Floating-Point Approximation Enabling Cost-Effective and High-Precision Digital Implementation of FitzHugh-Nagumo Neural Networks

The study of neuron interactions and hardware implementations are crucial research directions in neuroscience, particularly in developing large-scale biological neural networks. The FitzHugh-Nagumo (FHN) model is a popular neuron model with highly biological plausibility, but its complexity makes it difficult to apply at scale. This paper presents a cost-saving and improved precision approximation algorithm for the digital implementation of the FHN model. By converting the computational data into floating-point numbers, the original multiplication calculations are replaced by adding the floating-point exponent part and fitting the mantissa part with piecewise linear. In the hardware implementation, shifters and adders are used, greatly reducing resource overhead. Implementing FHN neurons by this approximation calculations on FPGA reduces the normalized root mean square error (RMSE) to 3.5% of the state-of-the-art (SOTA) while maintaining a performance overhead ratio improvement of 1.09 times. Compared to implementations based on approximate multipliers, the proposed method achieves a 20% reduction in error at the cost of a 2.8% increase in overhead.This model gained additional biological properties compared to LIF while reducing the deployment scale by only 9%. Furthermore, the hardware implementation of nine coupled circular networks with eight nodes and directional diffusion was carried out to demonstrate the algorithm's effectiveness on neural networks. The error decreased to 60% compared to the single neuron of the SOTA. This hardware-friendly algorithm allows for the low-cost implementation of high-precision hardware simulation, providing a novel perspective for studying large-scale, biologically plausible neural networks.

Largely Enhanced Service Life and Energy Harvesting Stability of Dielectric Elastomer Generator by Designing and Optimizing Compliance of Electrodes

Dielectric elastomer generator (DEG), which consists of a dielectric elastomer (DE) film sandwiched between two flexible electrodes (FEs), has the advantages of lightweight, high energy density, and high energy conversion efficiency, providing a simple and feasible solution for harvesting energy from human motion or nature. As crucial constituents of DEG, FEs are expected to possess excellent conductivity and compliance. Nevertheless, there is currently no quantitative characterization method for FE compliance. In addition, the impact mechanism of FE compliance on the energy harvesting performance and fatigue life of the DEG remains unclear. In this study, the dynamic mechanical property (DMP) was used to assess the compliance of FEs, and the quantitative characterization method of FE compliance was proposed. A series of silicone rubber electrodes (SREs) with different DMPs and compliance were designed and prepared, and the impact mechanism of FE compliance on the energy harvesting stability and fatigue life of the DEG was investigated. The results indicate that the key to achieving excellent FE compliance lies in reducing the difference in the magnitude of the complex modulus and phase angle between the FEs and DE, which can significantly reduce interfacial friction and extend the fatigue life of DEG. Benefiting from the enhanced FE compliance, the fatigue life and full-life energy density of the DEG device increase by 20.3 times and 26.4 times, respectively, compared with those of the commonly used carbon-based electrodes.

[Progress in research of self-sampling for detection of genital chlamydia trachomatis and related factors in men who have sex with men]

Laboratory testing is a vital chain in the prevention and control of genital chlamydia trachomatis infection. The prevalence of genital chlamydia trachomatis infection is high, but the detection rate of the infection is low in men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. Self-sampling for genital chlamydia trachomatis detection by MSM is a new option to address this problem, which would play a significant role in expanding genital chlamydia trachomatis infection screening in this population. This paper summarizes the progress in research of self-sampling for the detection of genital chlamydia trachomatis and the related factors in MSM both at home and abroad to provide reference for the promotion of self-sampling for the detection of genital chlamydia trachomatis in this population.

Superstretchable Liquid-Metal Electrodes for Dielectric Elastomer Transducers and Flexible Circuits

Dielectric elastomer transducers (DETs), with a dielectric elastomer (DE) film sandwiched between two compliant electrodes, are highly sought after in the fields of soft robotics, energy harvesting, and human-machine interaction. To achieve a high-performance DET, it is essential to develop electrodes with high conductivity, strain-insensitive resistance, and adaptability. Herein, we design an electrode (Supra-LMNs) based on multiple dynamic bond cross-linked supramolecular networks (Ns) and liquid metal (LM), which realizes high conductivity (up to 16,000 S cm-1), negligible resistance changes at high strain (1.3-fold increase at 1000% strain), instantaneous self-healability at ambient temperature, and rapid recycling. The conductive pathway can be activated through simple friction by transmitting stress through the silver nanowires (AgNWs) and cross-linking sites of LM particles. This method is especially attractive for printing circuits on flexible substrates, especially DE films. Utilized as dielectric elastomer generator (DEG) electrodes, it reduces the charge loss by 3 orders of magnitude and achieves high generating energy density and energy conversion efficiency on a low-resistance load. Additionally, serving as sensor (DES) and actuator (DEA) electrodes, it enables a highly sensitive sensing capability and complex interaction.

