Structural tuning of coordination polymers with photoluminescent properties via temperature control

Using a two-solvent interdiffusion technique, the ligand tpatpy that possesses aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties was coordinated to Cd2+ to construct two coordination polymers under conditions that differed only by reaction temperatures of 30 °C and 0 °C for 1 and 2, respectively. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies revealed the key structural differences were that the metal centers in 1 were five-coordinate, versus four-coordinate in 2. Thus, this system could be tuned by controlling the temperature during synthesis. UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), infrared spectroscopy (IR), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), thermogravimetry (TG), and the fluorescence of 1 and 2 are discussed to provide a comprehensive discussion of physical and electronic properties.</p

Bilayer Hydrogels by Reactive-Induced Macrophase Separation

Bilayer hydrogels encoded with smart functions have emerged as promising soft materials for engineered biological tissues and human-machine interfaces, due to the versatility and flexibility in designing their mechanical and chemical properties. However, conventional fabrication strategies often require multiple complicated steps to create an anisotropic bilayer structure with poor interfaces, which significantly limit the scope of bilayer hydrogel applications. Here, we reported a general, one-pot, macrophase separation strategy to fabricate a family of bilayer hydrogels made of vinyl and styryl monomers with a seamless interface and a controllable layer separation efficiency (20–99%). The working principle of a macrophase separation strategy allows for the decoupling of the two gelation processes to form distinct vinyl- and styryl-enriched layers by manipulating competitive polymerization reactions between vinyl and styryl monomers. This work presents a straightforward approach and a diverse range of radical monomers, which can be utilized to create next-generation bilayer hydrogels, beyond a few available today

Image1_The intervention seasons of thoracic endovascular aortic repair impacted the outcomes for patients with type B aortic dissection.tif

PurposeThe objective of this research was to investigate whether seasonal variations influence the outcomes of type B aortic dissection (TBAD) patients with thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR).Patients and methodsFrom 2003 to 2020, a retrospective cohort study was performed, which included 1,123 TBAD patients who received TEVAR. Medical records were used to gather data on baseline characteristics. Outcomes including all-cause mortality and aortic-related adverse events (ARAEs) were tracked and analyzed.ResultsOf the 1,123 TBAD patients in this study, 308 received TEVAR in spring (27.4%), 240 cases in summer (21.4%), 260 cases in autumn (23.2%), and 315 cases in winter (28.0%). Patients in the autumn group had a significantly lower risk of 1-year mortality than those in the spring group (hazard ratio: 2.66, 95% confidence interval: 1.06–6.67, p = 0.037). Kaplan–Meier curves revealed that patients who underwent TEVAR in autumn had a lower risk of 30-day ARAEs (p = 0.049) and 1-year mortality (p = 0.03) than those in spring.ConclusionThis study confirmed that TEVAR operated in autumn for TBAD was associated with a lower risk of 30-day ARAEs and 1-year mortality than in spring.</p

Image2_The intervention seasons of thoracic endovascular aortic repair impacted the outcomes for patients with type B aortic dissection.tif

PurposeThe objective of this research was to investigate whether seasonal variations influence the outcomes of type B aortic dissection (TBAD) patients with thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR).Patients and methodsFrom 2003 to 2020, a retrospective cohort study was performed, which included 1,123 TBAD patients who received TEVAR. Medical records were used to gather data on baseline characteristics. Outcomes including all-cause mortality and aortic-related adverse events (ARAEs) were tracked and analyzed.ResultsOf the 1,123 TBAD patients in this study, 308 received TEVAR in spring (27.4%), 240 cases in summer (21.4%), 260 cases in autumn (23.2%), and 315 cases in winter (28.0%). Patients in the autumn group had a significantly lower risk of 1-year mortality than those in the spring group (hazard ratio: 2.66, 95% confidence interval: 1.06–6.67, p = 0.037). Kaplan–Meier curves revealed that patients who underwent TEVAR in autumn had a lower risk of 30-day ARAEs (p = 0.049) and 1-year mortality (p = 0.03) than those in spring.ConclusionThis study confirmed that TEVAR operated in autumn for TBAD was associated with a lower risk of 30-day ARAEs and 1-year mortality than in spring.</p

Image5_The intervention seasons of thoracic endovascular aortic repair impacted the outcomes for patients with type B aortic dissection.tif

