses should develop individualized and culturally sensitive interventions, integrate health behaviour change theories, assess patient–partner relationships and action control and consider intention's mediating role in the enhancement of PFME engagement following radical prostatectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal analysis of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers is commonly employed to assess the chemical and physical changes occurring during the pre-oxidation stage. However, in actual pre-oxidation processes, PAN fibers are stretched to a certain extent (approximately 5%) to prevent fiber shrinkage. Consequently, the pre-oxidation process of PAN fiber is influenced not only by temperature and atmosphere but also by the stretching tension. In this study, two types of PAN fiber samples with different crystal structures were utilized alongside four different processing methods (PAN powder, unfixation, physical fixation, and chemical fixation) to generate three degrees of fixed stretching. These included PAN powder and unfixed PAN fiber samples (without fixation tension), physically fixed PAN fiber with relatively weak fixation tension, and chemically fixed PAN fiber with strong fixation. Through a comparison of these samples, it was observed that the fixation tension aided in preserving the crystal structure during the heating process, significantly reducing the cyclization rate of the PAN fibers. The cyclization reaction rate of PAN fiber A, initially at 85% without any fixation, decreased to 66% after physical fixation and dropped to 56% after chemical fixation. For PAN fibers with distinct crystal morphologies, the impact of the fixation tension was more prominent for PAN fibers with larger crystal sizes and lower orientation. Additionally, the presence of crystal orientation facilitated the occurrence of the cyclization reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of the textile and plastic industries, non-degradable polyester fibers have become one of the major environmental and resource issues globally. In this study, we prepared a p–n heterojunction Ni2P–Cu3P/TiO2/C nanofiber (NF) photocatalyst through a combined technique using electrospinning, carbonization, hydrothermal treatment, and phosphorylation. The Ni2P–Cu3P/TiO2/C composite nanofibers exhibit excellent light absorption capacity across the entire optical spectrum. Also, the layered structure of Cu3P–Ni2P facilitates the reflection of light between the surfaces of the fibers, enhancing light absorption. The coupling of Ni2P and Cu3P establishes a P–N heterojunction at the photocatalytic interface, promoting the separation of charge carriers, suppressing the recombination of charge carriers and extending the lifetime of charges. Accordingly, the Ni2P–Cu3P/TiO2/C NFs demonstrated excellent photocatalytic performance. During photocatalytic degradation of PET waste textiles, the hydrogen evolution amount reached 206.6 μmolH2 gSub−1 after 48 hours, with a weight loss rate of 15% in polyester fibers. Impressively, the addition of CTAB during the catalysis process increased the hydrogen evolution amount to 321 μmolH2 gSub−1, which is 1.5 times higher than that without CTAB. Meanwhile, the weight loss rate of polyester fibers reached 18%. This confirms the feasibility of CTAB in enhancing the photocatalytic degradation of PET fibers. Furthermore, it is easy to separate and recover the catalyst from the solution, maintaining stable hydrogen production performance even after multiple cycles. This work provides a low-cost strategy for the rational design of efficient and recyclable composite photocatalysts, offering a pathway for the recycling of polyester waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperuricemia is a metabolic disease caused by uric acid metabolism disorder. Lactic acid bacteria as an important probiotic could ameliorate hyperuricemia in multiple ways. The study aimed to isolate lactic acid bacteria with capable to degrade nucleosides efficiently from pickles. The nucleoside degradation ability of the screened strains was analysed by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), then the xanthine oxidase inhibition by strains, environmental tolerance in vitro and antibiotic susceptibility were also tested. Results showed that the degradation rate of inosine and guanosine by lactobacillus brevis SLlac-18 were 97.81% and 97.89%, respectively, and xanthine oxidase inhibition of strains were also existed. In addition, the survival rate of SLlac-18 was 96% at pH 2.0, 96.33% at 3 g/L bile salt for 5 h, and 96.33% at gastrointestinal fluid for 5 h. SLlac-18 was also highly tolerant to the treatment of gastrointestinal fluids with a survival rate of more than 90%, and was susceptible to four common antibiotics such as erythromycin and ampicillin. lactobacillus brevis SLlac-18 has the potential function to degrade uric acid, which can be applied to the prevention and treatment of hyperuricemia, that has certain application value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem of phase separation between thermoplastic toughener and epoxy after curing, which leads to the reduction of mechanical properties, in this paper we improve the compatibility of the two phases by introducing reactive groups into the molecular chain of thermoplastic resins, thus improving the impact strength of the epoxy system. Phenolphthalein polyether sulfone (C‐PESC) with designable and controllable carboxyl group content was prepared via SN2 nucleophilic substitution copolymerization. Further C‐PESC was evaluated for epoxy toughening, and the effects of carboxyl group content of C‐PESC on mechanical properties and thermal stability of the resin system were investigated. The results show that C‐PESC resin has good compatibility with E51 epoxy resin. Carboxyl group accelerates the dissolution rate of thermoplastic resins in epoxy and also participates in the curing reaction with epoxy to enhance the interfacial bonding ability between the toughening component and the matrix resin. The reactive toughener C‐PESC can not only improve the impact properties of E51 epoxy, but also maintain the high Tg and thermal properties of the resin system. Among them, the addition of 5 PHR of C‐PESC3 increased the impact strength of the modified resin by 45%, with uniform fracture surface and tough fracture shape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Loneliness is a frequent experience among family members engaging in caregiving responsibilities and may vary across racial and ethnic groups. This study aimed to examine (a) the difference in loneliness between non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White caregivers, (b) the associations between loneliness and perceptions of choice and purpose in caregiving, and (c) whether those associations with loneliness differ by caregivers' race. Method: Descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression were conducted in a population-based sample of 1000 caregivers (Black caregivers, n = 199; White caregivers, n = 801) from the 2020 Caregiving in the U.S. Study. The survey design was properly addressed. Key variables included loneliness (level of feeling alone about being a caregiver), choice (whether or not reporting a choice in taking on the caregiver responsibility), sense of purpose (level of purpose/meaning in life from caregiving), and race (Black/White). Models adjusted for caregiving characteristics (e.g., hour of caregiving) and sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., age and education). Results: Black caregivers had lower odds of reporting a higher level vs. a lower level of loneliness than White caregivers (aOR = 0.67, 95%CI = 0.47, 0.96). Reporting having no choice was associated with higher odds of a higher level of loneliness (aOR, 0.77, 95%CI = 0.67, 0.88). Higher sense of purpose scores were associated with lower odds of a higher level of loneliness (aOR = 0.81, 95%CI = 0.71, 0.93). No significant moderation effects of race were found. Conclusion: Black caregivers reported lower loneliness scores than White caregivers. Reporting no choice and lower sense of purpose were associated with higher loneliness in both racial groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing concern for health and safety, it is crucial to investigate how antibacterial agents demonstrate high antibacterial activity in two-phase blend systems. In this study, we prepared antibacterial films comprising a low concentration (0.2%) zinc oxide/ethylene-octene copolymer (ZnO/POE) and ZnO/linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) with high antibacterial activity (99.9%) and an antibacterial property value (R) of 6.9. The addition of nanometer (nano) ZnO induces the crystallization of pure materials, increasing their crystallinity and long period and significantly reducing spherulite size. Using a two-phase blending process, we achieved an antibacterial activity of (ZnO/POE)/(ZnO/LLDPE) (0.2%) of 99.9% with an R-value of 6.9, superior to the single-phase blending of POE/(ZnO/LLDPE) (0.2%) (99.0%, R = 2.0). Significantly, this difference can be attributed to the fact that nano-ZnO promotes the compatibility of POE and LLDPE in the two-phase blending process. Additionally, the two-phase blending process enhances tear strength and light transmittance compared to single-phase blending. These findings are of great significance for developing nano-ZnO-based two-phase blend antibacterial materials with low concentration and high antibacterial activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the buried interface between the electron transfer layer (ETL) and perovskite (PVK) layer profoundly affects the charge carrier transfer efficiency, which has significant implications for the efficiency and long‐term stability of the device. Herein, an organic chemical compound 4,6‐diamino‐2‐mercaptosine (DMP) is incorporated into the ETL/PVK interface in order to optimize the interfacial performance through a hydrogen bond bridging junction. DMP is tightly anchored to the ETL surface by forming the intermolecular hydrogen bonding with the structure as N─H∙∙∙N. This bridge connection is beneficial for enhancing the interface contact, further restraining severe nonradiative charge recombination. Synchronously, the interaction of ─SH with uncoordinated Pb2+ passivates the defects on the bottom layer of perovskite, further regulating the perovskite crystal growth. Overall, the results express that the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PSCs based on the DMP interface has significantly increased to 21.65% without obvious hysteresis. Meanwhile, the unencapsulated modified devices show superior environmental stability, maintaining over 85% of their initial PCE even after 500 h in an atmospheric environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Managing medications for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias is challenging for caregivers. Information about caregivers' strategies to manage these challenges is needed to inform intervention development. Objective: This study aimed to understand caregivers' medication management experiences by analyzing online community discussions. Methods: Posts were extracted from the ALZConnected® Forum using keywords "medication" and "drug" via web scraping. The researchers applied thematic analysis. Results: Four major themes emerged: (1) role transition of medication management responsibilities, (2) caregivers' uncertainty about medication purpose and values, (3) conflicts between the care recipients and caregivers, and (4) difficulty accessing and affording medications. Conclusions: The experiences shared on a non-moderated, unstructured online forum indicate that medication management is challenging and overwhelming for caregivers of people living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Since this is a progressive disease with various stages and changing needs, caregivers' strategies vary and are often limited by available resources and support. Health care providers should offer training and support for caregivers to navigate the transfer of medication management responsibilities and changing care needs as the disease progresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work involves the introduction of niobium oxide into lanthanum aluminate (LaAlO3) via a conventional solid-state reaction technique to yield LaAlO3:Nb (LaNbxAl1−xO3+δ) samples with Nb5+ doping levels ranging from 0.00 to 0.25 mol%. This study presents a comprehensive investigation of the effects of niobium doping on the phase evolution, defect control, and reflectance of LaNbxAl1−xO3+δ powder. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirms the perovskite structure in all powders, and XRD and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveal successful doping of Nb5+ into LaNbxAl1−xO3+δ. The surface morphology was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the results show that increasing the doping concentration of niobium leads to fewer microstructural defects. Oxygen vacancy defects in different compositions are analyzed at 300 K, and as the doping level increases, a clear trend of defect reduction is observed. Notably, LaNbxAl1−xO3+δ with 0.15 mol% Nb5+ exhibits excellent reflectance properties, with a maximum infrared reflectance of 99.7%. This study shows that LaNbxAl1−xO3+δ powder materials have wide application potential in the field of high reflectivity coating materials due to their extremely low microstructural defects and oxygen vacancy defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the association of marital status with prostate cancer outcomes in a racially-diverse cohort. Methods: The study population consisted of men (1010 Black; 1070 White) with incident prostate cancer from the baseline North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer (PCaP) cohort. Marital status at time of diagnosis and screening history were determined by self-report. The binary measure of marital status was defined as married (including living as married) vs. not married (never married, divorced/separated, or widowed). High-aggressive tumors were defined using a composite measure of PSA, Gleason Score, and stage. Definitive treatment was defined as receipt of radical prostatectomy or radiation. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association of marital status with (1) high-aggressive tumors, (2) receipt of definitive treatment, and (3) screening history among Black and White men with prostate cancer. Results: Black men were less likely to be married than White men (68.1% vs. 83.6%). Not being married (vs. married) was associated with increased odds of high-aggressive tumors in the overall study population (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR): 1.56; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.20–2.02) and both Black and White men in race-stratified analyses. Unmarried men were less likely to receive definitive treatment in the overall study population (aOR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.54–0.85). In race-stratified analyses, unmarried Black men were less likely to receive definitive treatment. Both unmarried Black and White men were less likely to have a history of prostate cancer screening than married men. Conclusion: Lower rates of marriage among Black men might signal decreased support for treatment decision-making, symptom management, and caregiver support which could potentially contribute to prostate cancer disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keeping the body temperature relatively constant in a cold environment is critical to maintaining thermal comfort and normal operation of various functions. However, typical heating strategies waste much energy and cannot cope with the complicated and changing environment. Therefore, it is essential to develop a warm textile that can accurately heat the human body in an efficient and energy-saving way. In this work, MXene nanosheets were uniformly deposited on the surface of cotton fabrics via polydopamine (PDA) adhesion to prepare a warm fabric with solar heating and passive radiative heating (PRH). Notably, the obtained MXene-PDA/cotton fabric demonstrated a low mid-infrared emissivity of 19.7% at 7–14 μm and a high absorptivity of 90.7% in the wavelength range 250–2500 nm. Consequently, the MXene-PDA/cotton fabric exhibited effective passive radiative heating performance on the human body, showing a 2.8 °C improvement compared to traditional cotton fabric, and its excellent solar heating capacity could elevate the temperature to 52.5 °C in a simulated light environment of 100 mw/cm2. Besides, the MXene-PDA/cotton fabric retained well warmth after machine washing and ultrasonication, and had certain air permeability, wettability, and mechanical properties. This PDA/cotton fabric shows great potential in thermal management, energy-saving heating, and personal precision heating applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pre-oxidation process of Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers is a complex procedure involving multiple stages of temperature increase and isothermal temperature retention. However, the impact of the temperature increase stage on PAN fiber has often been overlooked. To address this, samples were collected before and after the temperature increase and isothermal retention stages, treating them as separate influencing factors. Therefore, the pre-oxidation process can be divided into four distinct stages: (1) A temperature increase stage before the cyclization reactions: the PAN fiber's small-size crystals melt, and the crystal orientation changes under fixed tension, leading to shrinkage and increased orientation of the micropore. (2) An isothermal retention stage before the cyclization reactions: The crystal structure maintains well, resulting in minimal micropore evolution. The PAN fiber's crystal orientation and micropore orientation increased under fixed tension. (3) A temperature increase stage after the cyclization reactions: The PAN fiber's crystal melts again, reducing the average chord length and relative volume of the micropore. However, the PAN fiber can recrystallize under fixed tension. (4) An isothermal retention stage after the cyclization reactions: Significant crystal melting of the PAN fiber occurs, but the highly oriented crystals are maintained well. The average chord length and relative volume of the micropore increase. Recommendations for improving the pre-oxidation process are made according to these stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed the changes in the number of publications, the status of authorship and institutional cooperation, and the evolution of research themes in the field of electrostatic spinning in China based on CNKI database using CiteSpace visual metrics, and compared with the international research themes in the years from 2018 to 2022. The volume of domestic authors' publications in the field of electrostatic spinning showed a trend of increasing year by year; the local density of author co-occurrence network was large, and the overall density was small; there was close cooperation between universities involved in electrostatic spinning research. The research in electrospinning field in China is mainly focused on the preparation of fibers and the application of nanofibers in the fields of biomedicine, air filtration, water treatment, energy devices, protection, sensing, etc., which is similar to the international research hotspot of electrostatic spinning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, magnetic and conductive heterogeneous nickel‐matrix alloy is in situ constructed in the high‐entropy transition metal oxide matrix using a reductive circumstance, to form the high‐temperature resistant microwave absorbers. The ohmic, dielectric polarization and magnetic loss are enhanced synergistically, prompting the improvement of loss capacity and optimization of the impedance matching feature. The composites achieve over 90% absorption in the whole Ku band with a thickness of just 1.55 mm at room temperature. Moreover, the in situ high temperature measured microwave absorption keeps stable till 500 °C. In situ characterizations are employed to investigate the evolution processes and failure mechanisms. As the temperature elevates, there are three distinct stages. The absorber goes through minor chemical reactions, consequent elimination of magnetic loss, and a rapid increase in electroconductivity. These behaviors culminate in impedance mismatch, finally worsening its absorption performance at elevated temperatures. The proposed evaluation process reveals how the above irreversible and reversible behaviors affect high‐temperature microwave absorption, providing an effective theoretical basis for the design of high‐temperature microwave absorbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on the study of the phase separation behavior of triblock copolymer and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) systems helps to understand the influence of microstructure on the properties of poly(vinylcyclohexane)-b- poly(ethylene)-b-poly(vinylcyclohexane) (PVCH-PE-PVCH/LLDPE) blends. We prepared a series of blends of LLDPE and PVCH-PE-PVCH and explained their compatibility from the microstructure. The research findings indicate that despite having similar block compositions, PVCH-PE-PVCH with a higher molecular weight exhibits significantly stronger phase separation and crystallization ability compared to PVCH-PE-PVCH with lower molecular weight. In PVCH-PE-PVCH/LLDPE blends, the addition of 10 %, 20 %, and 30 % LLDPE induces earlier crystallization and crystal phase separation of polyethylene (PE) fragments. In addition, compared to the lower molecular weight of PVCH-PE-PVCH, the higher molecular weight of PVCH-PE-PVCH exhibits a higher tendency for independent crystallization and shows significant crystal phase separation during the cooling crystallization process when blended with LLDPE. The PE segments in the lower molecular weight of PVCH-PE-PVCH can more easily enter the nanoscale domain of LLDPE. Impact fracture electron microscopy also reveals better compatibility between the lower molecular weight of PVCH-PE-PVCH and LLDPE compared to the higher molecular weight of PVCH-PE-PVCH. Furthermore, the blends of lower molecular weight of PVCH-PE-PVCH and LLDPE exhibit a greater growth rate in elongation at break. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyethylene (PE)-based elastomers are the ideal choice for enhancing the compatibility of polypropylene/polyethylene (PP/PE) blends and improving the mechanical properties of PP-based materials. However, the issue of blend systems lies in the interplay between the crystallization processes. Therefore, we investigated the crystallization behavior during the cooling process of a new generation of PP/PE block copolymers (PP-b-PE) and random polypropylene (PPR, a copolymer of propylene and a small amount of ethylene or an alpha-olefin) blends using in-situ X-ray diffraction/scattering and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques. We also conducted mechanical performance tests on PPR/PP-b-PE blends at room temperature and low temperature (−5 °C). The results indicate that during the cooling process, the PP phase of PP-b-PE will follow the PPR to crystallize in advance and form a eutectic mixture, thereby enhancing the compatibility of PP/PE. Moreover, the PPR/PP-b-PE blend will form stable β-(300) crystals with excellent mechanical properties. Due to the improved compatibility of PP/PE with PP-b-PE, PE crystals are dispersed within PP crystals, providing bonding that improves the toughness of PPR under the low stiffness failure conditions of PPR/PP-b-PE blends, thereby enhancing their impact performance at low and room temperatures. This research has great significance for both recycling waste plastics and enhancing the low-temperature toughness of PPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual-polarization radar data are useful for numerical models to improve precipitation forecasts. For an extremely heavy precipitation event that occurred in Central China on 11 August 2021, the hydrometeor concentration and water vapor content used in the initial field of the Weather Research and Forecasting (version 4.1) model are retrieved by the statistical relationship of relative humidity with dual-polarization radar reflectivity in Suizhou City of Central China. Three experiments are conducted, and the simulation results are compared after assimilating the radar data. The results indicate that the multiple factors contributing to this extreme heavy precipitation event included the divergence of upper-level airflows, the middle- and low-level low vortex/shear, the easterly jet stream in front of the low vortex, and the continuous intrusion of cold air on the ground. In addition, with the retrieval of the hydrometeor concentration and water vapor content, the composite reflectivity forecast results are more similar to the observations. Also, the location and intensity of the short-term extremely heavy precipitation event are less different from the observations. In addition, by cyclically adjusting the hydrometeor concentration and water vapor content in the initial field, we can obtain better forecasts of the reflectivity and short-term extremely heavy precipitation, and this improvement can be maintained for approximately 3 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, air-processed MAPbI3 perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted widespread interest from researchers worldwide because of their simple and low-cost fabrication process. Nonetheless, the ambient conditions usually bring about many adverse effects, such as imperfect crystallization and numerous defects in perovskite films, which seriously impact both the photoelectric performance and stability of the device. Therefore, in this work, a polymer dual-passivation strategy was employed by introducing ammonium polyphosphate (APP) as an additive to the green anti-solvent to accurately modify the perovskite layer. APP, which has abundant phosphate and ammonium groups, could simultaneously fill the I/Pb vacancies by Lewis acid–base reactions to restrain defect formation and improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the ultimate device. On the other hand, the long molecular chains of the polymer with a certain flexural ability were easily congregated at the grain boundaries of the perovskite grains, thus enhancing the bending resistance. Consequently, high-quality perovskite films with a dense morphology and large grain size were obtained. Because of the reduced defect density and suppressed non-radiative recombination, the optimal PSC attained a champion PCE of 20.87% with negligible hysteresis. Furthermore, the non-encapsulated APP-modified flexible device also exhibited excellent bending resistance. Only 20% of its normalized PCE was lost after 150 bending cycles at room temperature. This simple, green, low-cost, and reliable strategy for preparing high-efficiency PSCs with good stability can facilitate its commercialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses synchrotron wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) and synchrotron small angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) to carry out an in situ study of the pre‐oxidation process of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers with two different preparation processes. Through analysis of 2D WAXD/SAXS data, this study divides the evolution of PAN fiber's crystal and microporous structures during pre‐oxidation into three and two stages, respectively. The evolution of PAN fiber's crystal structure during pre‐oxidation can be divided into three stages: 1) Initial stage: small‐sized crystals melt, crystal orientation decreases, and no cyclization reactions occur. 2) Intermediate stage: cyclization reactions happen in the amorphous region, leading to increased crystal size, crystal orientation, and crystallinity. 3) Final stage: cyclization reactions occur in the crystal region, resulting in reduced crystal size and orientation. The evolution of microporous structure can be divided into two stages: microporous shrinkage stage and microporous expansion stage. These features are analyzed using 2D WAXD/SAXS techniques. This study provides valuable references and guidance for the industrial production of PAN fibers by exploring the mechanism of the pre‐oxidation process in‐depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ubiquity of plastic waste has resulted in significant deleterious impacts on the environment and human health. Solar-driven photoreforming technology presents a facile and energy-efficient method for converting plastic waste into H2 and valuable chemical compounds. In this study, we fabricated Ni2P–Co2P/ZrO2/C nanofibers (NFs) through a combination of electrospinning, carbonization, hydrothermal, and phosphorylation techniques. The Ni2P–Co2P/ZrO2/C composite NFs exhibit a coherent and homogeneous fibrous morphology, wherein Ni2P–Co2P nanowires are uniformly distributed and coated onto the surface of ZrO2/C NFs. These nanofiber films demonstrate pronounced light absorption characteristics, showcasing their proficiency in efficiently capturing incident light. In an aqueous medium, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be effectively transformed into clean energy H2, and valuable organic products using Ni2P–Co2P/ZrO2/C NFs as photocatalysts. Notably, the 24 hour rate of hydrogen production reached a significant value of 207.56 μmol H2g sub−1. The presented photocatalyst exhibits robust photocatalytic performance for at least four days under severe alkaline conditions. Furthermore, the catalyst is easy to isolate and recover from an aqueous solution after catalysis. In the context of photoconversion applied to authentic PET samples, which include polyester fibers and PET cups, the hydrogen production performance demonstrated by the catalyst is comparable to that achieved with pure PET particles. This congruence substantiates the practical viability of the system, affirming its applicability in real-world scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The relationship between illness uncertainty and quality of life (QOL) has been examined for either the patient or caregiver, but not among the patient‐caregiver dyads. This study examined relationships between illness uncertainty and QOL among patients with advanced cancer and family caregivers. