Efficient Synthesis of Fe3O4/PPy Double-Carbonized Core-Shell-like Composites for Broadband Electromagnetic Wave Absorption.

Ever-increasing electromagnetic pollution largely affects human health, sensitive electronic equipment, and even military security, but current strategies used for developing functional attenuation materials cannot be achieved in a facile and cost-effective way. Here, a unique core-shell-like composite was successfully synthesized by a simple chemical approach and a rapid microwave-assisted carbonization process. The obtained composites show exceptional electromagnetic wave absorption (EMWA) properties, including a wide effective absorption band (EAB) of 4.64 GHz and a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of -26 dB at 1.6 mm. The excellent performance can be attributed to the synergistic effects of conductive loss, dielectric loss, magnetic loss, and multiple reflection loss within the graphene-based core-shell-like composite. This work demonstrates a convenient, rapid, eco-friendly, and cost-effective method for synthesizing high-performance microwave absorption materials (MAMs).

Evolution of nanostructured skin patches towards multifunctional wearable platforms for biomedical applications.

Recent advances in the field of skin patches have promoted the development of wearable and implantable bioelectronics for long-term, continuous healthcare management and targeted therapy. However, the design of electronic skin (e-skin) patches with stretchable components is still challenging and requires an in-depth understanding of the skin-attachable substrate layer, functional biomaterials and advanced self-powered electronics. In this comprehensive review, we present the evolution of skin patches from functional nanostructured materials to multi-functional and stimuli-responsive patches towards flexible substrates and emerging biomaterials for e-skin patches, including the material selection, structure design and promising applications. Stretchable sensors and self-powered e-skin patches are also discussed, ranging from electrical stimulation for clinical procedures to continuous health monitoring and integrated systems for comprehensive healthcare management. Moreover, an integrated energy harvester with bioelectronics enables the fabrication of self-powered electronic skin patches, which can effectively solve the energy supply and overcome the drawbacks induced by bulky battery-driven devices. However, to realize the full potential offered by these advancements, several challenges must be addressed for next-generation e-skin patches. Finally, future opportunities and positive outlooks are presented on the future directions of bioelectronics. It is believed that innovative material design, structure engineering, and in-depth study of fundamental principles can foster the rapid evolution of electronic skin patches, and eventually enable self-powered close-looped bioelectronic systems to benefit mankind.

Temporal trends in anxiety and depression prevalence and their association with adverse outcomes in patients hospitalized for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Beijing, China, from 2004 to 2020.

Aims: To investigate the temporal trend in anxiety and/or depression prevalence in patients hospitalized for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) in Beijing and their association with adverse outcomes. Materials and methods: Hospital admission records from 2004 to 2020 with a primary discharge diagnosis of AECOPD were retrieved from Beijing Public Health Information Centre database. The anxiety and depression were identified from discharge diagnoses of each record. Joinpoint regression was used to analyze the temporal trend and calculate the annual percentage change (APC) for the prevalence of anxiety and/or depression. Generalized linear model was used to analyze the associations between anxiety and/or depression and patients' adverse outcomes. Results: A total of 382,125 records were included, most of which were male (66.0%) and aged ≥ 75 years (59.7%). Three segments in the temporal trend were observed, with a mild increase during 2004-2009 (APC: 5.9%, 95% CI: -14.9 to 31.7%), followed by a sharply increase during 2009-2012 (APC: 60.4%, 95% CI: 10.6 to 132.7%), then stabilized at about 3% during 2012-2020 (APC: 1.9%, 95% CI: -0.4 to 4.3%). On average, anxiety, and/or depression was more prevalent in females, the aged and those admitted in secondary hospitals (all P < 0.001). Patients with anxiety and/or depression had lower in-hospital mortality (IHM) (OR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.63-0.88), but longer hospital stay (OR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.07-1.13), more medical costs (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.08-1.17) and higher risks of readmission for AECOPD at 30-, 90-, 180-day, and 1-year (ORs ranged from 1.22 to 1.51). Conclusion: The prevalence of anxiety and/or depression in patients hospitalized for AECOPD in Beijing stabilized at approximately 3% after 2012. Anxiety and/or depression is associated with a heavier burden on patients, health care, and medical insurance systems. Appropriate diagnosis and effective treatment of anxiety and depression is crucial for patients with AECOPD.

Developments in smoking cessation interventions for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the past 5 years: a scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: Smoking cessation is the most effective strategy for slowing the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, COPD patients find it difficult to quit smoking with standard cessation interventions. AREAS COVERED: A scoping review of smoking cessation for COPD patients was conducted by searching the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases for all studies published between 1 January 2016 and 22 September 2021. Four themes were set up and 47 studies were included eventually. The majority of the included studies (61.7%, 29/47) investigated efficacy and effectiveness, including new strategies for extended treatment and mobile health (mHealth) delivery approach. Studies examining accessibility and utilization (31.9%, 15/47), safety (10.6%, 5/47), and health economics (6.4%, 3/47) were also reviewed. The quality of the included randomized controlled trials was also evaluated. EXPERT OPINION: Pharmacotherapy combined with behavioral interventions delivered via mHealth may be a promising strategy to help COPD smokers quit. However, the overall quality of the current studies is poor, making it challenging for clinicians to make informed decisions. Future high-quality studies are needed to provide conclusive evidence on the optimal pharmacotherapies and the most cost-effective comprehensive smoking cessation interventions, particularly those integrated into disease management for smokers with COPD.

Anxiety and depression in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and obstructive sleep apnea: the overlap syndrome.

PURPOSE: Psychological symptoms are increasingly being noted in patients with chronic diseases. Currently, little evidence is available on the mental health of patients with overlap syndrome (OVS, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease plus obstructive sleep apnea). This study aimed to describe the prevalence and identify influencing factors of anxiety and depression in patients with OVS. METHODS: We recruited patients admitted for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from July 2018 to July 2019 who also underwent polysomnography tests to assess obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). COPD patients who had an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 5/h were defined as OVS. COPD patients who had an AHI < 5/h were identified as pure COPD. Questionnaires were administered to evaluate depression and anxiety in all subjects. We compared the differences in scores between patients with OVS and pure COPD. RESULTS: Two hundred and fifty-two patients were included, 180 (71%) patients had OVS, while only 72 patients had pure COPD. In the OVS group, 54% of the patients had depression, and 77% of the patients had anxiety. We found that patients with OVS had higher anxiety (8.00 (4.00, 10.00) vs. 6.00 (3.00, 9.00), p = 0.018) and depression (8.00 (4.00, 10.00) vs. 5.50 (2.25, 10.00), p = 0.022) scores than patients with pure COPD. A higher proportion of patients with hypertension (41% vs. 21%) and coronary heart disease (14% vs. 4%) were found in the OVS group. Chest pain, COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score, and OVS were independent risk factors for depression (P<0.05). A positive correlation was shown between anxiety and depression (r=0.638, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Anxiety and depression were more severe in patients with OVS than in patients with pure COPD. More attention should be paid to the mental health of OVS patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov; URL: www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov . NO.: NCT03182309. Registered on June 9, 2017; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03182309?term=NCT+03182309&draw=2&rank=1.