A Novel Anderson-Type POMs-Based Hybrids Flame Retardant for Reducing Smoke Release and Toxicity of Epoxy Resins.

Smoke emission and smoke toxicity have drawn more attention to improving the fire safety of polymers. In this work, a polyoxometalates (POMs)-based hybrids flame retardant (P-AlMo6 ) epoxy resin (EP) is prepared with toxicity-reduction and smoke-suppression properties via a peptide coupling reaction between POMs and organic molecules with double DOPO (bisDOPA). It combines the good compatibility of the organic molecule and the superior catalytic performance of POMs. Compared to pure EP, the glass transition temperature and flexural modulus of EP composite with 5 wt.% P-AlMo6 (EP/P-AlMo6 -5) are raised by 12.3 °C and 57.75%, respectively. Notably, at low flame-retardant addition, the average CO to CO2 ratio (Av-COY/Av-CO2 Y) is reduced by 33.75%. Total heat release (THR) and total smoke production (TSP) are lowered by 44.4% and 53.7%, respectively. The Limited Oxygen Index (LOI) value achieved 31.7% and obtained UL-94 V-0 rating. SEM, Raman, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and TG-FTIR are applied to analyze the flame-retardant mechanism in condensed and gas phase. Outstanding flame retardant, low smoke toxicity properties are attained due to the catalytic carbonization ability of metal oxides Al2 O3 and MoO3 produced from the breakdown of POMs. This work advances the development of POMs-based hybrids flame retardants with low smoke toxicity properties.

Relationship between perceived organizational support and professional values of nurses: mediating effect of emotional labor.

OBJECTIVES: Perceived organizational support was a benefit for the work performance of nurses, which may affect emotional labor and the development of professional values. This study aimed to explore the relationship between nurses' perceived organizational support and professional values, and investigate the mediating role of emotional labor. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. The study was conducted in 3 tertiary hospitals in Wuhan from October 2020 to January 2021. The data were collected by a questionnaire consisting of demographic characteristics, the Emotional Labor Scale for Nurses, the nurses' Perceived Organizational Support Scale, and the Nursing Professional Values Scale (NPVS-R). A convenience sample of 1017 nurses responded to the questionnaire survey. Pearson's correlation analysis was used to test the relationship between variables. Predictor effects were tested using hierarchical multiple regressions. The structural equation model (SEM) was used to test the mediation effect of emotional labor on the pathway from perceived organizational support to professional values. RESULTS: A positive moderate correlation was observed between the perceived organizational support and emotional labor (r = 0.524, P < 0.01), and a positive strong correlation was observed between perceived organizational support and professional values (r = 0.609, P < 0.01). Emotional labor and perceived organizational support were positive predictors of professional values (B = 0.531, 95%CI = 0.414 ~ 0.649; B = 0.808, 95%CI = 0.715 ~ 0.901, respectively). The association between perceived organizational support and professional values was mediated by emotional labor. CONCLUSIONS: Results showed that perceived organizational support was positively related to nurses' emotional labor, which was in turn associated with high professional values. For nurses, improving organizational support and training nurses to engage in emotional labor through providing multiple support systems, establishing appropriate incentive mechanisms, and training nurses to regulate emotions can be effective ways to promote nurses' professional values.

Phospholipid transfer protein ameliorates sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction through NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition.

Cardiomyocyte pyroptosis is a primary contributor to sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction (SICD). Recombinant phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) have been demonstrated to possess anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. However, the effect of PLTP on SICD remains unknown. In this study, we established the in vivo and in vitro sepsis model with the recombinant PLTP treatment. The survival rates of mice, mouse cardiac function, cell viability, the protein level of proinflammatory cytokine, and lactate dehydrogenase level were evaluated. The cardiomyocyte pyroptotic changes were observed. The distribution of PLTP and NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3) in mouse myocardial tissue and expression of PLTP, apoptosis associated speck like protein containing a CARD (ASC), NLRP3, caspase-1, interleukin (IL)-1ß, and Gasdermin D (GSDMD) were detected. PLTP ameliorated the cecal ligation and puncture-induced mouse survival rate decrease and cardiac dysfunction, inhibited the IL-1ß, IL-18, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α release, and blocked the NLRP3 inflammasome/GSDMD signaling pathway in septic mice. In vitro, PLTP reversed the lipopolysaccharide-induced cardiomyocyte pyroptosis, expression of IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome/GSDMD signal pathway. Moreover, PLTP could bind to NLRP3 and negatively regulate the activity of the NLRP3 inflammasome/GSDMD signal pathway. This study demonstrated that PLTP can ameliorate SICD by inhibiting inflammatory responses and cardiomyocyte pyroptosis by blocking the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome/GSDMD signaling pathway.

