Experiences of patients with advanced cancer coping with chronic pain: a qualitative analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To gain insight into the perceptions, and beliefs of patients with advanced cancer coping with chronic pain and to identify their attitudes and demands on pain management. METHODS: From July to September 2022, 17 patients with advanced cancer living with chronic pain were recruited from a tertiary cancer hospital in Hunan Province, China. Qualitative and semi-structured interviews were conducted individually, with 30-45 minutes for each. The Colaizzi 7-step analysis method in phenomenological research was used for data analysis. RESULTS: The experience of pain acceptance by advanced cancer patients with chronic pain was summarized into four themes: pain catastrophizing (unable to ignore the pain, try various methods to relieve the pain, exaggerating pain perception, and lack of knowledge about proper pain management), rumination (compulsive rumination and worrying rumination), avoidance coping (situational avoidance and repressive avoidance) and constructive action (setting clear value goal and taking reciprocal action). CONCLUSION: Most patients with advanced cancer had low pain acceptance and negative attitudes. Feeling helpless in the face of pain and suffering alone were their norm. Long-term negative emotions could lead to gradual depression and loss of hope for treatment, resulting in pain catastrophizing and persistent rumination. Nevertheless, a few patients accepted pain with positive attitudes. Medical professionals should pay more attention to the psychological status of advanced cancer patients with chronic pain, and employ alternative therapies, for example, cognitive behavioral therapy. More efforts are needed to reduce patients' pain catastrophizing, and promote their pain acceptance by a better understanding of pain through health education.

Flash healing of laser-induced graphene.

The advancement of laser-induced graphene (LIG) technology has streamlined the fabrications of flexible graphene devices. However, the ultrafast kinetics triggered by laser irradiation generates intrinsic amorphous characteristics, leading to high resistivity and compromised performance in electronic devices. Healing graphene defects in specific patterns is technologically challenging by conventional methods. Herein, we report the rapid rectification of LIG's topological defects by flash Joule heating in milliseconds (referred to as F-LIG), whilst preserving its overall structure and porosity. The F-LIG exhibits a decreased ID/IG ratio from 0.84 - 0.33 and increased crystalline domain from Raman analysis, coupled with a 5-fold surge in conductivity. Pair distribution function and atomic-resolution imaging delineate a broader-range order of F-LIG with a shorter C-C bond of 1.425 Å. The improved crystallinity and conductivity of F-LIG with excellent flexibility enables its utilization in high-performance soft electronics and low-voltage disinfections. Notably, our F-LIG/polydimethylsiloxane strain sensor exhibits a gauge factor of 129.3 within 10% strain, which outperforms pristine LIG by 800%, showcasing significant potential for human-machine interfaces.

Laser-Guided, Self-Confined Graphitization for High-Conductivity Embedded Electronics.

Facile fabrication of highly conductive and self-encapsulated graphene electronics is in urgent demand for carbon-based integrated circuits, field effect transistors, optoelectronic devices, and flexible sensors. The current fabrication of these electronic devices is mainly based on layer-by-layer techniques (separate circuit preparation and encapsulation procedures), which show multistep fabrication procedures, complicated renovation/repair procedures, and poor electrical property due to graphene oxidation and exfoliation. Here, we propose a laser-guided interfacial writing (LaserIW) technique based on self-confined, nickel-catalyzed graphitization to directly fabricate highly conductive, embedded graphene electronics inside multilayer structures. The doped nickel is used to induce chain carbonization, which firstly enhances the photothermal effect to increase the confined temperature for initial carbonization, and the generated carbon further increases the light-absorption capacity to fabricate high-quality graphene. Meanwhile, the nickel atoms contribute to the accelerated connection of carbon atoms. This interfacial carbonization inherently avoids the exfoliation and oxidation of the as-formed graphene, resulting in an 8-fold improvement in electrical conductivity (~20,000 S/m at 7,958 W/cm2 and 2 mm/s for 20% nickel content). The LaserIW technique shows excellent stability and reproducibility, with ±2.5% variations in the same batch and ±2% variations in different batches. Component-level wireless light sensors and flexible strain sensors exhibit excellent sensitivity (665 kHz/(W/cm2) for passive wireless light sensors) and self-encapsulation (<1% variations in terms of waterproof, antifriction, and antithermal shock). Additionally, the LaserIW technique allows for one-step renovation of in-service electronics and nondestructive repair of damaged circuits without the need to disassemble encapsulation layers. This technique reverses the layer-by-layer processing mode and provides a powerful manufacturing tool for the fabrication, modification, and repair of multilayer, multifunctional embedded electronics, especially demonstrating the immense potential for in-space manufacturing.