American Heart Association's new 'Life's Essential 8' score in association with cardiovascular disease: a national cross-sectional analysis

OBJECTIVE

The American Heart Association (AHA) has recently updated and enhanced the quantification of cardiovascular health by using the Life's Essential 8 (LE8) score. We intended to examine the correlation between cardiovascular health status, as measured by the new LE8 score, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in US adults.

STUDY DESIGN

National cross-sectional study.

METHODS

A total of 24,730 individuals without pregnancy and with complete data from 2007 to 2018 enrolled in the study. The overall LE8 score was divided into low, moderate, and high groups. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to assess the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between the LE8 score and the presence of CVD.

RESULTS

Overall, the high LE8 group had a younger age (20-59 years, 82.95%) and more females (60.09%) compared to the low LE8 group. Moderate and high LE8 correlated negatively with the presence of CVD (moderate, OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.39-0.54; high, OR: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.21-0.33). One standard deviation increment in the LE8 score correlated significantly with lower odds of CVD (OR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.60-0.69). Further stratification analysis also detected a significant relationship between the new LE8 score and CVD, and the result was enhanced among the young and women (P-interaction<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher LE8 score correlated with lower odds of CVD, especially among the young and women.

High Energy Harvesting Performances Silicone Elastomer via Filling Soft Dielectric with Stretching Deformability

Dielectric elastomer generators (DEGs) with high generated energy density and high conversion efficiency are of great interest. Among several dielectric elastomers (DEs), silicone elastomer filled with ceramic fillers have been extensively studied for their high elasticity, insulation, and permittivity. However, the stretched breakdown strength (E_bs ) of such composites decreases significantly under large strain, thus sharply reduces its energy harvesting performances. In this study, a polar rubber-based dielectric (GNBR) is synthetized and creatively used as "soft filler" for silicone elastomer. Benefiting from the deformability under stretching and its inherent strong interface bonding with silicone elastomer, this soft filler effectively avoids the formation of weak interface under large strain and reduces the local field strength of interface area. As expected, the composite filled with soft filler (GNBR/PMVS) shows enhanced E_bs of 2.8 times that of composite with traditional hard filler (TiO₂ /PMVS) under equibiaxial strain of 200%. As a result, GNBR/PMVS composite exhibits maximum energy density of 130.5 mJ g^-1 with up-to-date highest power conversion efficiency of reported DEG (44.5%). The findings will provide new insights in the rational design of DE composites characterized by high stretched breakdown strength for advanced energy harvesting system.

Photochromic Polyurethane Coatings with Cross-Linked Structure and Self-Healing Behavior Based on the FRET Effect

Intelligent fluorescent coatings have received widespread attention in the encryption technique field such as anti-counterfeit and information coding, while the traditional fluorescent coatings are easy to be damaged by external force and difficult to be repaired, which often limits the applications. In this study, the fluorescent and self-healing smart anti-counterfeit coatings were prepared after rational molecular design. Two polymers containing fluorescent groups, including polyurethane containing the anthracene (AN) side group and polyimide containing the naphthalenediimide (NDI) structure were synthesized to realize multiple color changes with fluorescence through simply blending. Due to the overlapping fluorescence spectra of the groups in the composites, enabling the fluorescence resonance energy transfer effect (FRET), the coating with different group ratios exhibits tunable blue, green, and red fluorescence under the same excitation light, providing diverse information for coating patterning. Moreover, as a result of the reversible photo-crosslinking and thermal de-dimerization properties of AN, the recording, erasure, and rewriting of the information on the surface pattern can be realized, and the fluorescent anti-counterfeit coatings exhibit excellent self-healing properties after cross-linking due to the FRET effect, which solves the problem of poor healing due to light cross-linking and ensures the stability and integrity of the coatings in the application. The preparation of fluorescent coating with cross-linked structure and self-healing behavior based on the FRET effect greatly expands the functional applications of traditional polyurethane materials, which is expected to be used for anti-counterfeiting pattern, optical information storage, fluorescent probes, and other fields. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Reactive Janus Particle Compatibilizer with Adjustable Structure and Optimal Interface Location for Compatibilization of Highly Immiscible Polymer Blends

