The Influence of Alkyl Spacers and Molecular Weight on the Charge Transport and Storage Properties of Oxy-Bithiophene-Based Conjugated Polymers.

Conjugated polymers (CPs) with polar side chains can conduct electronic and ionic charges simultaneously, making them promising for bioelectronics, electrocatalysis and energy storage. Recent work showed that adding alkyl spacers between CP backbones and polar side chains improved electronic charge carrier mobility, reduced swelling and enhanced stability, without compromising ion transport. However, how alkyl spacers impact polymer backbone conformation and, subsequently, electronic properties remain unclear.

Non-invasive eye tracking and retinal view reconstruction in free swimming schooling fish.

Eye tracking has emerged as a key method for understanding how animals process visual information, identifying crucial elements of perception and attention. Traditional fish eye tracking often alters animal behavior due to invasive techniques, while non-invasive methods are limited to either 2D tracking or restricting animals after training. Our study introduces a non-invasive technique for tracking and reconstructing the retinal view of free-swimming fish in a large 3D arena without behavioral training.

The Effect of Organic Semiconductor Electron Affinity on Preventing Parasitic Oxidation Reactions Limiting Performance of n-Type Organic Electrochemical Transistors.

A key challenge in the development of organic mixed ionic-electronic conducting materials (OMIEC) for high performance electrochemical transistors is their stable performance in ambient. When operating in aqueous electrolyte, potential reactions of the electrochemically injected electrons with air and water could hinder their persistence, leading to a reduction in charge transport. Here, the impact of deepening the LUMO energy level of a series of electron-transporting semiconducting polymers is evaluated, and subsequently rendering the most common oxidation processes of electron polarons thermodynamically unfavorable, on organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) performance.

Direct quantification of ion composition and mobility in organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors.

Ion transport in organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors (OMIECs) is crucial due to its direct impact on device response time and operating mechanisms but is often assessed indirectly or necessitates extra assumptions. Operando x-ray fluorescence (XRF) is a powerful, direct probe for elemental characterization of bulk OMIECs and was used to directly quantify ion composition and mobility in a model OMIEC, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), during device operation. The first cycle revealed slow electrowetting and cation-proton exchange.

Bridging length scales in organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors through internal strain and mesoscale dynamics.

Understanding the structural and dynamic properties of disordered systems at the mesoscale is crucial. This is particularly important in organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors (OMIECs), which undergo significant and complex structural changes when operated in an electrolyte. In this study, we investigate the mesoscale strain, reversibility and dynamics of a model OMIEC material under external electrochemical potential using operando X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy.

Decoupling the Influence of Poly(3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene)-Collagen Composite Characteristics on Cell Stemness.

Conductive polymers (CPs) are widely studied for their ability to influence a myriad of tissue systems. While their mixed ionic/electronic conductivity is commonly considered the primary driver of these benefits, the mechanisms by which CPs influence cell fate remain unclear. In this study, CP-biomaterial interactions are investigated using collagen, due to its widespread prevalence throughout the body and in tissue engineering constructs.

Quantitative Composition and Mesoscale Ion Distribution in p-Type Organic Mixed Ionic-Electronic Conductors.

Understanding the ionic composition and distribution in organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors (OMIECs) is crucial for understanding their structure-property relationships. Despite this, direct measurements of OMIEC ionic composition and distribution are not common. In this work, we investigated the ionic composition and mesoscopic structure of three typical p-type OMIEC materials: an ethylene glycol-treated crosslinked OMIEC with a large excess fixed anionic charge (EG/GOPS-PEDOT:PSS), an acid-treated OMIEC with a tunable fixed anionic charge (crys-PEDOT:PSS), and a single-component OMIEC without any fixed anionic charge (pg2T-TT).

Aqueous processing of organic semiconductors enabled by stable nanoparticles with built-in surfactants.