On-site detection of infectious disease based on CaCO3-based magnetic micromotor integrated with graphene field effect transistor.

A new detection platform based on CaCO3-based magnetic micromotor (CaCO3@Fe3O4) integrated with graphene field effect transistor (GFET) was construct and used for on-site SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pathogen detection. The CaCO3@Fe3O4 micromotor, which was modified with anti-SARS-CoV-2 (labelled antibody, AntiE1), can self-moved in the solution containing hydrochloric acid (HCl) and effective to capture the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pathogens. After magnetic field separation, the capture micromotor was detected by GFET, exhibiting a good linear relationship within the range of 1 ag/mL to 100 ng/mL and low detection limit (0.39 ag/mL). Furthermore, the detection platform was also successfully applied to detection of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pathogens in soil solution, indicating the potential use in on-site application.

Psychological adjustment to death anxiety: a qualitative study of Chinese patients with advanced cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Death anxiety (DA) refers to the negative emotions experienced when a person reflects on the inevitability of their own death, which is common among patients with cancer. It is crucial to understand the causes, coping styles and adjustment processes related to DA. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the adaptation process and outcome of patients with advanced cancer with DA and to provide evidence-based support for the development of targeted intervention measures to improve the mental health of such patients. DESIGN: This cross-sectional qualitative study sampled patients with advanced cancer (n=20). Grounded theory procedures were used to analyse transcripts and a theoretical model generated. SETTING: All interviewees in this study were from a tertiary oncology hospital in Hunan Province, China. The data analysis followed the constructive grounded theory method, involving constant comparison and memo writing. PARTICIPANTS: A purposive and theoretical sampling approach was used to recruit 20 patients with advanced cancer with diverse characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 20 participants were included in the study. Four stages of DA in patients with advanced cancer were extracted from the interview data: (1) death reminder and prominence; (2) perception and association; (3) defence and control; (4) transformation and Acceptance. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the psychological status and coping strategies of dynamic nature of patients with advanced cancer when confronted with negative emotions associated with death. It emphasises the importance of timely identification of DA in psychological nursing for patients with advanced cancer and the need for targeted psychological interventions based on their specific psychological processes. IMPLICATIONS: Knowing interventions that aim to promote the integration of internal and external resources, enhance self-esteem and facilitate a calm and accepting attitude towards death could ultimately reduce the overall DA of patients with advanced cancer.

Immune-stealth VP28-conjugated heparin nanoparticles for enhanced and reversible anticoagulation.

