Synergistic Strain Suppressing and Interface Engineering in Na4MnV(PO4)3/C for Wide-Temperature and Long-Calendar-Life Sodium-Ion Storage.

A Na4MnV(PO4)3 (NMVP) cathode is regarded as a promising cathode candidate for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, issues such as low electronic conductivity and partial cation dissolution contribute to high polarization and structure distortion. Herein, we engineered the local electron density and reaction kinetic properties of NMVP cathodes with varying oxygen vacancies by introducing varying amounts of Zr doping and carbon coating. The optimized sample exhibited a high-rate capacity of 71.8 mAh g-1 at 30 C (83.1% capacity retention after 1000 cycles) and excellent performance over a wide temperature range (84.1 mAh g-1 at 60 °C and 61.4 mAh g-1 at -30 °C). In situ X-ray diffraction technology confirmed a redox solid solution and a two-phase reaction mechanism, revealing minor changes in cell volume and slight strain variations after Zr doping, effectively suppressing the structural distortion. Theoretical calculations illustrated that Zr doping largely shrinks the band gap of NMVP, enriches local electron density, and slightly alters the local element distribution and bond lengths. Moreover, full-cells have shown high energy density (259.9 Wh kg-1) and outstanding cycling stability (200 cycles). The work provides fresh insights into the synergistic effect of strain suppressing and interface engineering in promoting the development of wide temperature range and long-calendar-life SIBs.

Degradation of o-dichlorobenzene by DBD-NTP co-modified titanium gel catalyst.

In order to study the degradation process of dioxins in industrial flue gas, the decomposition of o-dichlorobenzene (o-DCB) in a DBD plasma catalytic reactor was investigated. The results showed that an NTP-catalyzed system, especially using the CuMnTiOx catalyst, had better o-DCB degradation performance compared to plasma alone. The combination of the CuMnTiOx catalyst with NTP can achieve a degradation efficiency of up to 97.2% for o-DCB; the selectivity of CO and CO2 and the carbon balance were 40%, 45%, and 85%, respectively. The dielectric constant and electrical property results indicated that the surface discharge capacity of the catalysts played a major role in the degradation of o-DCB, and a higher dielectric constant could suppress the plasma expansion and enhance the duration of the plasma discharge per discharge cycle. According to the O1s XPS and O2-TPD results, the conversion of CO to CO2 follows the M-v-K mechanism; thus, the active species on the catalyst surface play an important role. Moreover, the CuMnTiOx and NTP mixed system exhibited excellent stability, which is probably because Cu doping improved the lifetime of the catalyst. This work can provide an experimental and theoretical basis for research in the degradation of o-DCB by plasma catalyst systems.

Influence of Curing Temperature on the Performance of Calcined Coal Gangue-Limestone Blended Cements.

The utilization of calcined coal gangue (CCG) and limestone for the preparation of blended cement is an efficient approach to address the issue of coal gangue disposal. However, the compressive strength development of blended cement is slow, particularly at high substitution levels of CCG. Therefore, this study aimed to promote the hydration and mechanical properties of the calcined coal gangue-limestone blended cements by increasing the curing temperature. In this study, the samples were cured at two different temperatures, namely 20 and 40 °C. The four groups of samples contained 15 wt.%, 30 wt.%, 45 wt.% and 60 wt.% cement substitutions using CCG and limestone (2:1 mass ratio). The compressive strength, hydration and microstructure were investigated at the ages of 1 to 28 d. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetry (TG) were used to study the hydration behavior of samples. Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to determine the microstructure of the samples. The results indicate that an increase in curing temperature significantly promotes the compressive strength of the calcined coal gangue-limestone blended cements from 1 to 28 d. The microstructural analysis indicates that increasing the curing temperature not only promotes cement hydration but also facilitates the reaction of CCG, which precipitated more hydrates such as C-A-S-H gel, Hc and Mc. These hydrates are conducive to refining the pore structures and densifying the microstructure, which sufficiently explains the enhanced compressive strength of the calcined coal gangue-limestone blended cements.

Quantification of Glycated Hemoglobin in Total Hemoglobin by a Simultaneous Dual-Signal Acquisition Approach.

The glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level, which is defined as the ratio of HbA1c to total hemoglobin (tHb, including glycated and unglycated hemoglobin), is considered one of the preferred indicators for diabetes monitoring. Generally, assessment of the HbA1c level requires separate determination of tHb and HbA1c concentrations after a complex separation step. This undoubtedly increases the cost of the assay, and the loss or degradation of HbA1c during the separation process results in a decrease in the accuracy of the assay. Therefore, this study explored a dual-signal acquisition method for the one-step simultaneous evaluation of tHb and HbA1c. Quantification of tHb: graphene adsorbed carbon quantum dots and methylene blue were utilized as the substrate material and linked to the antibody. tHb was captured on the substrate by the antibody. The unique heme group on tHb catalyzed the production of •OH from H2O2 to degrade methylene blue on the substrate, and a quantitative relationship between the tHb concentration and the methylene blue oxidation current signal was constructed. Quantification of HbA1c: complex labels with HbA1c recognition were made of ZIF-8-ferrocene-gold nanoparticles-mercaptophenylboronic acid. The specific recognition of the boronic acid bond with the unique cis-diol structure of HbA1c establishes a quantitative relationship between the oxidation current of the label-loaded ferrocene and the concentration of HbA1c. Thus, the HbA1c level can be assessed with only one signal readout. The sensor exhibited extensive detection ranges (0.200-600 ng/mL for tHb and 0.100-300 ng/mL for HbA1c) and low detection limits (4.00 × 10-3 ng/mL for tHb and 1.03 × 10-2 ng/mL for HbA1c).

Identification of odorant-binding proteins and functional analysis of antenna-specific BhorOBP28 in Batocera horsfieldi (Hope).

BACKGROUND: The important wood-boring pest Batocera horsfieldi has evolved a sensitive olfactory system to locate host plants. Odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) are thought to play key roles in olfactory recognition. Therefore, exploring the physiological function of OBPs could facilitate a better understanding of insect chemical communications. RESULTS: In this research, 36 BhorOBPs genes were identified via transcriptome sequencing of adults' antennae from B. horsfieldi, and most BhorOBPs were predominantly expressed in chemosensory body parts. Through fluorescence competitive binding and fluorescence quenching assays, the antenna-specific BhorOBP28 was investigated and displayed strong binding affinities forming stable complexes with five volatiles, including (+)-α-Pinene, (+)-Limonene, ß-Pinene, (-)-Limonene, and (+)-Longifolene, which could also elicit conformation changes when they were interacting with BhorOBP28. Batocera horsfieldi females exhibited a preference for (-)-Limonene, and a repellent response to (+)-Longifolene. Feeding dsOBP19 produced by a bacteria-expressed system with a newly constructed vector could lead to the knockdown of BhorOBP28, and could further impair B. horsfieldi attraction to (-)-Limonene and repellent activity of (+)-Longifolene. The analysis of site-directed mutagenesis revealed that Leu7, Leu72, and Phe121 play a vital role in selectively binding properties of BhorOBP28. CONCLUSION: By modeling the molecular mechanism of olfactory recognition, these results demonstrate that BhorOBP28 is involved in the chemoreception of B. horsfieldi. The bacterial-expressed dsRNA delivery system gains new insights into potential population management strategies. Through the olfactory process concluded that discovering novel behavioral regulation and environmentally friendly control options for B. horsfieldi in the future. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Strengthening and Embrittling Mechanism of Super 304H Steel during Long-Term Aging at 650 °C.

Super 304H has been a crucial material for ultra-supercritical boilers. However, the relationship between microstructure evolution, strengthening mechanism, and embrittling behavior during long-term aging was lacking investigation. This investigation aimed to reveal the strengthening and embrittling mechanism from precipitates in Super 304H. The results showed that the hardness increment came from the grain boundary's M23C6 (GB's M23C6) and intragranular nano Cu-rich particles. After being aged for 5000 h, the GB's M23C6 and nano Cu-rich particles provided a hardness increment of approximately 10 HV and 30 HV, respectively. The impact toughness gradually decreased from 213 J/cm2 to 161 J/cm2 with the extending aging time. For the aged Super 304H, the GB's M23C6 provided a higher cracking source. In addition, the nano Cu-rich particle restricted the twin-induced plastic deformation of austenitic grain and depressed the absorbed energy from austenitic grain deformation.

Enhanced biodegradation of microplastic and phthalic acid ester plasticizer: The role of gut microorganisms in black soldier fly larvae.

