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Blends of the biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were prepared by means of a melt blending method. To conquer the poor compatibility between PCL and MWNTs, the acrylic acid grafted polycaprolactone (PCL-g-AA) and the multihydroxyl functionalized MWNTs (MWNTs-OH) were used as alternatives for the preparation of blends. As the comparison between PCL-g-AA/MWNTs-OH and PCL/ MWNTs blends, the former gave much better thermal and mechanical properties than the latter; for examples, 77 C increase in the initial decomposition temperature and 13.3MPa in the tensile strength at break with the addition of only 5 wt %, due to the formation of ester groups through the reaction between carboxylic acid groups of PCL-g-AA and hydroxyl groups of MWNTs-OH. Finally, the optimal amount of MWNTs-OH was 5 wt % because excess MWNTs-OH caused separation of the organic and inorganic phases and lowering their compatibility.

No abstract

An organometallic nickel complex containing thieno­[3,2-b]­thiophene units was designed and synthesized. Composite films of the resulting nickel complex and polyvinylidene difluoride, which can be fabricated via a simple solution process under atmospheric conditions, exhibit remarkably high n-type conductivity (>200 S cm–1). Moreover, the thermoelectric power factor of the n-type composite film was proven to be air stable. A grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray diffraction analysis indicated a significant impact of introducing the thieno­[3,2-b]­thiophene core into the backbone of the nickel complex on the orientation within the composite films.

Nocturia can be caused by urological disorders and systemic diseases, including heart diseases. We aimed to investigate the relationship between nocturia and structural abnormalities on echocardiography. Adult patients who underwent echocardiography for cardiac symptoms or heart murmur or had a history of structural heart disease were included. The voiding times during sleep hours were collected prospectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the predictive value of bothersome nocturia (nocturia ≥ 2) on echocardiographic abnormalities. Of 299 patients, 182 (60.9%) reported bothersome nocturia. In patients aged ≥ 65 years, hypertension and left atrial enlargement (LAE) were associated with higher occurrences of bothersome nocturia. On multivariate analysis, bothersome nocturia was a predictive factor of LAE (odds ratio [OR] 2.453, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.363–4.416, p = 0.003). Moreover, bothersome nocturia could predict both LAE and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) (OR 2.285, 95% CI 1.151–4.536, p = 0.018; OR 2.056, 95% CI 1.025–4.124, p = 0.043) in the elderly. Older age, hypertension, and LAE were risk factors for bothersome nocturia. Moreover, bothersome nocturia was predictive of LAE and LVH in the elderly. Patients with bothersome nocturia without other significant lower urinary tract symptoms should be referred to cardiologists.