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial that examined the effects of a dyadic‐based intervention on psychological outcomes for patients with advanced cancer and family caregivers (N = 484 dyads). Illness uncertainty and QOL were measured using the shorten version of the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale for Adult and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy, respectively. The actor–partner interdependence model was used to examine whether an individual's uncertainty (either a patient's or caregiver's) was associated with their own QOL (i.e., an actor effect) and/or their partner's QOL (i.e., a partner effect). Results: Significant actor effects included a negative association between patients' uncertainty and their own QOL (b = −0.422; p < 0.001) and a negative association between caregivers' uncertainty and their own QOL (b = −0.408; p < 0.001). In terms of partner effects, patients' uncertainty was negatively associated with caregivers' QOL (b = −0.095; p < 0.01). No partner effect was found for caregivers, suggesting that caregivers' uncertainty was not related to patients' QOL. Conclusions: Study findings support targeted interventions offered to both patients and their family caregivers to manage their illness uncertainty and improve their QOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of advanced porous silicon-based materials for lithium-ion battery anodes, which can accommodate the expansion of electrodes during cycling, is necessary to enhance cyclability. In this study, a metal oxide-based thermal etching method, to fabricate N-doped porous layered silicon nanoflakes (P-Si NFs), is proposed. It is carried out by in situ growth of metal oxide (Fe) precursors on siloxene (Si NFs), followed by thermal etching and acid treatment. It is noteworthy that P-Si NFs retain the 2D lamellar structure of Si NFs, and the N-doped porous surface structure can effectively alleviate volume expansion during cycling and improve the efficiency of lithium-ion transport and diffusion. As a result, 89.6% (∼581 mA h g−1) of the maximum capacity (648 mA h g−1) was maintained after 500 cycles at 2 A g−1. The coulombic efficiency remained close to 100%, indicating good cycling stability of the P-Si NF anode. This work provides important insights into the design of silicon-based anodes for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Practical application has shown that the blown-up theory has great predictive ability for predicting transitional weather systems, especially catastrophic weather systems. This study applies the blown-up theory to analyze and predict a rainstorm case in Jiangsu Province of East China to explore the applicability of the blown-up theory. At the same time, a numerical simulation experiment is conducted using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) v4.2. The numerical results are compared with the European Center for Medium Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) Reanalysis v5 (ERA5) data and the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) Land Data Assimilation System (CLDAS) products. It is found that there is a deviation in the simulation for the precipitation center, and further analysis indicates that it is likely related to the position of the simulated low-level shear line. On the other hand, the blown-up analyses are consistent with the actual situation and provide additional information besides the numerical simulation results. These results indicate that the blown-up charts and V-3θ diagrams are able to predict the weather system transformation, the rainfall area, and the evolution of the rainstorm, which confirms the applicability of the blown-up theory to rainstorm forecasts. This provides an auxiliary analysis method in addition to numerical simulations for rainstorm forecasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malawi has a high cancer incidence and mortality. Efforts to train and educate oncology nurses have been identified as an area of need. This study evaluates the educational needs of oncology nurses in Malawi and the effects of a virtual cancer education program on improving the knowledge of cancer epidemiology, treatment, and nursing care of common cancers among oncology nurses in Malawi. The educational programs consisted of four sessions at one-month intervals focused on Cancer Screening, Survivorship, Radiation Therapy, and Complementary and Alternative Therapies. A pretest–posttest design was used. Overall, there was an increase in knowledge at each session: cancer screening (47% vs 95%), survivorship (22% vs 100%), radiation therapy (66% vs 100%), and complementary and alternative therapies (63% vs 88%). Using virtual continuing education sessions is an effective tool to enhance the knowledge of oncology nurses in Malawi. These education sessions can serve as an example of how other Schools of Nursing and cancer centers in high-resource countries can collaborate with hospitals and Schools of Nursing in low- and middle-resource countries to support the advancement of oncology nursing knowledge, and ultimately, oncologic care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Styrene (St) was used as comonomer and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) as grafting monomer to prepare SEBS-g-(GMA-co-St) graft copolymers via melt grafting. Then, the graft copolymers were employed as a compatibilizer for melt blending polypropylene (PP) and hydrogenated styrene-butadiene-styrene (SEBS) triblock copolymers. The effects of the amount of GMA in the graft copolymers on thermal properties, rheology, crystallization, optical and mechanical properties, and microstructure of the blends were investigated. The results show that GMA and St were successfully grafted onto SEBS. The GMA amount in the graft copolymer significantly influenced the comprehensive properties of PP/SEBS/SEBS-g-(GMA-co-St) blends. The epoxy groups of GMA reacted with PP and SEBS, forming interfacial chemical bonds, thereby enhancing the compatibility between PP and SEBS to varying extents. After introducing SEBS-g-(GMA-co-St) into PP/SEBS blends, crystallinity decreased, crystal size increased while transmittance remained above 91% with rising GMA amount in the graft copolymers, indicating excellent optical properties. Notched impact strength and elongation at break of the blends showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing with increased amounts of GMA in the graft copolymers. When the amount of GMA in the graft copolymers was 3 wt%, the blends exhibited optimal toughness with notched impact strength and elongation at break of 30,165.82 