Highly immiscible blend materials with distinctive and excellent properties play a key role in meeting the application needs, especially in extreme environments, and reactive nanoparticles are used to increase the interface adhesion and optimize the morphology of highly immiscible blending. However, these reactive nanoparticles tend to aggregate and even agglomerate during reactive blending, which significantly deteriorates their compatibilization efficiency. Herein, reactive Janus particles with the epoxy group and various siloxane molecular long chain grafting ratios (E-JP-PDMS) were synthesized using SiO₂@PDVB Janus particles (JP) and used as compatibilizers for polyamide and methyl vinyl silicone elastomer (PA/MVQ) blends, which were highly immiscible. The effects of the structure of E-JP-PDMS Janus nanoparticles on their location at the interfaces between the PA and MVQ as well as their compatibilization efficiency for the PA/MVQ blends were investigated. The location and dispersion of E-JP-PDMS at the interfaces were improved by increasing the PDMS content in E-JP-PDMS. The average diameter of the MVQ domains of the PA/MVQ (70/30, w/w) was 79.5 μm and was reduced to 5.3 μm in the presence of 3.0 wt % of the E-JP-PDMS with 65 wt % PDMS. As a comparison, it was 45.1 μm in the presence of 3.0 wt % of a commercial compatibilizer (ethylene-butylacylate-maleic anhydride copolymer, denoted as EBAMAH), which provides a guideline for the design and preparation of efficient compatibilizers for highly immiscible polymer blends.

[Chlamydia trachomatis infection and its associated factors among asymptomatic outpatients attending sexually transmitted disease-related clinics]

Objective: To understand the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection and its associated factors among asymptomatic outpatients attending sexually transmitted disease (STD)-related clinics in Shenzhen and provide evidence for development of future interventions. Methods: From April 15 to May 16, 2018, a cross-sectional study was conducted and patients attending STD-related Clinics were recruited from 22 medical institutions in Nanshan, Luohu, Bao'an, Longgang, Yantian, and Longhua districts of Shenzhen. After the informed consent from each participant was obtained, social-demographic information was collected through a structured questionnaire and urine samples were collected for CT nucleic acid detection. In addition, logistic regression was used to explore associated factors of CT infection. Results: In asymptomatic outpatients, the prevalence of CT infection was 7.16% (250/3 492). Being single (aOR=2.29, 95%CI:1.65-3.16), without registered Shenzhen residency (aOR=1.49, 95%CI:1.04-2.13), and without previous CT testing in the past year (aOR=2.04, 95%CI:1.03-4.05) were the risk factors of CT infection in asymptomatic outpatients. Among participants without registered Shenzhen residency, 89.25% (2 176/2 438) were college-degree or below, and 51.29% (1 255/2 447) were aged ≤30 years, and the risk of CT infection among those ≤30 years old was 1.73 times higher than those >30 years old (95%CI:1.28-2.34). Conclusions: The prevalence of CT infection was high among asymptomatic outpatients attending STD-related clinics in Shenzhen. Routine CT screening should be carried out for this population, especially for those with sexually active age, being single, with low educational level, and without previous CT testing in the past year. Also, raising their awareness of knowledge and adverse outcomes of CT infection should be considered to promote routine CT screening and timely treatment.

Recyclable silicone elastic light-triggered actuator with a reconfigurable Janus structure and self-healable performance

A recyclable silicone elastic light-triggered actuator with reconfigurable Janus structure and self-healable performance is reported, which was fabricated via heterogeneous crosslinking induced by a gradient intensity of UV light due to CNTs accretion.