Heparins are a family of sulfated linear negatively charged polysaccharides that have been widely used for their anticoagulant, antithrombotic, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties. Additionally, it has been used for acute cerebral infarction relief as well as other pharmacological actions. However, heparin's self-aggregated macrocomplex may reduce blood circulation time and induce life-threatening thrombocytopenia (HIT) complicating the use of heparins. Nonetheless, the conjugation of heparin to immuno-stealth biomolecules may overcome these obstacles. An immunostealth recombinant viral capsid protein (VP28) was expressed and conjugated with heparin to form a novel nanoparticle (VP28-heparin). VP28-heparin was characterized and tested to determine its immunogenicity, anticoagulation properties, effects on total platelet count, and risk of inducing HIT in animal models. The synthesized VP28-heparin trimeric nanoparticle was non-immunogenic, possessed an average hydrodynamic size (8.81 ± 0.58 nm) optimal for the evasion renal filtration and reticuloendothelial system uptake (hence prolonging circulating half-life). Additionally, VP28-heparin did not induce mouse death or reduce blood platelet count when administered at a high dosein vivo(hence reducing HIT risks). The VP28-heparin nanoparticle also exhibited superior anticoagulation properties (2.2× higher prothrombin time) and comparable activated partial thromboplastin time, but longer anticoagulation period when compared to unfractionated heparin. The anticoagulative effects of the VP28-heparin can also be reversed using protamine sulfate. Thus, VP28-heparin may be an effective and safe heparin derivative for therapeutic use.

Idiopathic mesenteric phlebosclerosis combined with melanosis coli in a 51-year-old woman.

Idiopathic mesenteric phlebosclerosis (IMP) is a rare ischemic colitis characterized by calcification of mesenteric veins and submucosal veins of the colon. Melanosis coli (MC) is a pigmented mucosal lesion comprising macrophages in the lamina propria of the colorectal mucosa that contain lipofuscin. This study reports a case of IMP combined with MC.Clinicians should consider medication history, bowel preparation, and thorough observation to prevent missed IMP diagnosis when coexisting with MC.

Trajectories of fear of cancer recurrence and its influence factors: A longitudinal study on Chinese newly diagnosed cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: The fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is an ongoing and common psychological problem faced by cancer patients. The objective of this study was to explore the variation trend of FCR and its influencing factors in Chinese newly diagnosed cancer patients from admission to 2 months after discharge. Demographic and tumor characteristics, as well as experiential avoidance (EA), were used as predictors. METHOD: A longitudinal design and a consecutive sampling method were used to select 266 newly diagnosed cancer patients admitted to a tertiary cancer hospital in China from July to December 2022. Measurements of FCR and EA were obtained at admission (T1), 1 month after discharge (T2), and 2 months post-discharge (T3). Generalized estimating equations were used to identify factors associated with FCR for longitudinal data analysis. RESULTS: A total of 266 participants completed the follow-up. Both FCR and EA scores of patients with newly diagnosed cancer showed a significant trend of first increasing and then decreasing at baseline and follow-up (p < 0.001). The junior secondary and less education level, rural residence, advanced tumor and high EA level were risk factors for higher FCR. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the FCR levels of most newly diagnosed cancer patients in China are different at the three time points and affected by different factors, with the highest level at 1 month after discharge. These results have significant implications for future identifying populations in need of targeted intervention based on their FCR trajectories.

Perioperative change trajectories and predictors of swallowing function and swallowing-related quality of life in patients with oral cancer: a longitudinal observational study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine change trajectories and predictors of swallowing function and swallowing-related quality of life (QoL) in perioperative patients with oral cancer. DESIGN: Longitudinal observational study. SETTING: A tertiary cancer hospital in Hunan Province, China. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with oral cancer scheduled for surgery were recruited using convenience sampling. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes were swallowing function and swallowing-related QoL. The secondary outcomes were the predictors of the swallowing function and swallowing-related QoL. METHODS: The participants completed the sociodemographic and clinical data questionnaire, Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 and MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory before surgery, 7 days after operation and 1 month after operation. Data were analysed using t-test, analysis of variance and generalised linear models. RESULTS: Among 138 participants who completed all the three surveys, 41 (29.71%) had moderate to severe dysphagia before surgery. Swallowing function and swallowing-related QoL changed over time, showing the trend of decline first and then increase. Preoperative swallowing function and swallowing-related QoL were affected by sex, lymphocyte level, preoperative nutritional risk and primary tumour site. At 7 days postoperatively, tracheotomy affected swallowing function. At 1 month postoperatively, age and marital status influenced swallowing function, whereas age, type of job and preoperative nutritional risk influenced swallowing-related QoL. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that perioperative patients with oral cancer generally faced swallowing disorders, especially in the acute phase after surgery. Healthcare providers should pay attention to the swallowing function of perioperative patients with oral cancer, especially those with preoperative nutritional risk, tongue tumour, tracheotomy, age <60 years, and no spouse and the employed patients, and provide available interventions, such as swallowing and nutritional therapy, as early as possible to improve their swallowing function. Meanwhile, doctors should recommend the most evidence-based treatment options, such as reconstruction or not, preoperative chemotherapy or not, to patients.