Hermetia illucens larvae are recognized for their ability to mitigate or eliminate contaminants by biodegradation. However, the biodegradation characteristics of microplastics and phthalic acid esters plasticizers, as well as the role of larval gut microorganisms, have remained largely unrevealed. Here, the degradation kinetics of plasticizers, and biodegradation characteristics of microplastics were examined. The role of larval gut microorganisms was investigated. For larval development, microplastics slowed larval growth significantly (P < 0.01), but the effect of plasticizer was not significant. The degradation kinetics of plasticizers were enhanced, resulting in an 8.11 to 20.41-fold decrease in degradation half-life and a 3.34 to 3.82-fold increase in final degradation efficiencies, compared to degradation without larval participation. The depolymerization and biodeterioration of microplastics were conspicuously evident, primarily through a weight loss of 17.63 %-25.52 %, variation of chemical composition and structure, bio-oxidation and bioerosion of microplastic surface. The synergistic effect driven by larval gut microorganisms, each with various functions, facilitated the biodegradation. Specifically, Ignatzschineria, Paenalcaligenes, Moheibacter, Morganella, Dysgonomonas, Stenotrophomonas, Bacteroides, Sphingobacterium, etc., appeared to be the key contributors, owing to their xenobiotic biodegradation and metabolism functions. These findings offered a new perspective on the potential for microplastics and plasticizers biodegradation, assisted by larval gut microbiota.

A facile electrochemical immunosensor based on EDTA-Pb2+ complexation reaction.

The sensitivity of electrochemical (EC) sensors has been improved through the development of multiple approaches. However, the majority of EC sensors were limited in their practical application by high costs or tedious procedures. Herein, based on ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)-Pb2+ complexation reaction, a facile and affordable immunosensor was designed. Pb2+-magnesium silicate hydrate was served as the sensing substrate. The immunorecognition process was carried out in the Eppendorf tube, and antibody-functionalized Pb2+-polydopamine was utilized as immunoprobe. In the tube, the quantitative and appropriate excess of EDTA was introduced to complex with Pb2+ on the immunoprobes. The remaining EDTA was added to the sensing substrate surface to coordinate with some Pb2+ in it. This leaded to the reduction of the EC signal of Pb2+, which was related to the antigen concentration. Using prostate-specific antigen as the model analyte, the sensitive detection was realized with a low limit of detection (30.49 fg mL-1). Remarkably, the assay results were available within 24 min, sensibly faster than the most existing EC sensors.

Resurrected and Tunable Conductivity and Ferromagnetism in the Secondary Growth La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 on Transferred SrTiO3 Membranes.

To avoid the epitaxy dilemma in various thin films, such as complex oxide, silicon, organic, metal/alloy, etc., their stacking at an atomic level and secondary growth are highly desired to maximize the functionality of a promising electronic device. The ceramic nature of complex oxides and the demand for accurate and long-range-ordered stoichiometry face severe challenges. Here, the transport and magnetic properties of the La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 (LCMO) secondary growth on single-crystal freestanding SrTiO3 (STO) membranes are demonstrated. It has been experimentally found that on an only 10 nm thick STO membrane, the LCMO can offer a bulk-like Curie temperature (TC) of 253 K and negative magnetoresistance of -64%, with a weak dependence on the thickness. The resurrected conductivity and ferromagnetism in LCMO confirm the advantages of secondary growth, which benefits from the excellent flexibility and transferability. Additionally, this study explores the integration strategy of complex oxides with other functional materials.

Stressful Life Events and Problem Gambling Among Chinese Lottery Gamblers: The Mediating Effects of Coping Strategies and Magical Thinking.

Problem gambling poses serious harm to individuals and societies worldwide. This study aims to investigate the relationship between stressful life events and problem gambling, and further explore the mediating role of coping strategies and magical thinking. Currently, the research on problem gambling is widely conducted worldwide. However, due to the unique characteristics of China's gambling industry, research on problem gambling conducted in the Chinese mainland has always been an underrepresented area in international gambling research. This study recruited participants from a province in central China, and data from 483 of them were ultimately analyzed. The data analysis results indicate that task-oriented coping, emotion-oriented coping, avoidance-oriented coping, and magical thinking all serve as mediators in the relationship between stressful life events and problem gambling. Emotion-oriented coping and magical thinking, avoidance-oriented coping and magical thinking, all serve as serial mediators in the relationship between stressful life events and problem gambling. Task-oriented coping and magical thinking did not act as serial mediators in this relationship. This study demonstrates that helping problem gamblers develop effective coping strategies and reduce their level of magical thinking is crucial for treating their problem gambling.

