Self-Reconstructed Two-Dimensional Cluster-Based Co-Organic Layer Heterojunctions for Enhanced Oxygen Evolution Reactions.

When it comes to an efficient catalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in the production of renewable energy and chemicals, the construction of heterogeneous structures is crucial to break the linear scalar relationship of a single catalyst. This heterogeneous structure construction helps creatively achieve high activity and stability. However, the synthesis process of heterogeneous crystalline materials is often complex and challenging to capture and reproduce, which limits their application. Here, the dynamic process of structural changes in Co-MOFs in alkali was captured by in situ powder X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, and several self-reconfigured MOF heterogeneous materials with different structures were stably isolated. The created ß-Co(OH)2/Co-MOF heterojunction structure facilitates rapid mass-charge transfer and exposure of active sites, which significantly enhanced OER activity. Experimental results show that this heterogeneous structure achieves a low overpotential of 333 mV at 10 mA cm-2. The findings provide new insights and directions for the search for highly reactive cobalt-based MOFs for sustainable energy technologies.

The Effects of a Beauty Program on Self-Perception of Aging and Depression among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in an Agricultural Area in Taiwan.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a beauty program on the self-perception of aging and depression among the community-dwelling older adults in an agricultural area in Taiwan. Twenty-nine older adults aged 65 and above in one agricultural community care center completed the program. Based on cosmetic therapy, the beauty program consisted of 13 sessions focused on facial skin care, make-up application, and massage with essential oils. Each 90 min session of the program was conducted in groups once a week for 13 weeks. This study applied the mixed methods approach, and data were gathered through questionnaire surveys, interviews, and observation. Before and after the beauty program, the elderly individuals' self-perceptions of aging and depression were assessed using the Attitudes towards Old People Scale (ATOPS) and Taiwanese Depression Questionnaire (TDQ), respectively. The participants' ATOPS scores after the program were significantly higher than those examined before the program (p < 0.001), and their TDQ scores were significantly lower than those before the program (p < 0.001). Additionally, the participants' body images were improved, the participants disrupted their stereotypes about makeup, and they were willing to gradually maintain their appearance. Overall, the beauty program was effective for enhancing the self-perceptions of aging and reducing depression in older adults in rural Taiwan. Further research with a larger population of older individuals, male older adults, or frail older adults is needed to examine the specific effects of the beauty program.

Preoperative Anxiety and Postoperative Pain in Patients With Laparoscopic Hysterectomy.

Objective: This study was designed to investigate preoperative anxiety situations and postoperative pain degree in Chinese patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy and to analyze the related factors of preoperative anxiety and the correlation between preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain to provide a reference for effective postoperative analgesia management. Methods: A total of 100 female patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy were enrolled in this study and randomly divided into two groups (n = 50, each). In group A, the patients were treated with dexmedetomidine and sufentanil for postoperative analgesia. In group B, the patients were treated with sufentanil alone for postoperative analgesia. All patients were evaluated with a self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) 1 day before the operation. The patients' pain was evaluated using the numerical rating scale (NRS) 1 day after the operation, and data were recorded. Results: In these 100 patients, the highest preoperative SAS score was 48, and the average score was 40.99 ± 4.55 points, which is higher than the norm in China. There were significant differences in preoperative SAS scores among patients with different occupations and previous surgical experience (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in SAS scores among patients with different education levels (P > 0.05). The postoperative NRS score of group A was significantly higher than that of group B, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The correlation coefficients between SAS scores and NRS scores in groups A and B were 0.836 and 0.870, respectively, presenting with a significantly positive correlation. Conclusion: Preoperative anxiety is an important predictor of postoperative pain. Patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy have preoperative anxiety. The degree of anxiety is influenced by the occupation and previous operation experience of the patients, and patients with higher preoperative anxiety have greater postoperative pain. In addition, we should not neglect the management of postoperative pain because of the small trauma of laparoscopic surgery, and dexmedetomidine combined with sufentanil can improve the postoperative analgesic effect.