J/m2 and 1445.40%, respectively. This was attributed to the tightest dispersion interface adhesion and maximum matrix plastic deformation, consistent with the mechanical performance results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modification of electron transport layers (ETLs) is an important strategy to optimize the performance of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this study, the components of the perovskite precursor, formamidinium iodide (FAI), were introduced to form an ultra-thin uniform FAI film on the surface of the prepared SnO2 film by a novel vapor deposition method. This method helped fill up the defects of the ETL, reduce excess PbI2 in the perovskite film, and enlarge the grain size to improve the quality of the ETL and the perovskite film. Therefore, better interfacial contact of the ETL-perovskite, reduced trap-state density, increased electron extraction and transport ability, and improved energy level matching were achieved. By optimizing the FAI, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) presented an impressive increase from 17.15 to 20.54%, with negligible hysteresis and improved long-term device stability. In addition, the corresponding flexible PSCs also exhibited an excellent PCE of 17.78% and an enhanced bending durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanometer Zinc oxide (nano ZnO) composites are widely used in the packaging industry due to their excellent antibacterial properties. In this study, low-doped (0.2%) and high-antibacterial (99.9%, R = 6.9) nano ZnO composites with different matrices were prepared using a masterbatch blending method. To investigate the effect of different matrices on antibacterial properties, we decreased the solid content of nano ZnO to 0.05% and prepared antibacterial films by melt-blending with ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), polyolefin elastomer (POE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and amorphous polymer polycarbonate (PC). The results showed that low melt strength and high crystallinity would decrease the antibacterial activity of the composite. At room temperature, the PC with a frozen molecular chain can hinder the migration of small molecules, thereby reducing antibacterial activity. Polar ZnO is more compatible with polar vinyl acetate (VA), leading to the hindered surface migration of ZnO and reduced antibacterial activity. Most importantly, low crystallinity does not necessarily lead to a reduction in barrier properties. The dense and rich layered arrangement of polyolefin elastomer (POE) increases its ability to impede the migration of nano ZnO, thereby significantly reducing its antibacterial effectiveness. A concentration of 0.05% ZnO/linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) exhibited an antibacterial rate of up to 99.3%. Additionally, adding a small amount of nano ZnO improves the tear resistance of antibacterial composite materials. This study provides a theoretical basis for the preparation of low doping, high antibacterial and excellent comprehensive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indium tin oxide (ITO) films with tunable epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) properties have attracted great interest among researchers. In this study, ITO films with tunable photoelectric properties were prepared by a magnetron sputtering technique under different oxygen flow rates, and their structures and optical properties are studied. The ENZ wavelength shift and electron accumulation layer were observed from their permittivity and carrier concentrations, which were calculated by a graded model combined with an oscillator model. This demonstrated that the variable carrier concentrations induced the tunable ENZ property of the ITO films. Meanwhile, the interface of the film and the substrate was found to have a significant influence on the loose lower layer by researching the profile of permittivity and carrier concentrations. Furthermore, the simulation of the transfer matrix method indicated that using ENZ materials as substrates can achieve zero reflection at an ENZ wavelength. ITO films serve as absorbers based on this characteristic. An absorption device was fabricated; its largest absorption rate was 97.41% at 1576 nm, and it maintained high absorption over a wide range of incident angles. The absorption mechanism in the ENZ film is illustrated by absorption maps and electric field distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic–inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted widespread attention in improving photovoltaic efficiency during the past decade, yet the stability and defect passivation engineering of PSCs are still challenging. Herein, a novel dye N-(4-(phenyldiazenyl)phenyl) acetamide (Ph-azo-PhAmi) was synthesized and introduced as a passivator into a perovskite to reduce the defects and enhance the efficiency. The amide group in Ph-azo-PhAmi could interact with the defects of the perovskite, resulting in the decreased trap states and suppressed non-radiative recombination. Due to the azo bond, the Ph-azo-PhAmi possessed π-conjugated properties, and could form steady-state polymer-like structures by π–π stacking to enhance the passivation effect. As a result, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PSCs based on Ph-azo-PhAmi increased to 20.85% with matched energy levels and negligible hysteresis. The unencapsulated PSCs with Ph-azo-PhAmi retained 85.7% of the initial PCE after storage in ambient air (room temperature, 65–75% relative humidity) under dark conditions for 300 h, revealing a significantly enhanced ambient stability compared with the pristine PSCs (26.9%). This work provides a promising method for fabricating high-performance and well-stability PSCs based on a dye additive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flexible transparent electrode is a crucial component of wearable photoelectric devices, and has a significant influence on the performance and development of wearable devices. Here, a phosphor/polyimide/polyurethane@silver composite nanofiber (NF) web electrode was fabricated by electrospinning and magnetron sputtering for wearable photoelectric devices. The electrode demonstrated a promising light management ability with converting ultraviolet light to visible light, high conductivity with sheet resistance of 22.1 Ω/square, and high transparency with transmittance of over 80%. Besides, the electrode possessed an excellent stretched capacity with tensile strain of over 100%, and tensile stability with the resistance increased by ∼75% after 500 stretching cycles at the tensile stain of 50%. As a result, a flexible perovskite solar cell (PSC) was assembled by using the NF web electrode, and possessed the power conversion efficiency of 3.47%, which is higher than that of PSCs based on electrodes without phosphor. Furthermore, the flexible PSCs exhibited promising mechanical stability under bending, and could serve as wearable devices. This work provides a feasible and promising method to prepare lightweight, stretchable, light management, and transparent electrodes for photoelectric devices, and may facilitate the development of wearable photoelectric devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cancer patients with newly created ostomies face complications that reduce quality of life (QOL) and increase morbidity and mortality. This proof-of-concept study examined