Supramolecular nanofiber of indomethacin derivative confers highly cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selectivity and boosts anti-inflammatory efficacy.

Herein, we report a facile method for converting carboxylate-containing indomethacin (Idm) into a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective inhibitor via the amidation of an unnatural peptide sequence (Nal-Nal-Asp). The resulting indomethacin amides (i.e., Idm-Nal-Nal-Asp) have high selectivity for COX-2, and can self-assemble into a one-component supramolecular hydrogel that acts as a 'self-delivery' system for boosting anti-inflammatory efficacy. Self-assembled Idm-Nal-Nal-Asp hydrogel robustly inhibits COX-2 expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated Raw 264.7 macrophages while also exhibits superior anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities via reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related NF-κB and Nrf2/HO-1 pathways. Moreover, a rabbit model of endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU) reveals that the Idm-Nal-Nal-Asp hydrogel outperforms clinically used 0.1 wt% diclofenac sodium eye drops in terms of in vivo anti-inflammatory efficacy via topical instillation route. As a rational approach to designing and applying COX-2 selective inhibitors, this work presents a simple method for converting non-selective nonsteriodal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) into highly selective COX-2 inhibitors that can self-assemble into supramolecular hydrogel for anti-inflammation applications.

Compressive Performance of Longitudinal Steel-FRP Composite Bars in Concrete Cylinders Confined by Different Type of FRP Composites.

This paper presents an experimental study on the compressive performance of longitudinal steel-fiber-reinforced polymer composite bars (SFCBs) in concrete cylinders confined by different type of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. Three types of concrete cylinders reinforced with (or without) longitudinal SFCBs and different transverse FRP confinements were tested under monotonic compression. The results showed that the post-yield stiffness of SFCBs is higher when confined with high elastic modulus carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite than with low elastic modulus basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) composite. Decreasing confinement spacing did not significantly improve the compressive strength of SFCBs in concrete cylinders. The compressive failure strain of SFCBs could possibly reach 88% of its tensile peak strain in concrete cylinders confined by CFRP sheets, which is significantly higher than the value (around 50%) in previous studies. Existing design equations, which applied a strength reduction factor or a maximum compressive strain of concrete to consider the compressive contributions of SFCBs in concrete members, underestimate the load-carrying capacity of SFCB-reinforced concrete cylinders. The design equation that considers the actual compressive stress of SFCBs gives the most accurate prediction; however, its applicability and accuracy need to be verified with more experimental data.

Anti-Condensation Performance of a New Superhydrophobic Coating for Pavements.

Superhydrophobic coating ice suppression is an advanced and durable technology that shows great potential for application on pavements. Although many researchers have conducted experimental and theoretical validations to confirm the effectiveness of superhydrophobic surfaces in actively suppressing ice formation, there are still some who remain skeptical. They argue that the roughness of the surface may increase ice adhesion due to the mechanical interlocking effect of condensation droplets in low-temperature and high-humidity environments. In this study, we present a comprehensive investigation of a novel superhydrophobic coating specifically designed for pavement surfaces, aiming to address the question of its active anti-icing/ice-sparing capabilities in a condensing environment. The changes in contact angle before and after condensation for four material surfaces with varying wettability were investigated, as well as the morphology and ice adhesion of liquid water after it freezes on the material surface. The findings reveal that the proposed superhydrophobic coating for pavements effectively prevents condensate droplets from infiltrating the surface structure, resulting in delaying the surface icing time and reducing the attachment strength of the ice.

The association of adverse reactions and depression in cervical cancer patients treated with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy: moderated mediation models.

Objective: Several studies reported that adverse reactions to treatment, neuroticism, marital relations, and quality of life may impact the development of depression in cervical cancer patients treated with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, but the associations between them remained unclear. This study investigated the associations between these factors using moderated mediation models. Methods: Data were extracted from a survey involving cervical cancer patients treated with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy at five tertiary hospitals in Hubei Province, China, from June to December 2022. The SPSS-PROCESS program was used to develop a moderated mediation model to study the roles of neuroticism, quality of life, and marital relations in the association between adverse reactions and depression in the study population. Results: A total of 802 cervical cancer patients treated with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy (54.84 ± 9.68 years) were recruited. The prevalence of depression among these patients was 72.72%, with four symptom clusters of dizziness-ringing in the ears, digestive system-related symptoms, skin dryness and itching, and urinary frequency-urgency-leakage. Adverse reactions directly and positively affected the occurrence of depression, neuroticism mediated the association between adverse reactions and depression, while this association varied according to the quality of life and marital relations. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that depression is common among cervical cancer patients receiving radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Intervention targets for depression in cervical cancer patients should be precisely selected and targeted according to the quality of life and marital relations differences in patients, taking into account the cost of the intervention and the benefit to the patient.