Whole-Body Teleoperation Control of Dual-Arm Robot Using Sensor Fusion.

As human-robot interaction and teleoperation technologies advance, anthropomorphic control of humanoid arms has garnered increasing attention. However, accurately translating sensor-detected arm motions to the multi-degree freedom of a humanoid robotic arm is challenging, primarily due to occlusion issues with single-sensor setups, which reduce recognition accuracy. To overcome this problem, we propose a human-like arm control strategy based on multi-sensor fusion. We defined the finger bending angle to represent finger posture and employed a depth camera to capture arm movement. Consequently, we developed an arm movement tracking system and achieved anthropomorphic control of the imitation human arm. Finally, we verified our proposed method's effectiveness through a series of experiments, evaluating the system's robustness and real-time performance. The experimental results show that this control strategy can control the motion of the humanoid arm stably, and maintain a high recognition accuracy in the face of complex situations such as occlusion.

Sensor Fusion-Based Anthropomorphic Control of a Robotic Arm.

The main goal of this research is to develop a highly advanced anthropomorphic control system utilizing multiple sensor technologies to achieve precise control of a robotic arm. Combining Kinect and IMU sensors, together with a data glove, we aim to create a multimodal sensor system for capturing rich information of human upper body movements. Specifically, the four angles of upper limb joints are collected using the Kinect sensor and IMU sensor. In order to improve the accuracy and stability of motion tracking, we use the Kalman filter method to fuse the Kinect and IMU data. In addition, we introduce data glove technology to collect the angle information of the wrist and fingers in seven different directions. The integration and fusion of multiple sensors provides us with full control over the robotic arm, giving it flexibility with 11 degrees of freedom. We successfully achieved a variety of anthropomorphic movements, including shoulder flexion, abduction, rotation, elbow flexion, and fine movements of the wrist and fingers. Most importantly, our experimental results demonstrate that the anthropomorphic control system we developed is highly accurate, real-time, and operable. In summary, the contribution of this study lies in the creation of a multimodal sensor system capable of capturing and precisely controlling human upper limb movements, which provides a solid foundation for the future development of anthropomorphic control technologies. This technology has a wide range of application prospects and can be used for rehabilitation in the medical field, robot collaboration in industrial automation, and immersive experience in virtual reality environments.

Laser-driven hierarchical "gas-needles" for programmable and high-precision proximity transfer printing of microchips.

Micro-transfer printing (µTP) techniques are essential for advanced electronics. However, current contact/noncontact µTP techniques fail to simultaneously achieve high selectivity and transfer accuracy. Here, a laser projection proximity transfer (LaserPPT) technique is presented, which assembles the microchips in an approach-and-release manner, combining high-precision parallelism with individual chip control. An embedded carbon layer with a thin gas layer is generated by an ultraviolet laser, followed by absorbing heat from the infrared laser, to enable the sequential expansion of hierarchical "gas-needles." The level 1 large gas-needle with a substantially growing height can reduce the gap between the microchip and the receiver. Then, the level 2 small gas-needles enable the gentle release of a chip. Therefore, the LaserPPT can obtain a strong adhesion modulation (~1000 times), excellent size scalability (<100 micrometers), and high transfer accuracy of ~4 micrometers. Last, the assembly of a micro-light-emitting diode display demonstrates the capabilities for deterministic assembly of microarrays.