[Application of Shared Decision Making on Birth Choice in a Primigravida Woman With Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia].

Shared decision making was used by a primipara with congenital adrenal hyperplasia to make decisions related to her delivery plans and process. The four components of the holistic nursing assessment process (physical, mental, social and spiritual) were conducted by the author from January 9th, 2018 to April 8th, 2018. The major concerns of the subject were anxiety and conflicts related to medical decision making for her health problems. The Case-Centered Care Model and Patient Decision Aids were applied in medical discussions conducted during the period of nursing care. The subject was encouraged to express her feelings during the process. The completed information for the delivery process, including the risks and benefits for the disease, was provided to the subject in order to lower her anxiety, assist her to select the most-appropriate plan for delivery, and ensure high quality, secure nursing care. Using Patient Decision Aids in clinical practice to help pregnant women make the best decisions for their delivery plans is recommended in cases where the patient has congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Fabrication of tough poly(ethylene glycol)/collagen double network hydrogels for tissue engineering.

In this study, a series of poly(ethylene glycol)/collagen (PEG/Col) double network (DN) hydrogel is fabricated from PEG and Col. Results of the compressive strength test indicate that the strength and toughness of these DN hydrogels are significantly enhanced. The fracture strength of PEG/Col DN hydrogels increases by 9- to 12-fold compared with that of PEG single network (SN) hydrogel, and by 36- to 48-fold compared with that of Col SN hydrogel. Taking advantage of both PEG and Col building blocks, the PEG/Col DN hydrogels possess a strengthened skeleton. Moreover, the water-storage capability and favorable biocompatibility of Col are effectively maintained. Given that the DN hydrogels can provide the appropriate environment for the adhesion, growth, and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells, PEG/Col DN hydrogels have potential as a load-bearing tissue repair material. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 192-200, 2018.

InN nanorods prepared with CrN nanoislands by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy.

The authors report the influence of CrN nanoisland inserted on growth of baseball-bat InN nanorods by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy under In-rich conditions. By inserting CrN nanoislands between AlN nucleation layer and the Si (111) substrate, it was found that we could reduce strain form Si by inserting CrN nanoisland, FWHM of the x-ray rocking curve measured from InN nanorods from 3,299 reduced to 2,115 arcsec. It is due to the larger strain from lattice miss-match of the film-like InN structure; however, the strain from lattice miss-match was obvious reduced owing to CrN nanoisland inserted. The TEM images confirmed the CrN structures and In droplets dissociation from InN, by these results, we can speculate the growth mechanism of baseball-bat-like InN nanorods.

Effects of blood-activating and stasis-removing drugs combined with VEGF gene transfer on angiogenesis in ischemic necrosis of the femoral head.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the promoting effects of blood-activating and stasis-removing Chinese drugs combined with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene transfer on angiogenesis in ischemic necrosis of the femoral head. METHODS: Forty Japanese giant-ear rabbits were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, a Chinese drug group, a gene group, and a combined group. After 8 weeks of treatment, the rate of VEGF positive cell expression in the synovium of the femoral head was measured using the immunohistochemical method, and the number of blood vessels in the femoral head was measured by digital subtraction angiography. RESULTS: The rate of VEGF positive cell expression in the model group was significantly lower than that in the Chinese drug group (P < 0.05) and very significantly lower than those in other groups (P < 0.01); but in the combined group it was significantly higher than in the Chinese drug group (P < 0.05). The differences in the number of blood vessels in area A between the model group and other groups were not statistically significant. However, in area B, the number of blood vessels significantly increased in the control group, the gene group and the combined group as compared with the model group (P < 0.05), and in the combined group the number of blood vessels was significantly more than in the gene group (P < 0.05); but in the Chinese drug group it was not significantly different than the model group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Either the blood-activating and stasis-removing Chinese drugs or VEGF gene transfer can promote the angiogenesis and building of collateral circulation for femoral head ischemic necrosis, and the combined therapy with Chinese drugs or VEGF gene transfer may show a better therapeutic effect. The present study provides an experimental basis for clinical application of the combined therapy with the blood-activating and stasis-removing Chinese drugs and VEGF gene transfer.

