A new kind of magnetorheological elastomer (MRE), named porous magnetorheological elastomer (P-MRE), was prepared by filling with NH4HCO3. Two groups of samples with different content of NH4HCO3 and carbonyl iron particles were prepared. The microstructures of the samples were observed by using a digital microscope, and image analysis was applied to analyze the microstructure of P-MRE. The dynamic performance of the shear mode was also investigated under different magnetic flux densities. The shear storage modulus, MR effect and loss factor were calculated by using a mechanical property measurement system. The experimental results indicate that the NH4HCO3 has a greater impact on the properties of P-MRE, including the microstructures and dynamic mechanical performance. The increment of NH4HCO3 content enhances the porosity of P-MRE, and decreases the shear storage modulus. Moreover, P-MRE has a more obvious MR effect than that of MRE without NH4HCO3 filling, and the MR effect of P-MRE can be substantially increased by increasing the NH4HCO3 and carbonyl iron particle content. The damping property is also affected by the NH4HCO3 filling; the loss factor of the P-MRE can also be increased by increasing the NH4HCO3 content. On the basis of these results, this study is expected to provide a good guide for optimization and design of a new kind of MRE.

The present study was designed to determine the effects of melatonin on coronary vasomotor tone. Porcine coronary arteries were suspended in organ chambers for isometric tension recording. Melatonin (10(-10)-10(-5) M) itself caused neither contraction nor relaxation of the tissues. Serotonin (10(-9)-10(-5) M) caused concentration-dependent contractions of coronary arteries, and in the presence of melatonin (10(-7) M) the maximal response to serotonin was increased in rings with but not without endothelium. In contrast, melatonin had no effect on contractions produced by the thromboxane A(2) analog U-46619 (10(-10)-10(-7) M). The melatonin-receptor antagonist S-20928 (10(-6) M) abolished the potentiating effect of melatonin on serotonin-induced contractions in endothelium-intact coronary arteries, as did treatment with 1H-[1, 2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (10(-5) M), methylene blue (10(-5) M), or N(G)-nitro-L-arginine (3 x 10(-5) M). In tissues contracted with U-46619, serotonin caused endothelium-dependent relaxations that were inhibited by melatonin (10(-7) M). Melatonin also inhibited coronary artery relaxation induced by sodium nitroprusside (10(-9)-10(-5) M) but not by isoproterenol (10(-9)-10(-5) M). These results support the hypothesis that melatonin, by inhibiting the action of nitric oxide on coronary vascular smooth muscle, selectively potentiates the vasoconstrictor response to serotonin in coronary arteries with endothelium.

Objective Physical exercise during pregnancy is beneficial to women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), but evidence on the association between physical exercise and glycemic control among women with GDM is limited in China. We conducted this study to understand the total exercise times, the percentage of abnormal plasma glucose (PG), and to explore if longer physical exercise is positively associated with a lower percentage of abnormal PG among GDM women. Methods During 2019 and 2020, we established a prospective cohort with 1,050 GDM women recruited. GDM was confirmed by a diagnostic 75g OGTT, and plasma glucose in over 10 hours overnight fasting and 2-hour after breakfast was implemented during a routine antenatal checkup. Information for demographic features and physical exercises among GDM women were collected by questionnaire interviews, and abnormal PG percentage was calculated as abnormal PG times divided by total PG test times. Results Among 1,050 GDM women, the percentage of exercise times <150 minutes/week, <30 minutes/day and <60 minutes/day was 17.33%, 26.57%, and 54.10%, respectively. The median percentage of abnormal PG was 40% (IQR=20–70%). GDM women with less exercise had a higher abnormal PG percentage (y=0.0049x 2 -1.20x+88.96), ORs for women with exercise <150 minutes/week were 3.78 (95% CI=1.33–8.25), 6.97 (3.45–14.07), and 6.39 (3.61–11.33) compared with ≥ 150 minutes/week, and ORs for women with exercise <60 minutes/day were 4.62 (2.71–8.14), 3.58 (2.60–4.93), and 7.28 (4.31–12.30) compared with ≥60 minutes/day in groups divided by quartiles of P 25 , P 50 and P 75 , respectively. Conclusion This study indicated high physical exercise times and abnormal PG percentage among women with GDM in Shanghai, China. GDM women with more exercise times had a lower percentage of abnormal PG, especially when exercise times were ≥60 minutes/day, and supplementary treatments should be provided for women with over 70% abnormal plasma glucose.

An effective strategy to tailor the microporous structures has been developed based on the shape memory effect in porous poly(l-lactic acid) membranes in which tiny crystals and amorphous matrix play the roles of shape-fixed phase and reversible-phase, respectively. Our results indicate that not only PLLA membranes but micropores exhibit shape memory properties. The proportional deformations on two scales have been achieved by uniaxial or biaxial tension, providing a facile way to manipulate continuously the size and the orientation degree of pores on microscale. The enhanced separation performance has been validated by taking polystyrene colloids with varying diameters as an example.