Effect of group-based acceptance and commitment therapy on older stroke survivors: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Older stroke survivors usually experience various psychology disorders, such as post-stroke depression (PSD), which may be associated with high experiential avoidance (EA) and can seriously affect their quality of life. To date, the efficacy of group-based acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for older stroke survivors has not been established. The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of group-based ACT on EA, PSD, psychological distress, and quality of life in older stroke survivors after group-based ACT. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study is a randomized, single-blind, wait-list controlled, parallel-arm trial. A total of 66 stroke survivors will be randomly assigned to wait-list control group or intervention group. Participants in wait-list control group will receive treatment as usual (TAU), while the intervention group will receive group-based ACT once a week for eight weeks. The primary outcome measure being EA, and the secondary outcome measures being PSD, psychological distress, and quality of life. Results of the two groups will be blindly assessed by professional evaluators at baseline (T0), post-treatment (T1), and one-month follow up (T2). DISCUSSION: The results of this study will provide the first evidence for the effectiveness of a group-based ACT intervention in reducing EA, PSD, psychological stress, and improving quality of life for post-stroke survivors. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR2200066361.

Multislip-enabled morphing of all-inorganic perovskites.

All-inorganic lead halide perovskites (CsPbX3, X = Cl, Br or I) are becoming increasingly important for energy conversion and optoelectronics because of their outstanding performance and enhanced environmental stability. Morphing perovskites into specific shapes and geometries without damaging their intrinsic functional properties is attractive for designing devices and manufacturing. However, inorganic semiconductors are often intrinsically brittle at room temperature, except for some recently reported layered or van der Waals semiconductors. Here, by in situ compression, we demonstrate that single-crystal CsPbX3 micropillars can be substantially morphed into distinct shapes (cubic, L and Z shapes, rectangular arches and so on) without localized cleavage or cracks. Such exceptional plasticity is enabled by successive slips of partial dislocations on multiple [Formula: see text] systems, as evidenced by atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopy and first-principles and atomistic simulations. The optoelectronic performance and bandgap of the devices were unchanged. Thus, our results suggest that CsPbX3 perovskites, as potential deformable inorganic semiconductors, may have profound implications for the manufacture of advanced optoelectronics and energy systems.

NiCoP/g-C3N4 Nanocomposites-Based Electrochemical Immunosensor for Sensitive Detection of Procalcitonin.

Herein, an ultra-sensitive and facile electrochemical biosensor for procalcitonin (PCT) detection was developed based on NiCoP/g-C3N4 nanocomposites. Firstly, NiCoP/g-C3N4 nanocomposites were synthesized using hydrothermal methods and then functionalized on the electrode surface by π-π stacking. Afterward, the monoclonal antibody that can specifically capture the PCT was successfully linked onto the surface of the nanocomposites with a 1-(3-Dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N-Hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) condensation reaction. Finally, the modified sensor was employed for the electrochemical analysis of PCT using differential Pulse Voltammetry(DPV). Notably, the larger surface area of g-C3N4 and the higher electron transfer capacity of NiCoP/g-C3N4 endow this sensor with a wider detection range (1 ag/mL to 10 ng/mL) and an ultra-low limit of detection (0.6 ag/mL, S/N = 3). In addition, this strategy was also successfully applied to the detection of PCT in the diluted human serum sample, demonstrating that the developed immunosensors have the potential for application in clinical testing.

Van der Waals nanomesh electronics on arbitrary surfaces.

Chemical bonds, including covalent and ionic bonds, endow semiconductors with stable electronic configurations but also impose constraints on their synthesis and lattice-mismatched heteroepitaxy. Here, the unique multi-scale van der Waals (vdWs) interactions are explored in one-dimensional tellurium (Te) systems to overcome these restrictions, enabled by the vdWs bonds between Te atomic chains and the spontaneous misfit relaxation at quasi-vdWs interfaces. Wafer-scale Te vdWs nanomeshes composed of self-welding Te nanowires are laterally vapor grown on arbitrary surfaces at a low temperature of 100 °C, bringing greater integration freedoms for enhanced device functionality and broad applicability. The prepared Te vdWs nanomeshes can be patterned at the microscale and exhibit high field-effect hole mobility of 145 cm2/Vs, ultrafast photoresponse below 3 µs in paper-based infrared photodetectors, as well as controllable electronic structure in mixed-dimensional heterojunctions. All these device metrics of Te vdWs nanomesh electronics are promising to meet emerging technological demands.