Disaster Preparedness Among Nurses in China: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Increasingly frequent global disasters such as coronavirus disease 2019 pose a threat to human health and life. The World Health Organization has called on countries to formulate detailed plans to prepare for disasters. It is critical to investigate and evaluate the disaster preparedness of nurses. PURPOSE: This study was designed to investigate the disaster preparedness and psychological condition of nurses in China and analyze the significant factors influencing their disaster preparedness. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2020, and 1,313 nurses were enrolled using convenience sampling. The study questionnaires were distributed and collected via a networking platform equivalent to Amazon Mechanical Turk. The disaster preparedness of the respondents was measured using the Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to evaluate anxiety and depression status, and a self-designed questionnaire developed based on a review of the literature was used to explore the potential factors of influence on disaster preparedness. RESULTS: The average score for disaster preparedness among the participants was 186.34 ( SD = 40.80), which corresponded with a moderate level, especially in skill (mean score = 42.01, SD = 12.39). Items with higher scores included support for the government, personal protection, and health education, whereas items with lower scores included nursing leadership in the community, capacity to cope with chemical or biological attacks, and assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder. Disaster preparedness was negatively related with mental health, including depression and anxiety. The main factors affecting disaster preparedness included educational background, nursing specialty, prior disaster training, prior disaster rescue experience, and depression level. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The disaster preparedness of Chinese nurses must be improved. More attention should be paid to disaster preparedness in nurses, and future tailored interventions are urgently needed to promote nursing leadership in the community, the ability to cope with chemical or biological attacks, and posttraumatic stress disorder assessments. Moreover, relieving negative emotions to promote the mental health of nurses should receive greater attention.

A Novel P/N/Si-Containing Vanillin-Based Compound for a Flame-Retardant, Tough Yet Strong Epoxy Thermoset.

It is still extremely challenging to endow epoxy resins (EPs) with excellent flame retardancy and high toughness. In this work, we propose a facile strategy of combining rigid-flexible groups, promoting groups and polar phosphorus groups with the vanillin compound, which implements a dual functional modification for EPs. With only 0.22% phosphorus loading, the modified EPs obtain a limiting oxygen index (LOI) value of 31.5% and reach V-0 grade in UL-94 vertical burning tests. Particularly, the introduction of P/N/Si-containing vanillin-based flame retardant (DPBSi) improves the mechanical properties of EPs, including toughness and strength. Compared with EPs, the storage modulus and impact strength of EP composites can increase by 61.1% and 240%, respectively. Therefore, this work introduces a novel molecular design strategy for constructing an epoxy system with high-efficiency fire safety and excellent mechanical properties, giving it immense potential for broadening the application fields of EPs.

LDH@Boronate Polymer Core-Shell Nanoparticles: Nanostructure Design for Synergistically Enhancing the Flame Retardancy of Epoxy Resin.

As a promising nanofiller, layered double hydroxides (LDHs) can advance the fire safety of epoxy resin (EP), but so far, due to the problems of dispersion and low efficiency, it has still been a challenge to incorporate the flame retardancy and mechanical properties of EP nanocomposites effectively under the circumstance of a low additive amount. In this work, we take LDHs as the template, via the adsorption of a catechol group and the condensation polymerization between catechol groups and phenylboric acid groups, to prepare a core-shell structured nanoparticle LDH@BP, which contains rich flame-retardant elements. EP/LDH@BP nanocomposites were prepared by introducing LDH@BP into EP. The experimental results indicate that, compared with the original LDH, LDH@BP disperses uniformly in the EP matrix, and the flame retardancy and mechanical properties of EP/LDH@BP are significantly improved. At a relatively low content (5 wt%), EP/LDH@BP reached the rating of V-0 in the UL-94 test, LOI was increased to 29.1%, and peak heat release rate (PHRR) was reduced by 35.9% in cone calorimeter tests, which effectively inhibited the release of heat and toxic smoke during the combustion process of EP. Simultaneously, the mechanical properties of EP/LDH@BP have been improved satisfactorily. The above results derive from the reasonable architectural design of organic-inorganic nano-hybrid flame retardants and provide a novel method for the construction of efficient and balanced EP nanocomposite system with LDHs.