The introduction of oligoether side chains onto a polymer backbone can help to stabilise polymeric dispersions in water without the necessity of surfactants or additives when conjugated polymer nanoparticles are prepared. A series of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) derivatives with different content of a polar thiophene derivative 3-((2-methoxyethoxy)methyl)thiophene was interrogated to find the effect of the polar chains on the stability of the formed nanoparticles, as well as their structural, optical, electrochemical, and electrical properties. Findings indicated that incorporation of 10-20 percent of the polar side chain led to particles that are stable over a period of 42 days, with constant particle size and polydispersity, however the particles from the polymer with 30 percent polar side chain showed aggregation effects.

Drinking water behavior and willingness to use filters by middle-aged and elderly residents in rural areas: A cross-sectional study in Tengchong, China.

Access to safe drinking water is critical to health and development issues, and residents' drinking behavior reflects their awareness of health and water hygiene. Random sampling and face-to-face questionnaires were used to investigate the drinking water behavior, sanitation and perceptions of drinking water among middle-aged and elderly residents in Tengchong, southwest Yunnan from July 1 to July 28, 2021. Differences between groups were assessed using the Chi-square test and -test.

Influence of the molecular weight and size distribution of PSS on mixed ionic-electronic transport in PEDOT:PSS.

The commercially available polyelectrolyte complex poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is ubiquitous in organic and hybrid electronics. As such, it has often been used as a benchmark material for fundamental studies and the development of new electronic devices. Yet, most studies on PEDOT:PSS have focused on its electronic conductivity in dry environments, with less consideration given to its ion transport, coupled ionic-electronic transport, and charge storage properties in aqueous environments.

Indoor solid fuel use for cooking and the risk of incidental non-fatal cardiovascular disease among middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults: a prospective cohort study.

Objectives: The harm of indoor air pollution to health has gradually attracted attention, but the effect of indoor air pollution from burning solid fuels on incidental non-fatal cardiovascular disease (CVD) is not well understood. Under these circumstances, this study examined the association between solid fuel use and incidental non-fatal CVD.

Design: The prospective cohort study was conducted in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2018.

The factors influencing the psychological distress of transgender women in Shandong, China: a cross-sectional study.

Background: As a group at high-risk for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) infection, the psychological distress of transgender women cannot be ignored while preventing and controlling AIDS risks. Transgender women are a vulnerable group, and their psychological distress deserves attention. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychological distress of transgender women and further determine the influences of factors on the psychological distress of transgender women.

Synthetic Nuances to Maximize n-Type Organic Electrochemical Transistor and Thermoelectric Performance in Fused Lactam Polymers.

A series of fully fused n-type mixed conduction lactam polymers , systematically increasing the alkyl side chain content, are synthesized via an inexpensive, nontoxic, precious-metal-free aldol polycondensation. Employing these polymers as channel materials in organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) affords state-of-the-art n-type performance with recording an OECT electron mobility of 1.20 × 10 cm V s and a μ* figure of merit of 1.

Operando Characterization of Organic Mixed Ionic/Electronic Conducting Materials.

Operando characterization plays an important role in revealing the structure-property relationships of organic mixed ionic/electronic conductors (OMIECs), enabling the direct observation of dynamic changes during device operation and thus guiding the development of new materials. This review focuses on the application of different operando characterization techniques in the study of OMIECs, highlighting the time-dependent and bias-dependent structure, composition, and morphology information extracted from these techniques. We first illustrate the needs, requirements, and challenges of operando characterization then provide an overview of relevant experimental techniques, including spectroscopy, scattering, microbalance, microprobe, and electron microscopy.

Cut-off Points of Treatment Delay to Predict Poor Outcomes Among New Pulmonary Tuberculosis Cases in Dalian, China: A Cohort Study.

Purpose: Despite increasing literature on the association between treatment delay and outcomes, cut-off point (1 month or median) selection in almost all studies for treatment delay is too subjective. This study explored more scientific cut-off points of treatment delay for poor treatment outcomes and death at the clinical level.

Patients And Methods: A total of 18,100 newly confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) cases in Dalian, China were used in the final analysis.

The relationship among social support, experienced stigma, psychological distress, and quality of life among tuberculosis patients in China.