PurposeThe objective of this research was to investigate whether seasonal variations influence the outcomes of type B aortic dissection (TBAD) patients with thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR).Patients and methodsFrom 2003 to 2020, a retrospective cohort study was performed, which included 1,123 TBAD patients who received TEVAR. Medical records were used to gather data on baseline characteristics. Outcomes including all-cause mortality and aortic-related adverse events (ARAEs) were tracked and analyzed.ResultsOf the 1,123 TBAD patients in this study, 308 received TEVAR in spring (27.4%), 240 cases in summer (21.4%), 260 cases in autumn (23.2%), and 315 cases in winter (28.0%). Patients in the autumn group had a significantly lower risk of 1-year mortality than those in the spring group (hazard ratio: 2.66, 95% confidence interval: 1.06–6.67, p = 0.037). Kaplan–Meier curves revealed that patients who underwent TEVAR in autumn had a lower risk of 30-day ARAEs (p = 0.049) and 1-year mortality (p = 0.03) than those in spring.ConclusionThis study confirmed that TEVAR operated in autumn for TBAD was associated with a lower risk of 30-day ARAEs and 1-year mortality than in spring.</p

Image3_The intervention seasons of thoracic endovascular aortic repair impacted the outcomes for patients with type B aortic dissection.tif

PurposeThe objective of this research was to investigate whether seasonal variations influence the outcomes of type B aortic dissection (TBAD) patients with thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR).Patients and methodsFrom 2003 to 2020, a retrospective cohort study was performed, which included 1,123 TBAD patients who received TEVAR. Medical records were used to gather data on baseline characteristics. Outcomes including all-cause mortality and aortic-related adverse events (ARAEs) were tracked and analyzed.ResultsOf the 1,123 TBAD patients in this study, 308 received TEVAR in spring (27.4%), 240 cases in summer (21.4%), 260 cases in autumn (23.2%), and 315 cases in winter (28.0%). Patients in the autumn group had a significantly lower risk of 1-year mortality than those in the spring group (hazard ratio: 2.66, 95% confidence interval: 1.06–6.67, p = 0.037). Kaplan–Meier curves revealed that patients who underwent TEVAR in autumn had a lower risk of 30-day ARAEs (p = 0.049) and 1-year mortality (p = 0.03) than those in spring.ConclusionThis study confirmed that TEVAR operated in autumn for TBAD was associated with a lower risk of 30-day ARAEs and 1-year mortality than in spring.</p

Table1_The intervention seasons of thoracic endovascular aortic repair impacted the outcomes for patients with type B aortic dissection.docx

PurposeThe objective of this research was to investigate whether seasonal variations influence the outcomes of type B aortic dissection (TBAD) patients with thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR).Patients and methodsFrom 2003 to 2020, a retrospective cohort study was performed, which included 1,123 TBAD patients who received TEVAR. Medical records were used to gather data on baseline characteristics. Outcomes including all-cause mortality and aortic-related adverse events (ARAEs) were tracked and analyzed.ResultsOf the 1,123 TBAD patients in this study, 308 received TEVAR in spring (27.4%), 240 cases in summer (21.4%), 260 cases in autumn (23.2%), and 315 cases in winter (28.0%). Patients in the autumn group had a significantly lower risk of 1-year mortality than those in the spring group (hazard ratio: 2.66, 95% confidence interval: 1.06–6.67, p = 0.037). Kaplan–Meier curves revealed that patients who underwent TEVAR in autumn had a lower risk of 30-day ARAEs (p = 0.049) and 1-year mortality (p = 0.03) than those in spring.ConclusionThis study confirmed that TEVAR operated in autumn for TBAD was associated with a lower risk of 30-day ARAEs and 1-year mortality than in spring.</p

Image4_The intervention seasons of thoracic endovascular aortic repair impacted the outcomes for patients with type B aortic dissection.tif