Investigation on a high gravity device for reduction of NOx emission from marine diesel engines.

High gravity technology, as a process intensification technology, has demonstrated the great advantages in the field of gas purification on account of its excellent mass transfer efficiency and energy-efficient, but it is rarely applied in the field of nitrogen oxides (NOx) purification of marine diesel engine exhaust. In this paper, a high-gravity bowl-shaped-disk rotating bed (HBRB) without catalytic was designed for diesel exhaust after-treatment. A diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) was installed in the front of the HBRB to regenerate more nitrogen dioxide (NO2) easily reduced by urea. A bench test of a 6-cylinder marine diesel engine with the HBRB was carried out. The effects of the HBRB speeds, urea concentrations, and engine operating conditions on NOx purification efficiency in engine exhaust were experimentally investigated. The experimental result indicates that the maximum NOx removal efficiency of the HBRB can reach 69.1%. The improvement of the NOx removal efficiency is not obvious at the HBRB speed of over 1500 r/min. The pre-oxidation degree of nitric oxide (NO) and urea concentration largely affect the NOx removal efficiency. The HBRB has great potential in marine diesel engine exhaust denitration.

Electrically programmable adhesive hydrogels for climbing robots.

Although there have been notable advances in adhesive materials, the ability to program attaching and detaching behavior in these materials remains a challenge. Here, we report a borate ester polymer hydrogel that can rapidly switch between adhesive and nonadhesive states in response to a mild electrical stimulus (voltages between 3.0 and 4.5 V). This behavior is achieved by controlling the exposure and shielding of the catechol group through water electrolysis-induced reversible cleavage and reformation of the borate ester moiety. By switching the electric field direction, the hydrogel can repeatedly attach to and detach from various surfaces with a response time as low as 1 s. This programmable attaching/detaching strategy provides an alternative approach for robot climbing. The hydrogel is simply pasted onto the moving parts of climbing robots without complicated engineering and morphological designs. Using our hydrogel as feet and wheels, the tethered walking robots and wheeled robots can climb on both vertical and inverted conductive substrates (i.e., moving upside down) such as stainless steel and copper. Our study establishes an effective route for the design of smart polymer adhesives that are applicable in intelligent devices and an electrochemical strategy to regulate the adhesion.

Nurses' Perceptions of Factors Influencing Elder Self-neglect: A Qualitative Study.

PURPOSE: Elder self-neglect is a global public health issue and should be taken seriously at large. Nurses, usually working directly with elderly patients, have a better understanding of what factors may cause elder self-neglect. In this qualitative study, we explored the influencing factors of elder self-neglect from the perception of nurses in the context of Chinese culture. METHODS: Face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted from November 2018 to December 2018. Purposive sampling was used. Twenty one participants recruited from eight geriatric wards of a general hospital located in Wuhan were interviewed. A content analysis of qualitative nature was performed to analyze the data. RESULTS: Our conceptual model illustrated the findings based on the three themes of the conflict between personal recognition and social judgment, the choice between current needs and individual beliefs, as well as the compromise between insufficient abilities and limited resources. CONCLUSION: Nurses together with family members and social workers can help older adults improve their awareness of self-neglect to bridge the gap with social judgment, learn to focus on their own needs, as well as seek as much support as possible. Nurses should also respect the autonomy and self-determination of elder self-neglecters because self-neglect is related to older adults' values. Furthermore, larger studies are needed to quantitatively test and refine the model.