Deep Insight into the Influences of the Intrinsic Properties of Dielectric Elastomer on the Energy-Harvesting Performance of the Dielectric Elastomer Generator

The dielectric elastomer (DE) generator (DEG), which can convert mechanical energy to electrical energy, has attracted considerable attention in the last decade. Currently, the energy-harvesting performances of the DEG still require improvement. One major reason is that the mechanical and electrical properties of DE materials are not well coordinated. To provide guidance for producing high-performance DE materials for the DEG, the relationship between the intrinsic properties of DE materials and the energy-harvesting performances of the DEG must be revealed. In this study, a simplified but validated electromechanical model based on an actual circuit is developed to study the relationship between the intrinsic properties of DE materials and the energy-harvesting performance. Experimental verification of the model is performed, and the results indicate the validity of the proposed model, which can well predict the energy-harvesting performances. The influences of six intrinsic properties of DE materials on energy-harvesting performances is systematically studied. The results indicate that a high breakdown field strength, low conductivity and high elasticity of DE materials are the prerequisites for obtaining high energy density and conversion efficiency. DE materials with high elongation at break, high permittivity and moderate modulus can further improve the energy density and conversion efficiency of the DEG. The ratio of permittivity and the modulus of the DE should be tailored to be moderate to optimize conversion efficiency (η) of the DEG because using DE with high permittivity but extremely low modulus may lead to a reduction in η due to the occurrence of premature “loss of tension”.

Coupling effect of molecular weight and crosslinking kinetics on the formation of rubber nanoparticles and their agglomerates in EPDM/PP TPVs during dynamic vulcanization

It is well-known that a fine dispersed rubber phase in thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) is a key to obtain good mechanical properties and high elasticity of TPV products. Previous studies reported that the rubber nanodroplets formed during shearing blending can transform into rubber nanoparticles by in situ rapid crosslinking and these rubber nanoparticles spontaneously form agglomerates dispersed in a plastic matrix during dynamic vulcanization (DV). However, important influencing factors on the formation of rubber nanoparticles and their agglomeration during DV have not been reported yet. In this study, the coupling effect of the molecular weight (MW) of polypropylene (PP) and crosslinking kinetics including the crosslinking rate (CR) and crosslinking degree (CD) on the size of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber nanoparticles and their agglomerates in EPDM/PP TPVs was systematically studied for the first time. The minimum diameter of EPDM nanodroplets was theoretically calculated by using the critical break-up law of viscoelastic melts for the blend with high MW PP or the critical capillary equation for the blend with low MW PP, and the real size of the EPDM nanoparticles was experimentally verified. Interestingly, the results show that the lower MW of the PP phase, lower CD and higher CR contribute to the formation of smaller rubber nanoparticles, whereas the higher MW of the PP phase and higher CD of the rubber phase contribute to the formation of smaller rubber nanoparticle agglomerates. This study provides guidance to optimize the microstructure of EPDM/PP TPVs for the preparation of high-performance TPV products.

Multidirectional Triple-Shape-Memory Polymer by Tunable Cross-linking and Crystallization

Medical fixing is one of the very important applications of the shape-memory polymer material, and the two important properties of the medical fixing material are that it perfectly fits the body during the fixing and easily detaches after being used. As the fixing and detachment are triggered by two independent stimuli in two opposite directions, it is necessary to develop multidirectional triple-shape-memory polymers. In this research, a series of polymer materials composed of trans-polyisoprene (TPI) and paraffin were prepared by melt blending and compression molding, and then the TPI was cross-linked by vulcanization. As a result of the large difference in the melting temperature and crystallization temperature between TPI and paraffin, the obtained polymer materials exhibit a triple-shape-memory behavior. According to the analysis of crystal behavior, microscopic morphology, and mechanical properties of the materials with different paraffin contents and TPI cross-linking density by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, the shape-memory behavior of the obtained materials was tunable by the cross-linking density of TPI and the crystallization degree of TPI or paraffin. Compared with the traditional triple-shape-memory material, our samples are prepared in a more facile way and can recover at human body temperature (37 °C). Moreover, our TPI/paraffin material can realize more flexible multidirectional recovery, as well as can be reprogramed and used multiple times. To the best of our knowledge, there are few polymer materials reported, which can realize multidirectional recovery. These unique multidirectional and reprogramable properties will enable the application of this polymer material, especially in the medical fixing materials.

A silicone elastomer with optimized and tunable mechanical strength and self-healing ability based on strong and weak coordination bonds

A self-healable silicone elastomer is fabricated based on the synergistic effect of strong and weak coordination bonds.