the feasibility, usability, acceptability, and initial efficacy of an eHealth program titled the "Patient Reported Outcomes-Informed Symptom Management System" (PRISMS) during post-ostomy creation care transition. Methods: We conducted a 2-arm pilot randomized controlled trial among 23 patients who received surgical treatment with curative intent for bladder and colorectal cancer and their caregivers. After assessing QOL, general symptoms, and caregiver burden at baseline, participants were randomly assigned to PRISMS (n = 16 dyads) or usual care (UC) (n = 7 dyads). After a 60-day intervention period, participants completed a follow-up survey and post-exit interview. We used descriptive statistics and t-tests to analyze the data. Results: We achieved an 86.21% recruitment rate and a 73.91% retention rate. Among the PRISMS participants who used the system and biometric devices (n = 14, 87.50%), 46.43% used the devices for ≥ 50 days during the study period. Participants reported PRISMS as useful and acceptable. Compared to their UC counterparts, PRISMS patient social well-being scores decreased over time and had an increased trend of physical and emotional well-being; PRISMS caregivers experienced a greater decrease in caregiver burden. Conclusions: PRISMS recruitment and retention rates were comparable to existing family-based intervention studies. PRISMS is a useful and acceptable multilevel intervention with the potential to improve the health outcomes of cancer patients needing ostomy care and their caregivers during post-surgery care transition. A sufficiently powered RCT is needed to test its effects. Trial registration: ClinicalTrial.gov ID: NCT04492007. Registration date: 30/07/2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) possess huge potential due to their high power conversion efficiency. However, instability is still a key factor limiting their applications. Therefore, we have found a feasible strategy to improve the light stability of PSCs. Specifically, a core–shell material with a silicon nanosphere core and a nickel oxide nanosheet shell serves as the hole transport layer in our PSCs. Due to the selective absorption of ultraviolet light by the silicon nanoparticles, the ultraviolet light content of the natural light that reaches the perovskite layer is reduced. Compared with a control device (without Si), the PSCs with the silicon/nickel oxide hole transport layer possessed a higher current density of 22.09 mA cm−2 and a higher power conversion efficiency of 18.54%, with both values increased by 2.7% and 6.1%, respectively. More importantly, the PSCs based on a silicon/nickel oxide hole transport layer maintains 85% of its initial power conversion efficiency value after 700 hours of natural light exposure. These results indicate that the silicon/nickel oxide hole transport layer is an important functional component of the PSCs, which improves the photovoltaic performance and reduces ultraviolet light-induced photodegradation, thereby improving the device stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the impact of assimilating radar radial velocity (RV) on the forecast of Super Typhoon Lekima (2019) using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and three-dimensional variational (3DVAR) assimilation system with different background error length scales. The results of two single observation tests show that the smaller background error length scale is able to constrain the spread of radar observation information within a relatively reasonable range compared with the larger length scale. During the five data assimilation cycles, the position and structure of the near-land typhoon are found to be significantly affected by the setting of the background error length scale. With a reduced length scale, the WRF-3DVAR system could effectively assimilate the radar RV to produce more accurate analyses, resulting in an enhanced typhoon vortex with a dynamic and thermal balance. In the forecast fields, the experiment with a smaller length scale not only reduces the averaged track error for the 24-h forecasts to less than 20 km, but it also more accurately captures the evolutions of the typhoon vortex and rainband during typhoon landing. In addition, the spatial distribution and intensity of heavy precipitation are corrected. For the 24-h quantitative precipitation forecasts, the equitable threat scores of the experiment with a reduced length scale are greater than 0.4 for the threshold from 1 to 100 mm and not less than 0.2 until the threshold increases to 240 mm. The enhanced prediction performances are probably due to the improved TC analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To synthesize and examine current literature on survivorship experiences and psychosocial oncologic care programs of individuals affected by cancer in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods: This was a systematic review guided by the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. We searched 6 databases for articles published from inception to 21 October 2021. Articles were appraised using the Johanna Briggs Institute's Checklist for Qualitative Research. For data synthesis, we used the World Health Organization (WHO) quality of life framework [WHOQOL] to organize experiences into 6 domains/themes. Results: Twenty‐five qualitative studies were included in the synthesis. Studies focused on psychosocial care of adults (>18 years) affected by cancer in SSA. The common WHOQOL domains were social relations, spirituality/religion/personal beliefs, and psychological. Conclusion: Findings echo need for individuals with cancer and their caregivers. Healthcare professionals are an essential resource for information and support services that can be tailored to individuals need. This synthesis highlighted caregiver stress and stressors from the community that could impact care of individuals with cancer. A holistic approach is needed that incorporates professional and social aspects of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two quinoidal-type ThBF derivatives incorporating triphenylamine moieties, namely ThBF-TPA and ThBF-OMeTPA, were designed as perovskite/hole transport layer (HTL) interface engineering materials for perovskite solar cells (PSCs). They were demonstrated to effectively passivate perovskite surface defects and reduce the non-radiative recombination through coordination with Pb2+ on the perovskite surface. Consequently, PSCs incorporating ThBF-OMeTPA fabricated under ambient conditions achieved a high PCE of 19.09% with substantial enhancement in stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effects of participant role (patient vs. partner), race (white vs. non‐white), and place (less vs. more neighborhood deprivation) on health outcomes (quality of life [QOL] and symptoms) and stress‐coping‐related psychosocial factors (appraisals of illness and coping resources). Methods: This descriptive study included 273 patients and their partners (dyads) who transitioned from PCa treatment to self‐management. We used established, psychometrically sound measures to assess health outcomes and psychosocial factors and conducted multilevel modeling analyses. Results: Compared to partners, patients reported worse physical QOL; less frequent anxiety; less pain and fatigue; less bothersome hormonal problems; more bothersome urinary and sexual problems; greater self‐efficacy; and more instrumental support. Compared to their