Effect of pain on depression among nursing home residents: Serial mediation of perceived social support and self-rated health. A cross-sectional study.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate how perceived social support and self-rated health together could mediate the relationship between pain and depression among Chinese nursing home residents with pain. METHODS: The study was conducted in 38 nursing homes in 13 cities in China. A convenience sample of 2154 older adults responded to the questionnaire survey. A mediation analysis was performed on the data of 990 participants with pain. The data were collected by a questionnaire consisting of socio-economic and demographic characteristics, the Geriatric Depression Scale-15, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Self-rated Health Scale and the Numerical Rating Scale of pain. The sample was subdivided by sex. Descriptive analysis, t-tests, chi-squared tests, Mann-Whitney U-tests, Spearman correlation analyses and the bootstrap method were used to analyze data. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of pain and depression among nursing home residents were 46.0% and 20.7% respectively. Pain, perceived social support and self-rated health were all significantly correlated with depression (r = 0.217, P < 0.01; r = -0.216, P < 0.01; r = 0.385, P < 0.01, respectively). Perceived social support and self-rated health independently and in series partly explained the relationship between pain and depression. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study showed that pain was associated with low perceived social support first, and then poor self-rated health, which was in turn related to the development of depression among nursing home residents with pain. For nursing home residents, perceived social support and self-rated health as an internal resource can affect the ability to overcome the suffering of pain and reduce the level of depression. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 1234-1240.

Emergency management of nursing human resources and supplies to respond to coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic.

OBJECTIVE: To introduce the emergency management of nursing human resources and supplies of a large general hospital when facing the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19). METHOD: The Nursing Department of the hospital fully executed its functional authority to establish a three-level echelon of sustainable support, allocate human recourses dynamically, organize pre-service training, supervise the key working steps, formulate positive incentive methods, and deploy medical supplies scientifically. RESULT: By taking these strategies, the hospital effectively improved the coping capacity of the nursing team and played a positive role in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. CONCLUSION: The emergency management of nursing human resources and material resources for COVID-19 of the hospital is successful. But several deficiencies were identified as well, which indicated that the hospital needs to establish an efficient emergency management system, and pay attention to the practice of nursing emergency plans to enhance coping capacities in public health emergencies.

Evaluation of particle penetration factors based on indoor PM2.5 removal by an air cleaner.

The particle penetration factor is an important parameter to determine the concentration of indoor particles. In this paper, a mathematical model for calculating this parameter was established by combining with the decay of the indoor PM2.5 and CO2 concentrations measured in a bedroom with an air cleaner. The convergence of the penetration factors was analyzed under different working conditions. The results show that the particle penetration factors converge to stable values within the range of 0.69 to 0.84 close to the value from the empirical formula when the indoor PM2.5 concentration decays to stable values. When the role of particle deposition is ignored, the penetration factors at the low and middle airflow modes are 0.78 and 0.69, respectively. The particle penetration factors are mainly determined by the clean air delivery rate (CADR) of the air cleaner, clearance airflow, and I/O ratio during the balanced phase when the roles of indoor particle deposition and exfiltration can be ignored. This work can provide a convenient method for the calculation of the particle penetration factor.

Chronic lead exposure decreases the expression of Huntingtin-associated protein 1 (HAP1) through Repressor element-1 silencing transcription (REST).

Chronic lead (Pb) exposure has been shown to reduce the expression of some synaptic proteins which are involved in vesicular trafficking and affect presynaptic neurotransmitter release. However, the precise mechanisms by Pb impairs neurotransmitter release are still not well defined. In the current study, we aimed to elucidate the changes of Huntingtin-associated protein 1 (HAP1) in Pb exposed rats and PC12 cells models and its molecular mechanism. Repressor element-1 silencing transcription (REST) modulates the expression of genes containing the repressor element 1 (RE-1) cis-regulatory DNA sequence. HAP1 promoter region contains a RE-1 binding motif. We also observed whether Pb exposure regulated the HAP1 transcription level through influencing the expression of REST. Mother rats were exposed to 0.5 and 2 g/L Pb acetate (PbAc) in drinking water from the first day of gestation until postnatal 21 days, then the offspring rats were continued to drink PbAc for 1 year, while the control groups received drinking water. PC12 cells were divided into 3 groups: 0 µM, 1 µM and 100 µM PbAc. The results revealed that Pb levels in blood and brain of Pb exposed groups were significantly higher than that of the control group. The ability of learning and memory in Pb exposed rats was decreased. Pb exposure reduced the expression of HAP1 and increased the REST expression. Silencing REST could reverse the decreasing of HAP1 in Pb exposed PC12 cells. Our findings raise a possibility that the decreasing of HAP1 expression by Pb exposure may affect neurotransmitter release and results in impairments in spatial learning and memory ability.