Effect of gas components on the degradation mechanism of o-dichlorobenzene by non-thermal plasma technology with single dielectric barrier discharge.

In this paper, the degradation of o-DCB under different gas-phase parameter conditions was investigated using the SDBD-NTP system. The results showed that the increase in initial and oxygen concentrations had opposite effects on the degradation of o-DCB. Among them, the increase of oxygen concentration promoted the degradation of o-DCB. Relative humidity promoted and then inhibited the degradation of o-DCB. The highest degradation efficiency of o-DCB was achieved at RH = 15%, reaching 91% at 29W. In the study of by-products, it was found that O3 and NOx were the main inorganic by-products, and that different oxygen levels and relative humidity conditions had a large effect on the production of O3 and NOx. In all of them, the concentration of O3 decreased with the increase of input power. NOx increased with increasing oxygen concentration, but the increase in relative humidity inhibited the production of NO and N2O and promoted the conversion of NO2. A study of organic by-products revealed this. In the absence of oxygen, a higher number of benzene products appeared. Whereas, with the addition of oxygen, only in the by-products under conditions where no relative humidity was introduced, benzene ring products were predominantly present in the by-products. However, when RH was added, n-hexane was found to be present in the by-products. This may be because the introduction of OH• favors the destruction of the benzene ring. Finally, the possible reaction pathways and reaction mechanisms of o-DCB under different gas-phase parameters are given. It provides a reference for future related scientific research as well as scientific problems in practical applications.

Rationally Designed Enzyme-Resistant Peptidic Assemblies for Plasma Membrane Targeting in Cancer Treatment.

Peptides are being increasingly important for subcellular targeted cancer treatment to improve specificity and reverse multidrug resistance. However, there has been yet any report on targeting plasma membrane (PM) through self-assembling peptides. A simple synthetic peptidic molecule (tF4) is developed. It is revealed that tF4 is carboxyl esterase-resistant and self-assembles into vesical nanostructures. Importantly, tF4 assemblies interact with PM through orthogonal hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction to regulate cancer cellular functions. Mechanistically, tF4 assemblies induce stress fiber formation, cytoskeleton reconstruction, and death receptor 4/5 (DR4/5) expression in cancer cells. DR4/5 triggers extrinsic caspase-8 signaling cascade, resulting in cell death. The results provide a new strategy for developing enzyme-resistant and PM-targeting peptidic molecules against cancer.

A biomimetic peptide-drug supramolecular hydrogel as eyedrops enables controlled release of ophthalmic drugs.

The rapid clearance of instilled drugs from the ocular surface due to tear flushing and excretion results in low drug bioavailability, necessitating the development of new drug delivery routes. Here, we generated an antibiotic hydrogel eye drop that can extend the pre-corneal retention of a drug after topical instillation to address the risk of side effects (e.g., irritation and inhibition of enzymes), resulting from frequent and high-dosage administrations of antibiotics used to obtain the desired therapeutic drug concentration. The covalent conjugation of small peptides to antibiotics (e.g., chloramphenicol) first endows the self-assembly ability of peptide-drug conjugate to generate supramolecular hydrogels. Moreover, the further addition of calcium ions, which are also widely present in endogenous tears, tunes the elasticity of supramolecular hydrogels, making them ideal for ocular drug delivery. The in vitro assay revealed that the supramolecular hydrogels exhibited potent inhibitory activities against both gram-negative (e.g., Escherichia coli) and gram-positive (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria, whereas they were innocuous toward human corneal epithelial cells. Moreover, the in vivo experiment showed that the supramolecular hydrogels remarkably increased pre-corneal retention without ocular irritation, thereby showing appreciable therapeutic efficacy for treating bacterial keratitis. This work, as a biomimetic design of antibiotic eye drops in the ocular microenvironment, addresses the current issues of ocular drug delivery in the clinic and further provides approaches to improve the bioavailability of drugs, which may eventually open new directions to resolve the difficulty of ocular drug delivery. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Herein, we present a biomimetic design for antibiotic hydrogel eye drops mediated by calcium ions (Ca2+) in the ocular microenvironment, which can extend the pre-corneal retention of antibiotics after topical instillation. The mediation of Ca2+ which is widely present in endogenous tears, tunes the elasticity of hydrogels, making them ideal for ocular drug delivery. Since increasing the ocular retention of antibiotic eye drops enhances its action and reduces its adverse effects, this work may lead to an approach of peptide-drug-based supramolecular hydrogel for ocular drug delivery in clinics to combat ocular bacterial infections.