white counterparts, non‐white dyads reported better overall, emotional, and functional QOL; less depression; more positive appraisals, and greater self‐efficacy. Compared to dyads in low ADI neighborhoods, dyads in high ADI (more deprived) neighborhoods reported worse social QOL; more bothersome urinary, sexual, and hormonal symptoms; and less interpersonal support. White patients reported the highest emotional support among all groups, while white partners reported the lowest emotional support. Conclusion: Our findings underscore the need to consider social determinants of health at multiple levels when investigating PCa disparities. Considering neighborhood‐level socioeconomic factors, in addition to race and role, improves our understanding of the PCa disparities in QOL, symptoms, and psychosocial factors among patients and partners. Targeted multilevel supportive care interventions should tailor to the needs of racially diverse PCa patients and partners residing in deprived neighborhoods are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Core–shell polybutadiene‐graft‐polystyrene (PB‐g‐PS) graft copolymers with different ratios of PB to PS are synthesized by emulsion polymerization. Further, the PB‐g‐PS copolymers are blended with polypheylene ether (PPE) and PS to prepare PPE/PS/PB‐g‐PS blends. The effects of PB‐g‐PS copolymer structure and matrix composition on the morphological, mechanical properties, and deformation mechanism of the blends are studied. The results show that the synthesized submicrometer‐sized PB‐g‐PS copolymer has an excellent toughening efficiency, both the copolymer and PS are introduced into PPE resin to produce a ternary blend which is combined with high toughness and processing properties. The optimum toughening effect on PPE/PS matrix is observed at the core–shell weight ratio of 70/30 in PB‐g‐PS copolymer, and the impact strength of the blends increased from 101 to 550 J m−1. In addition, the dispersion pattern of rubber particles in the matrix gradually changes from uniform dispersion to aggregation as the core–shell ratio of PB‐g‐PS copolymers increases. On the other hand, with the increase of PPE content, the dispersion of rubber particles in PPE/PS matrix is improved, and the deformation mechanism is changed from cracking to a combination of crazing and shear yielding, which can lead to absorb more energy to achieve better toughness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Promoting positive health behaviors helps improve cancer survivors' health outcomes during survivorship; however, little is known about whether health behaviors differ by marital status. The purpose is to examine whether health behaviors and obesity among cancer survivors vary by marital status and whether the type of cancer and sociodemographic factors influence the relationship.Methods: We examined smoking, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI) among 1880 individuals diagnosed with prostate, breast, or colon cancer who were identified from the 2011-2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). We used Rao-Scott design-adjusted chi-square tests and weighted multivariable logistic regressions to achieve the research aims.Results: Current smoking behavior and BMI were significantly related to marital status. Survivors who had never married were the most likely to be current smokers across all cancer types. Married survivors were the most likely to be overweight or obese, while widowed survivors were the most likely to have a normal weight. The relationship between BMI and marital status varied by cancer type. Widowed colon cancer survivors were least likely to be overweight or obese; divorced/separated colon cancer survivors were most likely to be obese or overweight. Health behavior disparities were found among cancer survivors of different age, sex, race, and levels of education and income.Conclusions: There were relationships between marital status, health behaviors, and obesity among cancer survivors.Implications For Cancer Survivors: Our results suggested that relationship status and sociodemographic factors need to be considered in tailoring interventions to promote health behaviors among cancer survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Illness uncertainty is widely recognized as a psychosocial stressor for cancer survivors and their family caregivers. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify the sociodemographic, physical, and psychosocial correlates that are associated with illness uncertainty in adult cancer survivors and their family caregivers. Methods: Six scholarly databases were searched. Data synthesis was based on Mishel’s Uncertainty in Illness Theory. Person’s r was used as the effect size metric in the meta-analysis. Risk of bias was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Results: Of 1116 articles, 21 articles met the inclusion criteria. Of 21 reviewed studies, 18 focused on cancer survivors, one focused on family caregivers, and 2 included survivors and family caregivers. Findings identified distinct correlates for illness uncertainty in cancer survivors, including sociodemographic factors (e.g., age, gender, race), stimuli frame (e.g., symptom, family history of cancer), structure providers (e.g., education), coping, and adaptation. Notable effect sizes were observed in the correlations between illness uncertainty and social support, quality of life, depression, and anxiety. Caregivers’ illness uncertainty was associated with their race, general health, perception of influence, social support, quality of life, and survivors’ prostate-specific antigen levels. Insufficient data precluded examining effect size of correlates of illness uncertainty among family caregivers. Conclusion: This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize the literature on illness uncertainty among adult cancer survivors and family caregivers. Findings contribute to the growing literature on managing illness uncertainty among cancer survivors and family caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been rapid development of organic–inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in recent years, but efficiency and stability challenges remain due to the massive defects in perovskite films. Here, the organic dye Th-azi-Pyr (ethyl 2-(2-(3-methyl-5-oxo-1-phenyl-1,5-dihydro-4H-pyrazol-4-ylidene) hydrazineyl)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[b]thiophene-3-carboxylate) with carbonyl, pyrazolone structure, and benzene ring was synthesized and used to prepare high-quality perovskite film as an additive. Th-azi-Pyr formed relatively stable intermediate ligands with uncoordinated Pb and I, slowing the crystal growth and reducing the grain boundary defects of perovskite. In addition, the benzene ring in the dye protected against moisture and increased the stability of the perovskite film. Therefore, the Th-azi-Pyr-modified PSC assembled in an air environment exhibited a promising power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.27%, which is superior to the 15.33% of the control PSC. Additionally, 88% of the original performance was maintained after 300 h at 25 ± 5 °C and 50 ± 10% relative humidity, implying that the modified PSCs exhibited greater stability than the untreated PSCs. This work indicates that simple and low-cost organic dyes are excellent defect passivators for high-performance PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]