Assessing urban flooding risk in response to climate change and urbanization based on shared socio-economic pathways.

Global climate change and rapid urbanization, mainly driven by anthropogenic activities, lead to urban flood vulnerability and uncertainty in sustainable stormwater management. This study projected the temporal and spatial variation in urban flood susceptibility during the period 2020-2050 on the basis of shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs). A case study in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) was conducted for verifying the feasibility and applicability of this approach. GBA is predicted to encounter the increase in extreme precipitation with high intensity and frequency, along with rapid expansion of constructed areas, resulting in exacerbating of urban flood susceptibility. The areas with medium and high flood susceptibility will be expected to increase continuously from 2020 to 2050, by 9.5 %, 12.0 %, and 14.4 % under SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5 scenarios, respectively. In terms of the assessment of spatial-temporal flooding pattern, the areas with high flood susceptibility are overlapped with that in the populated urban center in GBA, surrounding the existing risk areas, which is consistent with the tendency of construction land expansion. The approach in the present study will provide comprehensive insights into the reliable and accurate assessment of urban flooding susceptibility in response to climate change and urbanization.

Sensor Fusion-Based Teleoperation Control of Anthropomorphic Robotic Arm.

Sensor fusion is a technique that combines information from multiple sensors in order to improve the accuracy and reliability of the data being collected. In the context of teleoperation control of an anthropomorphic robotic arm, sensor fusion technology can be used to enhance the precise control of anthropomorphic robotic arms by combining data from multiple sensors, such as cameras, data gloves, force sensors, etc. By fusing and processing this sensing information, it can enable real-time control of anthropomorphic robotic arms and dexterous hands, replicating the motion of human manipulators. In this paper, we present a sensor fusion-based teleoperation control system for the anthropomorphic robotic arm and dexterous hand, which utilizes a filter to fuse data from multiple sensors in real-time. As such, the real-time perceived human arms motion posture information is analyzed and processed, and wireless communication is used to intelligently and flexibly control the anthropomorphic robotic arm and dexterous hand. Finally, the user is able to manage the anthropomorphic operation function in a stable and reliable manner. We also discussed the implementation and experimental evaluation of the system, showing that it is able to achieve improved performance and stability compared to traditional teleoperation control methods.

Quantitative Structure-Electrochemistry Relationship (QSER) Studies on Metal-Amino-Porphyrins for the Rational Design of CO2 Reduction Catalysts.

The quantitative structure-electrochemistry relationship (QSER) method was applied to a series of transition-metal-coordinated porphyrins to relate their structural properties to their electrochemical CO2 reduction activity. Since the reactions mainly occur within the core of the metalloporphyrin catalysts, the cluster model was used to calculate their structural and electronic properties using density functional theory with the M06L exchange-correlation functional. Three dependent variables were employed in this work: the Gibbs free energies of H*, C*OOH, and O*CHO. QSER, with the genetic algorithm combined with multiple linear regression (GA-MLR), was used to manipulate the mathematical models of all three Gibbs free energies. The obtained statistical values resulted in a good predictive ability (R2 value) greater than 0.945. Based on our QSER models, both the electronic properties (charges of the metal and porphyrin) and the structural properties (bond lengths between the metal center and the nitrogen atoms of the porphyrin) play a significant role in the three Gibbs free energies. This finding was further applied to estimate the CO2 reduction activities of the metal-monoamino-porphyrins, which will prove beneficial in further experimental developments.