[Study on in vitro colon-specific enzymatic degradation performance of carboxymethyl konjac glucomannan].

OBJECTIVE: In vitro enzymatic degradation of carboxymethy konjac glucomannan (CMKGM) were studied to evaluate the feasibility of CMKGM used as carrier materials to prepare colon-specific drug delivery systems. METHOD: The solutions with rat gastrointestinal tract (GIT) contents or with commercial enzymes were chosen to stimulate in vivo GIT environment, respectively. Enzymatic degradation of CMKGM were studied by viscometic procedure. Degradation kinetics of CMKGM and konjac glucomannan (KGM) by enzymes, the effects of the degree of substitution (DS) of CMKGM and the pH of solution on its susceptibility to degradation were investigated. RESULT: CMKGM were degraded mainly in the simulated cecal and colonic media, but not in the simulated gastric and enteric media. Degradation of KGM and CMKGM by enzymes obeyed Michaelis-Menton kinetics. CMKGM with lower DS were more susceptible substrates. CMKGM were more susceptible substrates in solution with pH 6. 0-6. 8. CONCLUSION: CMKGM had colon-specific enzymatic degradation characteristics and could be used as carrier materials to prepare colon-specific drug delivery systems.

Supramolecular assembly of gold(I) complexes of diphosphines and N,N'-bis-4-methylpyridyl oxalamide.

We report herein the supramolecular assembly and spectroscopic and luminescent properties of gold(I) complexes of diphosphines (dppm [bis(diphenylphosphino)methane], dppp [1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane], and dpppn [1,5-bis(diphenylphosphino)pentane]) and N,N'-bis-4-methylpyridyl oxalamide (L). The dppm and dppp cases form the rectangular structures, [dppm(Au(2))L](2)(ClO(4))(4) and [dppp(Au(2))L](2)(ClO(4))(4), with four gold(I) ions at the corners, as well as two L and two dppm or dppp ligands as edges, featuring 38- and 42-membered rings for the former and the latter, respectively. Remarkably, the packing of the dppp complexes shows interesting one-dimensional rectangular channels in the solid state, most likely due to intermolecular pi...pi interactions. The dpppn complex has been structurally characterized as a one-dimensional coordination polymer, {[(dpppn)(3.5)(Au(7))L(3.5)](PF(6))(7)}. The absorptions and emissions of the compounds are in general due to intraligand transitions, but aurophilic or pi...pi interactions could also make partial contributions. The dipyridyl amide system with the amides incorporated into the bridging ligands as well as the one-dimensional rectangular channels in the solid state for the dppp-based rectangle make this a promising family of metal-containing cyclic peptides in crystal engineering and molecular-recognition studies.

Structural basis for an unexpected mode of SERM-mediated ER antagonism.

Tamoxifen is effective for the prevention and treatment of estrogen-dependent breast cancers, but is associated with an increased incidence of endometrial tumors. We report the crystal structure of the estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) ligand binding domain (LBD) bound to the structurally similar compound GW5638, which has therapeutic potential and does not stimulate the uterus. Like tamoxifen, GW5638 relocates the carboxy-terminal helix (H12) to the known coactivator-docking site in the ERalpha LBD. However, GW5638 repositions residues in H12 through specific contacts with the N terminus of this helix. In contrast to tamoxifen, the resulting increase in exposed hydrophobic surface of ERalpha LBD correlates with a significant destabilization of ERalpha in MCF-7 cells. Thus, the GW5638-ERalpha LBD structure reveals an unexpected mode of SERM-mediated ER antagonism, in which the stability of ERalpha is decreased through an altered position of H12. This dual mechanism of antagonism may explain why GW5638 can inhibit tamoxifen-resistant breast tumors.