Conducting polymer nanocomposite-based supercapacitors

The use of nanocomposites of electronically-conducting polymers for supercapacitors has increased significantly over the past years, due to their high capacitances and abilities to withstand many charge-discharge cycles. We have recently been investigating the use of nanocomposites of electronically-conducting polymers containing conducting and non-conducting nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and cellulose nanocrystals, for use in supercapacitors. In this contribution, we provide a summary of some of the key issues in this area of research. This discussion includes some history, fundamental concepts, the physical and chemical processes involved, and the challenges that these nanocomposite materials must overcome in order to become technologically viable. Due to space limitations, this is not a complete review of all the work that has been done in this field and we have focused on common themes that appear in the published work. Our aim is that this chapter will help readers to understand the advantages and challenges involved in the use of these materials in supercapacitors and to identify areas for further development

Physical and mental health of construction workers : a worse status?

11th International Conference on Construction in the 21st Century (CITC-11) London, United Kingdom, September 9–11, 2019202312 bcchAccepted ManuscriptOthersConstruction Industry Council of Hong KongPublishedGreen (AAM

The construction of a pain intensity verbal rating scale in Chinese

Background: Despite the growing interest of developing multidimensional scales, the use of unidimensional scales in assessing clinical pain is popular for its simplicity, efficiency and ease of administration. The purposes of this study were: first, to explore the pain intensity descriptors used among Chinese. Second, it was to construct a verbal rating scale for pain assessment. Methods: It consisted of two stages. Stage One was a cross-sectional descriptive survey to explore the pain intensity descriptors used among adult Chinese in Hong Kong. Stage Two was a Q-sorting technique to array the pain intensity descriptors obtained in Stage One. This was to construct a verbal rating scale (VRS) for pain assessment. Results: Nine hundred and eighty six healthy Chinese adults participated in Stage One. The ten pain intensity descriptors obtained were bearable （可以忍受）, crushing the heart and lungs （痛摧肺腑）, crucifying pain（痛到死） excruciating pain（劇痛）， indescribable（難以形容）, quite painful （頗痛）, painful (好痛), slight pain （微痛）, unbearable （不可忍受） and very painful （十分痛）. In Stage Two, fifty-four baccalaureate-nursing students participated in the Q-sorting procedure. They were asked to rank the pain intensity descriptors according to a set of psychometric criteria. A vertical VRS was constructed with the least pain at the bottom and the most pain on the top. A ‘no pain’ was added to the bottom of the scale. Conclusions: The order of the rank was no pain, slight pain, quite painful, painful, very painful, bearable, indescribable, excruciating pain, unbearable, crushing the heart and lungs and crucifying pain. It is anticipated that a VRS of this kind has its value in the measurement of pain intensity with cultural relevancy

Flexible polymeric nerve guidance conduit for the regeneration of peripheral nerve injury

Poster Session 2 - Host Response 1: no. 569The 24th European Conference on Biomaterials (ESB2011), Dublin, Ireland, 4-9 September 2011

The relationship between plasma beta-endorphin and the dimensions of the Chinese Cancer Pain Assessment Tool (CCPAT)

Purpose. The purpose of the study was to identify the relationship between plasma β-endorphin (objective variable) and the dimensions of the Chinese Cancer Pain Assessment Tool (CCPAT) (subjective variables). The dimensions included functional, pharmacological, psychosocial, pain beliefs and meanings, emotional and pain intensity. Methods. In this correlational study, 48 Chinese patients who had experienced cancer pain in the 24 hours before the investigation were recruited from an oncology unit by convenience. CCPAT scores and venous blood for β-endorphin were taken from each subject concurrently on two occasions, 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Plasma β-endorphin was measured by radioimmunoassay. Results. Thirty-eight men and nine women were recruited. With the exception of 14 subjects who did not have the blood-taking procedure in the evening, all subjects completed the CCPAT and their blood was taken. Nineteen subjects suffered from gastrointestinal cancers, 17 from nasopharyngeal carcinoma, 9 from lung cancer and 2 from other types. Twenty-four of them did not have known metastasis. The mean age was 48.8 (SD 11.5). The mean β-endorphin levels for 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. were 42.55 pg/ml (SEM = 5.47) and 42.15 pg/ml (SEM = 5.80) respectively. There was no significant difference between the morning and the evening β-endorphin levels. The mean weighted scores for the functional, psychosocial, pharmacological, emotional, pain belief and meaning and intensity dimensions were 40.02, 13.85, 21.72, 25.37, 25.77, 62.17 and 2.35, respectively. A stepwise regression was done to examine the relationships among the β-endorphin levels and the scores of the six dimensions. The regression model was significant (p = 0.02). A cluster analysis was performed and the results supported the contention that a link may exit between the six dimensions and plasma β-endorphin levels. Conclusions. The importance of psychosocial, emotional and intensity factors in assessment of pain is re-affirmed by this study using β-endorphin as a biological benchmarker.School of Nursin

A survey of work-related pain prevalence among constructionworkers in Hong Kong : a case-control study

201908 bcmaVersion of RecordPublishe

Elucidation of Proteus mirabilis as a Key Bacterium in Crohn's Disease Inflammation

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Proteus spp, Gram-negative facultative anaerobic bacilli, have recently been associated with Crohn's disease (CD) recurrence after intestinal resection. We investigated the genomic and functional role of Proteus as a gut pathogen in CD. METHODS: Proteus spp abundance was assessed by ure gene-specific polymerase chain in 54 pairs of fecal samples and 101 intestinal biopsies from patients with CD and healthy controls. The adherence, invasion, and intracellular presence of 2 distinct isolates of Proteus mirabilis in epithelial cells were evaluated using immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. Intracellular gene expression profiles and regulated pathways were analyzed by RNA sequencing and KEGG pathway analysis. Biologic functions of 2 isolates of P mirabilis were determined by in vitro cell culture, and in vivo using conventional mice and germ-free mice. RESULTS: Proteus spp were significantly more prevalent and abundant in fecal samples and colonic tissue of patients with CD than controls. A greater abundance of the genus Fusobacterium and a lesser abundance of the genus Faecalibacterium were seen in patients with CD with a high Proteus spp abundance. All 24 Proteus monoclones isolated from patients with CD belonged to members of P mirabilis lineages and 2 isolates, recovered from stool or mucosa, were used in further studies. Mice gavaged with either P mirabilis strain had more severe colonic inflammation. Co-culture of the isolates with epithelial cell lines showed bacterial adherence, invasion, increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-18 and IL-1α, and cell necrosis. Both isolates induced key pro-inflammatory pathways, including NOD-like receptor signaling, Jak-STAT signaling, and MAPK signaling, and induced pro-inflammatory genes and activated inflammation-related pathways in gnotobiotic mice. CONCLUSIONS: P mirabilis in the gut is associated with CD and can induce inflammation in cells and animal models of colitis. P mirabilis can act as a pathobiont and play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of CD