Highly Stretchable Conductor by Self-Assembling and Mechanical Sintering of a 2D Liquid Metal on a 3D Polydopamine-Modified Polyurethane Sponge

A highly stretchable conductor was fabricated through dip-coating a new liquid metal (LM) electric ink on a polydopamine (PDA)-modified three-dimensional (3D) polyurethane sponge (PUS) followed by mechanical sintering. The LM was first sonicated to nanodroplets to reduce the consumption of LM and then modified by 3-mercaptopropionic acid (LMNPS-MPA) to improve the interfacial adhesion between LM and PUS. The denser and even distribution of LMNPS-MPA self-assembling on PDA-treated PUS (PUS-PDA) was successfully prepared via hydrogen bonding interactions. Mechanical sintering of 3D PUS-PDA coated by a two-dimensional (2D) LM layer was then conducted to obtain a continuous conductive network. Comparing with those of the reported 3D conductors, the resulting PUS-PDA-LM composite conductor shows both high electrical conductivity (478 S cm^-1) under a low LM consumption of 10 vol% and excellent conductivity stability with the relative resistance change, ΔR/R₀, of 2% at 50% strain under stretching deformation. The as-prepared PUS-PDA-LM composites were then successfully applied as flexible and stretchable light-emitting diode (LED) arrays with excellent conductivity and conductivity stability at different deformations. We believe that the 3D stretchable PUS-PDA-LM conductor has many potential applications in flexible sensors, flexible circuits, rollable displays, etc.

Photothermal-Induced Self-Healable and Reconfigurable Shape Memory Bio-Based Elastomer with Recyclable Ability

Photothermal-induced self-healable and shape memory materials have drawn much attention due to the rapidly growing technical applications and environmental requirements. As epoxy natural rubber (ENR) is a kind of bio-based elastomer with good mechanical properties, weather resistance, and air impermeability, it is of great significance to incorporate ENR with recyclable, photothermal-induced self-healable and shape memory properties. In this study, we report a simple method to cross-link ENR with dodecanedioic acids (DAs) through esterification reaction, and during the cross-linking process, a little aniline trimer (ACAT, a kind of oligoaniline) was added at the same time. Then, the ENR-DA-ACAT vitrimers that were covalently cross-linked with recyclable, self-healable, and multiple responsive properties were obtained, which also possessed various functions. As a result of the transesterification reactions at elevated temperatures, the ENR-based vitrimers possess the ability to be reprocessed and self-healed, and the mechanical properties could be maintained even after three consecutive breaking/mold pressing cycles. Besides, the vitrimer is also responsive to near-infrared (NIR) light and pH with the introduction of ACAT, and we also find that ACAT can be used as a catalyst to accelerate the transesterification reaction. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the ENR-DA-ACAT vitrimer could also be used to construct the reconfigurable shape memory polymer; the shape fixing ratio and shape recovery ratio are both above 95% in the reconfiguration process, and the multistage shape memory performance can also be achieved by NIR irradiation, which will potentially lead to a wide application for ENR in the field of actuators.

Simultaneously improved dielectric and mechanical properties of silicone elastomer by designing a dual crosslinking network

A homogenous silicone dielectric elastomer with simultaneously improved dielectric and mechanical properties is synthesized by designing a dual crosslinking network.

[Adenocarcinoma in a Meckel's diverticulum with multiple liver metastases and gastrointestinal hemorrhage: a case report]

Meckel's diverticulum is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract, affecting approximately 2% of the population. It is a true diverticulum occurring on the anti-mesenteric border of the distalileum, typically within 100 cm of the ileo-caecal valve. Neoplasms arising in Meckel's diverticula are uncommon, and those reported in the literature are mainly carcinoid tumors, followed by gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) and benign leiomyomas. Adenocarcinomas are extremely rare. Tumors in Meckel's present non-specifically with gastrointestinal complaints, such as bleeding, obstruction, inflammation or perforation. The suspicion of a Meckel's tumor is often not thought of at the initial. In this article we describe a 57-year-old woman who presented with massive rectal bleeding and severe anemia, later found to be caused by a adenocarcinoma arising from Meckel's diverticulum. The tumor was unfortunately highly aggressive. Multiple liver metastases had already existed when we discovered the primary mass. Later we performed a partial resection of the ileumto cease the bleeding. Meckel's diverticulum and the tumor were resected simultaneously. The pathological diagnosis confirmed adenocarcinoma arising from the Meckel's diverticulum. The final stage was pT4NxM1, stage IV according to the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) classification. After operation we gave the patient first-line, mFOLFOX6 chemotherapy, but it turned out to be not effective. Rapid progress of the liver metastases and suspicion of multiple lung metastasis in short time after therapy indicated a bad outcome. We believe this is the first case of adenocarcinoma in a Meckel's diverticulum to be reported in domestic literature. The diagnosis of Meckel's tumor should be considered as inpatients'acute gastrointestinal complaints; when found incidentally at laparotomy, it should be carefully examined for any gross abnormality and resection should be considered.

