Ultra-high Performance Thermochromic Polymers via a Solid-solid Phase Transition Mechanism and Their Applications.

Thermochromic materials are substances that change color in response to temperature variations. Today, sustainability concerns are the main drivers of thermochromic research, with smart, energy-efficient windows being one of the primary applications. While vanadium oxides and leuco dyes are traditionally the main thermochromic materials, hydrogels operating based on change of solvation have risen as some of the most promising materials due to their high optical transparency and good solar modulating abilities.

Electrospun PEO/PEG fibers as potential flexible phase change materials for thermal energy regulation.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is widely used as phase change materials (PCM) due to their versatile working temperature and high latent heat. However, the low molecular weight of PEG prevents from the formation of flexible microfibers, and the common leakage problem associated with solid-liquid PCM further hinders their applications in various fields. To address these challenges, polyethylene oxide (PEO) is incorporated as the supporting matrix for PEG, leading to a successful electrospinning of fibrous mats.

The influence of pediatric cancer treatment on taste perception and food hedonics: a systematic review.

Context: Children with cancer are at risk of poor nutritional status during treatment and into survivorship. Objectively measured taste perception and self-reported food hedonics are 2 factors that may influence food intake.

Objective: This 2-armed systematic review examined whether chemotherapy and radiotherapy affect (1) taste perception and (2) hedonic experiences of children and survivors of childhood cancer.

A review of the effects of nuts on appetite, food intake, metabolism, and body weight.

Tree nuts and peanuts are good sources of many nutrients and antioxidants, but they are also energy dense. The latter often limits intake because of concerns about their possible contribution to positive energy balance. However, evidence to date suggests that nuts are not associated with predicted weight gain.

Photoresponsive liquid marbles and dry water.

Stimuli-responsive liquid marbles for controlled release typically rely on organic moieties that require lengthy syntheses. We report herein a facile, one-step synthesis of hydrophobic and oleophobic TiO2 nanoparticles that display photoresponsive wettability. Water liquid marbles stabilized by these photoresponsive TiO2 particles were found to be stable when shielded from ultraviolet (UV) radiation; however, they quickly collapsed after being irradiated with 302 nm UV light.

Relative validity of 3 accelerometer models for estimating energy expenditure during light activity.

Background: With physical inactivity inextricably linked to the increasing prevalence of obesity, there is a need for validated methods that measure free-living energy expenditure (EE) within sedentary environments. While accelerometers enable these measurements, few studies have compared device accuracy in such settings. The aim of this study was to investigate the relative validity of the Actigraph, RT3 and SenseWear Armband (SWA).

Activity counts from accelerometers do not add value to energy expenditure predictions in sedentary overweight individuals during weight loss interventions.

Background: Knowing the total energy expenditure (TEE) of overweight adults is important for prescribing weight loss interventions. However, objective measurements of TEE may not always be readily available and can be expensive. This study aimed to investigate the validity of RT3 accelerometers in predicting the TEE of sedentary overweight adults, and to identify any sensitivity to anthropometric changes.

A generic approach for preparing core-shell carbon-metal oxide nanofibers: morphological evolution and its mechanism.

Carbon-SnO(2) core-shell hybrid nanofibers were prepared via single-spinneret electrospinning and subsequent heat treatment. The Kirkendall effect during the heat treatment is found to be responsible for the formation of core-shell morphology. The route is proven to be generic for fabrication of carbon-metal oxide or carbon-metal core-shell nanofibers, and corresponding nanotubes.

Comparison of methods used to predict energy requirements in a whole room calorimeter.

Background And Aims: Studies examining diet-induced thermogenesis and substrate oxidation in a whole room calorimeter (WRC) benefit from a state of energy balance in the measurement period. We found reports on four approaches to assessing energy needs in this context, and they vary considerably. This study assessed the utility of three simple alternatives for predicting energy requirements for calorimeter studies.