Introduction Low birthweight (LBW) is a significant public health issue, and maternal smoking is the most prevalent preventable cause of LBW. But there is limited evidence on association of LBW among children and cigarette smoke exposure in mothers in China. In this cross-sectional study, we try to explore if the LBW in children is positively associated with mothers’ prenatal cigarette smoke exposure. Methods We selected 8, 586 mothers and their singleton children in 2018 in Songjiang district, Shanghai. Birthweight of children and gestational weeks of mother was identified by birth records in the hospital, we classified mothers’ prenatal cigarette smoke status into the first-hand smoke (FHS) exposure and the second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure. We use SAS 9.1.3 software to calculate the prevalence of children’s LBW and the prevalence of mothers’ prenatal cigarette smoke exposure including FHS and SHS. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used to analyze the difference. Results In 8, 586 women, The prenatal FHS and SHS exposure prevalence was 0.9 and 20.8%, respectively. The mean birthweight of children was 3315.5 g with a standard deviation of 497.2 g, the mean birthweight was 167.7 g and 66.1 g lower in children born to mothers with prenatally FHS and SHS exposure compared with those children whose mother were not exposed, respectively. The children’s LBW prevalence was 4.7% in this study. By comparing with children whose mother were not exposed, the LBW prevalence was higher among children whose mother were prenatally exposed to FHS [OR (Odds Ratios) = 2.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.49, 5.68)], and SHS [OR = 2.35, 95% CI (1.90, 2.89)]. Conclusions Children’s LBW is positively associated with mothers’ prenatal tobacco smoke exposure both for FHS and SHS. So implementing tobacco control measures is crucial to lower smoking prevalence among women, and decrease smoking prevalence of their family members as well as work fellows.

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Background: Tobacco consumption produces a heavy disease burden worldwide, and tobacco price increase, an advertisement for tobacco-induced harm, graphic warning labels on cigarette packages and advice of physicians for quitting are policies that have been proved as effective smoking cessation measures. But evidence on the estimated effect of advice of physicians for quitting and assumed tobacco retail price increase on smoking cessation intention among smokers is still limited in China.Methods: From January to April of 2021, we recruited 664 current smokers in Songjiang district of Shanghai by a multistage sampling design. We implemented a logistic regression analysis to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) to explore how smoking cessation intention would be influenced by the assumed tobacco retail price increase as well as advice of physicians for quitting, and used the paired tabulation method to identify the salient tobacco control measures among smokers as well.Results: A total of 664 current smokers included 548 males (82.53%), with an average smoking duration of 22.50 years (SD: 11.52 years). About 68.79 and 43.67% of current smokers reported smoking cessation intention due to advice of physicians for quitting and the assumed tobacco retail price increase, respectively. Logistic regression analysis indicated that female smokers (OR = 2.85 and 4.55), smokers with previous smoking cessation attempt (OR = 3.71 and 3.07), longer smoking duration (OR = 2.26 and 2.68), lower smoking intensity (OR = 1.82 and 1.69), and heavier tobacco burdens (OR = 1.67 and 2.22) had the higher intention of smoking cessation both due to advice of physicians for quitting and due to assumed tobacco price increase, respectively. Meanwhile, the advice of physicians for quitting was more effective and acceptable (over 80%) than the assumed tobacco price increase for inducing smokers to consider quitting in Shanghai.Conclusions: Smokers have a high intention of smoking cessation in Shanghai, and the advice of physicians for quitting is a potentially more salient tobacco control measure than the assumed tobacco retail price increase. Incorporating smoking duration, intensity, personal burden as well as noncommunicable disease (NCD) status of smokers into the implementation of tobacco control measures is beneficial for descending smoking prevalence.

Background Tobacco consumption is the leading cause of death worldwide. Overwhelming studies demonstrate graphic warning labels (GWLs) on cigarette packs are effective in eliciting negative response to tobacco smoking, modifying beliefs about tobacco dangers, and increasing reported intention to quit, but the estimated effect of GWLs on smoking cessation intention among smokers is still limited in China. In this study, we aim to understand the smoking intensity, smoking duration and smoking cessation intention among current smokers, and to explore how their smoking cessation intention would be influenced by the GWLs in Shanghai. Methods From January to June 2021, we totally recruited 1104 current smokers in Songjiang district and Fengxian district of Shanghai by multistage sampling design. We used Android pad assisted electronic questionnaire for data collection, and then implemented logistic regression for odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) calculation to explore how smoking cessation intention would be influenced by the GWLs among current smokers. Results One thousand one hundred four current smokers included 914 males (82.79%), with an average age of 43.61 years. 58.06% of current smokers reported smoking cessation intention due to GWLs. Logistic regression indicated a higher percentage of smoking cessation intention due to GWLs was among female smokers [OR = 2.41, 95% CI (1.61–3.59)], smokers with smoking intensity < 20 cigarette/day [OR = 1.92, 95% CI (1.44–2.55)], smokers with tobacco burden < 20% [OR = 1.94, 95% CI (1.35–2.79)], and among smokers had plan to quit in a year [OR = 6.58, 95% CI (4.71–9.18). Smokers with higher individual monthly income had lower percentage of smoking cessation intention (OR were 0.35, 0.46 and 0.41). Meanwhile, among 642 current smokers without plan to quit in a year, approximately 40% of them reported smoking cessation intention due to GWLs. Conclusions Smoking cessation intention due to the assumed GWLs on cigarette packs is high among current smokers in Shanghai, especially in female smokers, smokers with light tobacco burden and mild nicotine dependence. Incorporating smoking intensity as well as smoking burden into the implementation of GWLs as tobacco control measures would discourage smoking in China.