Bioderived Rubber-Cellulose Nanocrystal Composites with Tunable Water-Responsive Adaptive Mechanical Behavior

Adaptive mechanical behaviors in nature have inspired the development of synthetic adaptive composites, with those responsive to water particularly relevant for biomedical applications. Polymer nanocomposites containing cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are prime examples of water-responsive mechanically adaptive materials. Although CNCs are biobased, the matrixes of these composites are exclusively petroleum-based synthetic elastomers, in sharp contrast to their biological counterparts. In this work, we attempted to probe the possibility of using bioderived rubber(s) as the matrix to fabricate CNC-nanocomposite with water-responsive adaptive mechanical behaviors. Specifically, natural rubber (NR) and epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) were used as the composite matrixes. Our results show that the water-responsive sensitivity and reversibility of ENR composites is much more drastic than that of NR composites. This is attributed to the strong CNC-polymer interaction (hydrogen bonding) for ENR, which leads to better filler dispersion and the formation of an extra CNC-polymer network in addition to the CNC-CNC filler network present in the NR composite. The synergistic effect of the dual networks plays a key role in tuning the mechanical properties and water-responsive sensitivity for various potential biomedical applications. Our study further provides guidance to make use of renewable resources to produce high value added water-responsive nanocomposites.

Unique microstructure of an oil resistant nitrile butadiene rubber/polypropylene dynamically vulcanized thermoplastic elastomer

This paper reports on the microstructure, morphological evolution and the properties of oil resistant nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR)/polypropylene (PP) thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) prepared by dynamical vulcanization (DV).

Association of IL-18 polymorphisms with rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis

Interleukin-18 (IL-18), an important proinflammatory cytokine, has been reported to play a potential pathological role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Results from previous studies on the association between IL-18 polymorphisms and RA are conflicting. To clarify this, an updated meta-analysis of all available studies on IL-18 polymorphisms and RA was conducted. Eligible articles were identified by searching databases, including PubMed, Ovid, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database, for the period up to May 1, 2015. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were used to assess the strength of association in the homozygote, heterozygote, dominant, recessive, and additive models. The software STATA (Version 13.0) was used for statistical analysis. Finally, 14 articles were included in the present meta-analysis. The IL-18 -607C/A polymorphism showed pooled ORs and 95%CIs for the homozygote model (AA vs CC: OR = 0.598; 95%CI = 0.395-0.907), and the association between the IL-18 -137G/C polymorphism and RA showed pooled ORs and 95%CIs for the homozygote (CC vs GG: OR = 0.699; 95%CI = 0.364-1.342) and heterozygote (CG vs GG: OR = 0.924; 95%CI = 0.803-1.064) models. In summary, the current meta-analysis, which was based on the most current studies, showed that the -607A/C, -920C/T, and -105A/C polymorphisms in IL-18 were significantly associated with increased RA risk. However, the -137C/G polymorphism was not associated with RA risk under any genetic model. More evidence is needed to support or deny such a conclusion.

Properties and unique morphological evolution of dynamically vulcanized bromo-isobutylene-isoprene rubber/polypropylene thermoplastic elastomer

We studied the microstructure, morphological evolution and the corresponding mechanism, and the properties of BIIR/PP TPV.

Largely improved electromechanical properties of thermoplastic dielectric elastomers by grafting carboxyl onto SBS through thiol–ene click chemistry

Modified SBS with largely improved electromechanical properties is prepared by grafting carboxyl groups onto the polybutadiene domains using a simple, effective and controllable photochemical thiol-ene click reaction.