The therapeutic effect of pelvic floor muscle exercise on urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy: a meta-analysis.

Pelvic floor muscle exercise (PFME) is the most common conservative management for urinary incontinence (UI) after radical prostatectomy (RP). However, whether the PFME guided by a therapist (G-PFME) can contribute to the recovery of urinary continence for patients after RP is still controversial. We performed this meta-analysis to investigate the effectiveness of G-PFME on UI after RP and to explore whether the additional preoperative G-PFME is superior to postoperative G-PFME alone. Literature search was conducted on Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, and PubMed, to obtain all relevant randomized controlled trials published before March 1, 2018. Outcome data were pooled and analyzed with Review Manager 5.3 to compare the continence rates of G-PFME with control and to compare additional preoperative G-PFME with postoperative G-PFME. Twenty-two articles with 2647 patients were included. The continence rates of G-PFME were all superior to control at different follow-up time points, with the odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval [CI]) of 2.79 (1.53-5.07), 2.80 (1.87-4.19), 2.93 (1.19-7.22), 4.11 (2.24-7.55), and 2.41 (1.33-4.36) at 1 month, 3 months, 4 months, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery, respectively. However, there was no difference between additional preoperative G-PFME and postoperative G-PFME, with the OR (95% CI) of 1.70 (0.56-5.11) and 1.35 (0.41-4.40) at 1 month and 3 months after RP, respectively. G-PFME could improve the recovery of urinary continence at both early and long-term stages. Starting the PFME preoperatively might not produce extra benefits for patients at early stage, compared with postoperative PFME.

Superhydrophobic and flame retardant cotton modified with DOPO and fluorine-silicon-containing crosslinked polymer.

Modification of cotton fabric to achieve superhydrophobic, self-cleaning and heat resistance is of particular interest for practical applications. Herein, a simple surface modification route is designed to introduce flame retardant component 9, 10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene 10-oxide (DOPO) and low surface energy crosslinked polymer network comprising both fluorine and silicon elements on the surface of cotton fabric. The modified cotton fabric shows characteristic of superhydrophobic property with water contact angle of 154.8°, and exhibits promising self-cleaning performance. With the characters of hydrophobicity and lipophilicity, the modified cotton fabric can efficiently separate oil-water mixture and even emulsion. Moreover, the introduction of DOPO and fluorine-silicon-containing coating not only enhances the heat resistance of cotton, but also improves the flame retardant property.

Mutant Huntingtin Causes a Selective Decrease in the Expression of Synaptic Vesicle Protein 2C.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by a polyglutamine expansion in the huntingtin (Htt) protein. Mutant Htt causes synaptic transmission dysfunctions by interfering in the expression of synaptic proteins, leading to early HD symptoms. Synaptic vesicle proteins 2 (SV2s), a family of synaptic vesicle proteins including 3 members, SV2A, SV2B, and SV2C, plays important roles in synaptic physiology. Here, we investigated whether the expression of SV2s is affected by mutant Htt in the brains of HD transgenic (TG) mice and Neuro2a mouse neuroblastoma cells (N2a cells) expressing mutant Htt. Western blot analysis showed that the protein levels of SV2A and SV2B were not significantly changed in the brains of HD TG mice expressing mutant Htt with 82 glutamine repeats. However, in the TG mouse brain there was a dramatic decrease in the protein level of SV2C, which has a restricted distribution pattern in regions particularly vulnerable in HD. Immunostaining revealed that the immunoreactivity of SV2C was progressively weakened in the basal ganglia and hippocampus of TG mice. RT-PCR demonstrated that the mRNA level of SV2C progressively declined in the TG mouse brain without detectable changes in the mRNA levels of SV2A and SV2B, indicating that mutant Htt selectively inhibits the transcriptional expression of SV2C. Furthermore, we found that only SV2C expression was progressively inhibited in N2a cells expressing a mutant Htt containing 120 glutamine repeats. These findings suggest that the synaptic dysfunction in HD results from the mutant Htt-mediated inhibition of SV2C transcriptional expression. These data also imply that the restricted distribution and decreased expression of SV2C contribute to the brain region-selective pathology of HD.