PurposeThe objective of this research was to investigate whether seasonal variations influence the outcomes of type B aortic dissection (TBAD) patients with thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR).Patients and methodsFrom 2003 to 2020, a retrospective cohort study was performed, which included 1,123 TBAD patients who received TEVAR. Medical records were used to gather data on baseline characteristics. Outcomes including all-cause mortality and aortic-related adverse events (ARAEs) were tracked and analyzed.ResultsOf the 1,123 TBAD patients in this study, 308 received TEVAR in spring (27.4%), 240 cases in summer (21.4%), 260 cases in autumn (23.2%), and 315 cases in winter (28.0%). Patients in the autumn group had a significantly lower risk of 1-year mortality than those in the spring group (hazard ratio: 2.66, 95% confidence interval: 1.06–6.67, p = 0.037). Kaplan–Meier curves revealed that patients who underwent TEVAR in autumn had a lower risk of 30-day ARAEs (p = 0.049) and 1-year mortality (p = 0.03) than those in spring.ConclusionThis study confirmed that TEVAR operated in autumn for TBAD was associated with a lower risk of 30-day ARAEs and 1-year mortality than in spring.</p

Dual Salt- and Thermoresponsive Programmable Bilayer Hydrogel Actuators with Pseudo-Interpenetrating Double-Network Structures

Development of smart soft actuators is highly important for fundamental research and industrial applications but has proved to be extremely challenging. In this work, we present a facile, one-pot, one-step method to prepare dual-responsive bilayer hydrogels, consisting of a thermoresponsive poly­(<i>N</i>-isopropylacrylamide) (polyNIPAM) layer and a salt-responsive poly­(3-(1-(4-vinylbenzyl)-1<i>H</i>-imidazol-3-ium-3-yl)­propane-1-sulfonate) (polyVBIPS) layer. Both polyNIPAM and polyVBIPS layers exhibit a completely opposite swelling/shrinking behavior, where polyNIPAM shrinks (swells) but polyVBIPS swells (shrinks) in salt solution (water) or at high (low) temperatures. By tuning NIPAM:VBIPS ratios, the resulting polyNIPAM/polyVBIPS bilayer hydrogels enable us to achieve fast and large-amplitude bidirectional bending in response to temperatures, salt concentrations, and salt types. Such bidirectional bending, bending orientation, and degree can be reversibly, repeatedly, and precisely controlled by salt- or temperature-induced cooperative swelling–shrinking properties from both layers. Based on their fast, reversible, and bidirectional bending behavior, we further design two conceptual hybrid hydrogel actuators, serving as a six-arm gripper to capture, transport, and release an object and an electrical circuit switch to turn on-and-off a lamp. Different from the conventional two- or multistep methods for preparation of bilayer hydrogels, our simple, one-pot, one-step method and a new bilayer hydrogel system provide an innovative concept to explore new hydrogel-based actuators through combining different responsive materials that allow us to program different stimuli for soft and intelligent materials applications

Dual Salt- and Thermoresponsive Programmable Bilayer Hydrogel Actuators with Pseudo-Interpenetrating Double-Network Structures

Development of smart soft actuators is highly important for fundamental research and industrial applications but has proved to be extremely challenging. In this work, we present a facile, one-pot, one-step method to prepare dual-responsive bilayer hydrogels, consisting of a thermoresponsive poly­(<i>N</i>-isopropylacrylamide) (polyNIPAM) layer and a salt-responsive poly­(3-(1-(4-vinylbenzyl)-1<i>H</i>-imidazol-3-ium-3-yl)­propane-1-sulfonate) (polyVBIPS) layer. Both polyNIPAM and polyVBIPS layers exhibit a completely opposite swelling/shrinking behavior, where polyNIPAM shrinks (swells) but polyVBIPS swells (shrinks) in salt solution (water) or at high (low) temperatures. By tuning NIPAM:VBIPS ratios, the resulting polyNIPAM/polyVBIPS bilayer hydrogels enable us to achieve fast and large-amplitude bidirectional bending in response to temperatures, salt concentrations, and salt types. Such bidirectional bending, bending orientation, and degree can be reversibly, repeatedly, and precisely controlled by salt- or temperature-induced cooperative swelling–shrinking properties from both layers. Based on their fast, reversible, and bidirectional bending behavior, we further design two conceptual hybrid hydrogel actuators, serving as a six-arm gripper to capture, transport, and release an object and an electrical circuit switch to turn on-and-off a lamp. Different from the conventional two- or multistep methods for preparation of bilayer hydrogels, our simple, one-pot, one-step method and a new bilayer hydrogel system provide an innovative concept to explore new hydrogel-based actuators through combining different responsive materials that allow us to program different stimuli for soft and intelligent materials applications