Biomechanical Evaluation of an Adaptive-Motion Pedicle Screw Fixation System: Experimental and Numerical Analysis.

Rigid fixation is mostly used in thoracolumbar spine surgery, which restricts the thoracolumbar spine segments moving and is not conducive to postoperative rehabilitation. We developed an adaptive-motion pedicle screw and established a finite element model of the T12-L3 segments of the thoracolumbar spine in osteoporosis patients based on the CT image data. A variety of internal fixation finite element models were established for mechanical simulation analysis and comparison. The simulation results showed that compared with the conventional internal fixation system, the mobility of the new adaptive-motion internal fixation system was improved by about 13.8% and 7.7% under the classic conditions such as lateral bending and flexion. in vitro experiments were conducted simultaneously with fresh porcine thoracolumbar spine vertebrae, and the axial rotation condition was taken as an example to analyze the mobility. The in vitro results showed that the mobility of the adaptive-motion internal fixation system had better mobility characteristics under axial rotation conditions, which was consistent with the finite element analysis. The adaptive-motion pedicle screws can preserve a certain degree of vertebral mobility, and avoid excessive vertebral restriction. It also increases the stress value of the intervertebral disk, which is closer to the normal mechanical transmission of the human body, avoiding stress masking and slowing down the degeneration of the intervertebral disk. The adaptive-motion pedicle screws can reduce the peak stress of the implant and avoid surgical failure due to implant fracture.

Simplified Evaluation of Shear Stiffness Degradation of Diagonally Cracked Reinforced Concrete Beams.

Shear cracking in concrete box-girder bridges, which could cause excessive deflection during the serviceability limit state, cannot be effectively avoided by code-guided design. While elastic shear deformation only accounts for a small proportion of total deformation for un-cracked reinforced concrete (RC) beams, the magnitude of after-cracking shear deformation becomes comparable to flexural deformation for RC beams. However, there is still a lack of practical models to predict the after-cracking shear deformation of RC beams. First, six thin-webbed I beams were tested to investigate the shear stiffness degradation mechanism and the decrease ratio. Then, a very simple truss strut angle formula, which is the crucial parameter for shear stiffness, was established. Furthermore, a stiffness degradation rule for partially cracked beams was proposed considering the influence of concrete tension stiffening, which is essential for predicting the development process of after-cracking shear deformation. Finally, directly measured shear strains were used to validate the proposed shear stiffness model. The results showed that the shear stiffness drops to about 30~40% of the original stiffness after the first diagonal crack, and the remaining shear stiffness is only about 10% of the original one when the stirrup yields. Increasing the stirrup ratio is a more effective method to control shear stiffness degradation for diagonally cracked RC beams. Also, the proposed shear stiffness model well captures the main features of the shear stiffness degradation, and it provides a relatively accurate prediction of the equivalent shear stiffness at the post-cracking stage.

The experiences of emergency hospital care among adolescents and young adults with self-harm: A systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative evidence.

QUESTION: The incidence of self-injurious behavior in adolescents and young adults is on the rise. Seeking care in the emergency department after self-injurious behavior is one way they signal for help. The purpose of this systematic evaluation was to synthesize the best available qualitative research evidence on young people's experiences of emergency department visits following self-harm behaviors and their need for emergency medical services. STUDY SELECTION AND ANALYSIS: Eleven databases were retrieved with predefined search terms from database construction to February 4, 2022. Literature was screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria and quality assessment. FINDINGS: Eleven studies yielded fifty-five findings that were summarized into eight categories and aggregated into three composite statements: (1) positive emergency department experience; (2) negative emergency department experience; and (3) desire for help. CONCLUSIONS: Young people with a history of self-injurious behavior have a mixed sense of experience in the emergency department. The sense of negative experience makes patients feel dissatisfied and disappointed with healthcare services, and positive experiences can help them seek further help. The emergency departments should improve the diagnosis and treatment model of self-injured adolescent patients to ensure that they receive effective and high-quality medical resources.