The complex relationships among social support, experienced stigma, psychological distress, and quality of life (QOL) among tuberculosis (TB) patients are insufficiently understood. The purpose of this study was to explore the interrelationships among social support, experienced stigma, psychological distress, and QOL and to examine whether experienced stigma and psychological distress play a mediating role. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between November 2020 and March 2021 in Dalian, Liaoning Province, Northeast China.

Electrochemistry of Thin Films with In Situ/Operando Grazing Incidence X-Ray Scattering: Bypassing Electrolyte Scattering for High Fidelity Time Resolved Studies.

Electroactive polymer thin films undergo repeated reversible structural change during operation in electrochemical applications. While synchrotron X-ray scattering is powerful for the characterization of stand-alone and ex situ organic thin films, in situ/operando structural characterization has been underutilized-in large part due to complications arising from supporting electrolyte scattering. This has greatly hampered the development of application relevant structure property relationships.

Prevalence and associated factors of psychological distress in tuberculosis patients in Northeast China: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Psychological distress, a major comorbidities of tuberculosis (TB) patients, has posed a serious threat to the progress being made in global TB programs by affecting treatment adherence and health outcomes. However, the magnitude and associated factors of psychological distress have not been fully studied in China. The aim of the current study was to assess the prevalence of psychological distress in TB patients and to further determine the effects of socio-demographic characteristics, health-related variables, substance use status, social support, and experienced stigma on psychological distress.

Mimicking associative learning using an ion-trapping non-volatile synaptic organic electrochemical transistor.

Associative learning, a critical learning principle to improve an individual's adaptability, has been emulated by few organic electrochemical devices. However, complicated bias schemes, high write voltages, as well as process irreversibility hinder the further development of associative learning circuits. Here, by adopting a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):tosylate/Polytetrahydrofuran composite as the active channel, we present a non-volatile organic electrochemical transistor that shows a write bias less than 0.

Prevalence of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Dalian, China: A Retrospective Study.

Purpose: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is the cause of serious health and economic burdens worldwide. The present study aimed to explore the initial and acquired drug-resistance rates among TB patients from 2012 to 2019 in Dalian, China. The effectiveness of MDR-TB prevention and control strategies were then evaluated.

Association between solid fuel use and cognitive decline among middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults: a longitudinal study.

This study was conducted to investigate (1) the association between solid fuel use for cooking and cognitive function; (2) the moderating effects of gender and residential area on cognitive scores among solid fuel users; and (3) the effects of solid fuel use on cognitive decline among different gender and age subgroups in 2011-2018. A total of 5140 Chinese middle-aged and elderly participants were successfully followed for 7 years (2011-2018). Solid fuel use was self-reported as using solid fuel for cooking at home, and cognitive function was assessed by 4 parts: episodic memory, time orientation, numerical ability and picture drawing.

Tuberculosis-related stigma and its determinants in Dalian, Northeast China: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The stigma of tuberculosis (TB) poses a significant challenge to TB control because it leads to delayed diagnosis and non-adherence. However, few studies on TB-related stigma have been completed in China. The aim of the current study was to explore the status of TB-related stigma and its associated predictive factors among TB patients in Dalian, Northeast China.

n-Type Rigid Semiconducting Polymers Bearing Oligo(Ethylene Glycol) Side Chains for High-Performance Organic Electrochemical Transistors.

N-type conjugated polymers as the semiconducting component of organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are still undeveloped with respect to their p-type counterparts. Herein, we report two rigid n-type conjugated polymers bearing oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) side chains, PgNaN and PgNgN, which demonstrated an essentially torsion-free π-conjugated backbone. The planarity and electron-deficient rigid structures enable the resulting polymers to achieve high electron mobility in an OECT device of up to the 10  cm  V  s range, with a deep-lying LUMO energy level lower than -4.

Rebuild doctor-patient trust in medical service delivery in China.

Doctor-patient trust is not strong in China, but studies examining this factor remain insufficient. The present study aimed to explore the effect of doctor-patient communication, medical service quality, and service satisfaction on patient trust in doctors. Five hundred sixty-four patients with tuberculosis participated in this cross-sectional study in Dalian, China.